A MUCH loved science teacher, who is battling a serious illness, became a ground-breaker officially starting the construction of a new laboratory that will carry his name.
Retired biology teacher Brian Hunter donned hard-hat and high-visibility vest before taking the controls of a digger that broke the ground at the site of the new facility at Carmel College, Darlington.
Accompanied by his wife Brenda and son Andrew, his former colleagues and friends at the college gathered while a band played to mark the special occasion.
The two-storey block is being built at the cost of more than £1m and will feature science labs, common room and music technology suites for visual and audio mixing and editing.
Carmel College principal Maura Regan visited Mr Hunter in May shortly after he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Her good news about the science block in his name helped Mr Hunter’s health rally and he has just begun chemotherapy to fight the disease.
Mr Hunter said: “It’s a huge honour to have the lab named after me. It is absolutely amazing and I hope to be here when the new facility opens in January.”
Miss Regan added: “It is only fitting that the lab is named after Brian who has done so much for the college over the years. This recognises his dedication to his students and his friendship to his colleagues.”
Mr Hunter was a biology teacher and pastoral leader at Carmel for 33 years until his retirement in 2008.
He began his career in 1971 as a biology teacher at Hetton-Le-Hole secondary modern school. In 1973 he moved to Bowburn as head of biology, before joining Carmel in the same role in 1975.
Among his biology students, Mr Hunter inspired a real interest in the subject and an abiding passion in the large number who went on to become professional biologists, from doctors to tree surgeons, cancer researchers to biology teachers. Miss Regan said: “The key to Brian’s success and his iconic status at Carmel is that he genuinely likes young people and established relationships based on deep mutual respect; generations of Carmel students would agree.”
