Matravers School ‘Class of 94’ has re-launched a campaign to name a road after Nigel Gilhespy, head teacher from 1986 to 2005, who died in 2006.
Nigel Gilhespy was widely recognised for his positive influence on the school and its pupils.
Matravers ‘Class of 94’ started the petition at their 20th year school reunion with Nigel’s widow Elaine Gilhespy being the first to sign. Over 220 signatures have already been received and extra support is expected over the coming weeks.
Wiltshire Councillor, Horace Prickett, is supporting the campaign and hopes to present the results to Westbury Town Council in the Autumn with a request that a suitable street or road is found on one of the new estates being built in Westbury.
He said, “As a councillor during my term of office on Westbury Town Council, I tried unsuccessfully to get a road in the town named after him. This came to nought eventually and you can therefore imagine my huge surprise when I was presented with a petition from the students asking that this campaign be reborn with a demand from them that one of the many new roads being built in the town be named Gilhespy Way in his memory.
“During the period of Nigel Gilhespy’s tenure from 1986 to 2005, he transformed the school, raising standards and expectations and never once abandoning hope for a single student. Each and every student was as precious as the other and all he ever saw was their potential and strived ceaselessly to achieve it. For his efforts he received a Westbury Town Council Civic Award from me, as the mayor, in 2003, one of the greatest ways the town could bear testament to his hard and outstanding work.
“The petition has been signed by the over 60 students and in addition, another 164 signatures have arrived via Facebook and spottedwestbury. These entries add even more comments such as: Samantha ..” he was a brilliant man. No one deserves this more than him”, Lynsey “Brilliant, where can I sign?”, Rachael …. “I was only in Matravers for one year back in 88-89 before moving away but he was a great head I’d like to sign the petition”.
“Furthermore, Elaine, Nigel’s widow, gave this campaign her full support and felt most honoured to be associated with the efforts being made to pay tribute to her late husband.”
Forms will be distributed shortly to shops and other centres in the town and people can also email their ‘signature’ to ‘spottedwestbury’ on Facebook, stating their full name, and postcode.
Above: ‘Class of 94’ with Cllr Horace Prickett and Nigel Gilhespy’s widow Elaine (holding flowers). Photo by Edward Coleman.
