Michael Broadway, a history teacher and former organist at St Barnabas Church, Jericho, has died at the age of 75.

Mr Broadway was born in St Barnabas Street in 1932 and never moved out of Jericho.

After leaving school at the age of 16 armed with only a few qualifications and a love of music, Mr Broadway went to work at music shop Taphouses, where Debenhams now stands.

According to his daughter, Sarah, her father was almost sacked on several occasions for spending more time playing the piano than serving customers.

At the age of 18, Mr Broadway joined the RAF and worked in the post room. He contracted TB and was sent to spend the next two years in the Rivermead Hospital on the Abingdon Road, to recover.

His daughter recalls her father telling her that when he recovered he was given a pension by the services and upon the advice of a vicar at St Barnabas Church, sat his A-level examinations.

He then, at the age of 20, applied on a whim to Oxford University, never believing he would be accepted.

He was and studied for his history degree at St Catherine's College.

For many years he taught history and politics at Oxford College of Further Education at Oxpens and at the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. He also taught at Oxford's Bellerbys College.

At the age of 23 he became the organist for St Barnabas Church, a position he was to hold for some 50 years, and set up Friends of the Choir, to fund boys with reduced means to further their love of music.

Father Michael Wright, retired vicar of St Barnabas Church, studied with Mr Broadway at Oxford.

He said: "Michael bridged that ancient division in this city between Town and Gown — a division that is still alive and well today.

"He bridged that division at an early age by singing as a chorister in the Worcester College choir — a connection that was to have far-reaching consequences.

"Michael was an inspiring teacher of music for generations of choirboys, for this choir and those at Steeple Aston and Shipton-under-Wychwood, but he also inspired generations of people with a love of history, and in particular of local history."

Sarah Broadway said: "My father was Oxford born and bred, living in Jericho before it transformed into today's trendy and affluent area, and he loved it here.

"I have so many fond memories of him, that I simply can't pick one, but we will miss him all very much."

Mr Broadway leaves behind his daughter Sarah, son Matthew, and grandson Younes.