East Oxford School had two of the city’s longest serving headmasters.

Edmund Arnold Greening Lamborn – known as Ikey – held the post for 36 years, and Bill Martin for 23.

They contributed much to what one inspector des-cribed as an “outstanding school”.

‘Ikey’, who was head of the boys’ school from 1908 to his retirement in 1944, was not only a great teacher but a great character.

He was a familiar sight in the city, sporting a moustache and trim goatee beard and riding his old-fashioned high bicycle.

But it was his teaching abilities which earned him and his school, in Collins Street, such a reputation.

His methods were well ahead of their time - some described them as revolutionary.

In his view, teaching wasn‘t just about giving facts to pupils, setting exams and giving prizes.

As one ex-pupil, former mayor of Oxford, Lionel Harrison, once recalled: “He gave boys the chance to teach themselves, he instituted private study and started a debating society.”

One of his great loves was poetry, and he instilled in boys the delight of creating prose which rhymed perfectly.

Ikey – no-one knows how he got the name – was adamant that education should not be confined to four walls.

He took his pupils on country walks so that they could share his love of historic buildings and archaeology.

Teachers from Germany , Sweden and India came to listen to him – and even the deputy head of the prestigious Magdalen College School cycled up Cowley Road to sit in on his lessons.

Ikey was a strict disciplinarian and would often describe his pupils as “idle villains”.

But they respected and admired him, so much so that 70 old boys attended an ‘Ikey Dinner’ in 1961 in his memory.

Bill Martin was among those who paid tribute to him on that occasion, describing him as unique.

Bill had benefited from Ikey’s abundant talents, having worked with him throughout his career.

As a child, Bill went to Kingston Bagpuize village school and became a pupil-teacher.

He spent two years at Culham Teacher Training College, then joined East Oxford School in 1932.

After war service with the RAF, he was appointed in 1948 headmaster of the newly-created East Oxford Secondary Modern School, for boys and girls.

This was a post he held until he retired in 1971.

Details of the two heads and the pictures published here were sent in by Bill’s son, David, of Egerton Road, Headington.

The school also nurtured other prominent Oxford school headmasters, among them Cyril Eason, who ran Headington Secondary School for 26 years, and Jim Cox, who became head of New Marston Junior School.

Any memories of ‘Ikey’ and Bill Martin to share with readers?