It is with much sadness that we share the news that former member of staff, David [‘Dan’] G BLAMPHIN, sadly died in November, aged 86. A member of King’s staff from 1958 – 1995, he came to King’s to teach Physics after taking an honours degree in Maths/Physics, and then an Education Diploma, at Manchester University. Dan became Head of Physics in 1963 and then, on the retirement of biologist Keith Waterman, became Head of Science in 1981. Dan was always highly respected as an effective teacher, and he was also heavily involved in external examining for both the JMB and Cambridge exam boards.

But Dan’s contribution to King’s was much broader than just as a teacher of his subject. He was an elected member of the Staff Salaries Committee, one of two staff members of the Governors’ Development Committee that resulted in Fence Avenue being purchased and developed in the early 1990s, and a member of the school’s Academic Board. He also had significant extra-curricular involvement – first as master i/c cross-country, and later in squash (he was a county standard squash player), tennis, and also orienteering, which he took up latish in life, but was then responsible over the years for introducing the sport to many students, some of whom went on to reach international standard. It should also be noted that Dan was a fierce centre-half for the staff football side that played quite regularly during the first half of his career at King’s!

Our thoughts are with Dan’s family, including his son Nick [former King’s pupil who left King’s in 1985]. 

David's funeral is on the 8th December at Macc Cremetorium, please contact his son Nick to attend. nick.b99@talktalk.net