A popular Catholic school headteacher in Manchester who led a parallel existance as a musician and songwriter has died, aged 69.

Writing his obituary in this morning’s Guardian, his friend Graham Chalmers said: “Among other things, Bill composed songs for the Leeds indie dance duo the Rhythm Sisters, including on their albums The Road to Roundhay Pier (1987) and Willerby (1991). He also played the guitar with the band on UK and European tours that included support slots with the Proclaimers and the Fall.

“Later his spoken word and music, which owed much to the beat poets of the 1950s and 60s, appeared on a handful of albums from 2012 onwards, under the name of Heath Common.”

In the world of education Bill worked as a drama teacher in various Yorkshire schools before becoming the head of St Antony’s RC school in Urmston, Manchester, where he stayed for 10 years.

He was born in Castleford, West Yorkshire, to Sir Lawrence Byford, a policeman and eventual chief inspector of constabulary, and his wife, Muriel (nee Massey). He went to St Gregory’s secondary school in Huddersfield and Lincoln school in Lincoln before qualifying as a teacher at Lady Mabel College in Sheffield in 1976 and then gaining a degree in education at Sheffield University.

His first job as a drama teacher was at De Aston school in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, after which he moved in 1980 to Calder high school in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, where he taught drama and rose to be head of sixth form. By 1987 he had switched to St Catherine’s Catholic high school in Halifax and in 1992 he joined All Saints Catholic high in Huddersfield as head of its English department.

Becoming deputy head at St Michael’s Catholic high school in Barnsley in 1996, his last post was as head of St Antony’s, which he held from 2001 until his retirement in 2011. He was the longest serving teacher in the school’s history.

A posting on the school’s Facebook page, which stated that Mr Byford passed away on Friday 6th September, said: “A formidable character, Mr Byford oversaw a significant expansion of the school in terms of pupil numbers. He had a personality that was unmatched and his dedication to the Catholic ethos of the school shone through. Each year on the 8th of December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Mr Byford led a group of pilgrims to Our Lady’s shrine in Lourdes.

“Mr Byford’s name will always stand out for his leadership during his time and he will be remembered fondly by thousands from this community; former pupils, parents, governors, and, of course, many current staff whom he employed. Please keep Bill and his family in your prayers at this time.”

Having first developed an interest in beat culture on a visit to New York in the 70s, Bill pursued his eclectic musical and poetic interests outside school work, combining a flair for melody with well-crafted beatnik poetry that was in thrall to the genius of Ginsberg, Corso and Ferlinghetti. He also wrote as a freelance for the Melody Maker music paper in the 80s, becoming an early proselytiser for the Stone Roses.

When he retired he was able to devote more time to his various projects, starting with an album of his compositions, Bohemia, in 2012, and following up with The Dream of Miss Dee two years later.

He performed his poetry at three of my Charm events in Harrogate that celebrated 60s counterculture, at The Guildhall in York in 2020 and at the Kerouac Lives spoken word and music festival in Hebden Bridge to mark the centenary of Jack Kerouac’s birth in 2022.

In his final days he embarked on a collaboration with Drusilla Verney – once of the 70s psych-rock act Here and Now – to create a music video on climate change, The World Is on Fire, that was premiered at the Portobello Film and Art festival in London a week before he died. Heath and Drusilla wrote the lyrics for the video and both sang on the track.

Bill is survived by his wife, Honor (nee Eastwood), an English teacher whom he married in 1977, their daughter, Ella, his grandchildren, Mary and Fred, his mother and by his brother, Mark, and sister, Jill.

Pic: courtesy The Guardian