master; former Lancaster bomber pilot who took part in the raids on Dresden Joe Rigby DFC (1924–2002), Maths teacher; former bomber navigator Notable former pupils Politics and industry John Birt, Lord Birt, Director General of the BBC and advisor to the Blair administration Sir Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC Kevin McNamara KSG, Labour MP Michael Carr, Labour MP Therese Coffey, Conservative MP, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care John O'Sullivan CBE, conservative political columnist and pundit; former adviser to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Kevin Morley, businessman and former MD of Rover Group Phil Kelly, journalist and former editor of Tribune; mayor of Islington Sir David Rowlands, Permanent Secretary, Department for Transport, 2003–07; Chairman, Gatwick Airport Eric Nevin, former General Secretary NUMAST Ray O'Brien CBE, Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire and Merseyside County Councils, Severn Trent Water and FIMBRA Mark Gibson, Director Whitehall & Industry Group Terry Hughes, corporate financier Vincent Nolan, management consultant, Chairman, Synectics UK Diplomats and the law Ivor Roberts KCMG, former HM Ambassador to Ireland and Italy; current President of Trinity College, Oxford Andrew Mitchell, former HM Ambassador to Sweden Clergy Vincent Nichols, Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, leader of the Roman Catholics of England and Wales. John Rawsthorne, Roman Catholic Bishop of Hallam Father Gerard Weston MBE - Roman Catholic priest, killed by the Official IRA in the 1972 Aldershot bombing Father Brian Foley - Roman Catholic priest and hymnist Authors, journalists and broadcasters Roger McGough CBE, poet, playwright, broadcaster and children's author Laurie Taylor, broadcaster and sociologist, presenter of Thinking Allowed; reputedly the inspiration for Howard Kirk in the 1970s novel The History Man Professor David Crystal OBE, broadcaster and professor of linguistics Nicholas Murray, biographer and novelist, Kafka, Matthew Arnold, Aldous Huxley, Bruce Chatwin Will Hanrahan, BBC TV reporter Major John Foley MBE, military author and broadcaster Joe Ainsworth, scriptwriter Brookside, Holby City, BAFTA winner Sean Curran, journalist and presenter of Radio 4's Today in Parliament Danny Kelly, BBC WM radio presenter Educationists D. F. Swift, educationist, sociologist Entertainers Tony Booth, actor; the "Scouse Git" in Till Death Us Do Part; father-in-law of Tony Blair Tom O'Connor, comedian and former game-show host Chris Curtis, Tony West and John McNally, members of the 1960s pop group The Searchers Dave Lovelady, member of the 60s pop group The Fourmost Ray McFall, owner of The Cavern Club,