Tony Nott, who taught thousands of Worcester children during a 30-year career and was much involved in life of the Cathedral, has died at the age of 86.

He will be remembered with respect by those he taught at Worcester's Nunnery Wood and Christopher Whitehead high schools between the early 1950s and 1983.

Tony was born at Ludlow in 1921, attended Ludlow Grammar School and played rugby for Ludlow.

On leaving school, he went into management training with WH Smith's and when the Second World War broke out, he joined the Home Guard, mainly on duty protecting Ludlow Castle. He was then called up into the RAF and saw years of active service in the Middle East, particularly at Basra and in Egypt. While in the desert, he was recruited to enter a teacher training course on his return to civilian life.

On demob, however, he first went back to WH Smith's at Ludlow while waiting for a teacher college place, and in 1947 was sent to the Shrewsbury branch where he met his wife to be, Irene.

They were married at St Chad's, Shrewsbury, in October, 1953, and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary five years ago.

Also at the start of the 1950s, Tony entered his career in teaching, undertaking a course at Worcester's Teacher Training College in Oldbury Road (now the University of Worcester).

His first teaching post was at Worcester's former St Peter's School before he moved in 1954 to Nunnery Wood Secondary School where he helped open the new science block. Then in 1959, he joined the staff at Christopher Whitehead Boys' School where he taught rural science until his retirement in 1983 at the age of 62.

The family home with his wife and two daughters Jennifer and Rosemary is in Christine Avenue, Rushwick and for some years the family attended Crown East Church.

Tony and Irene Nott first became actively involved at Worcester Cathedral in 1980 as marshals and sides-people, and in 1983 Tony was appointed Chief Sidesman - a post he still retained a-quarter-of-century later at the time of his death. In the role, he was responsible for organising the teams of sides-people, including his wife and daughters, for the smooth running of all major Cathedral services such as Christmas Midnight Mass, Easter, Advent, Civic Sunday, ordinations, Remembrance Sunday and the installations of bishops, deans and canons. He was also a member of the Dean's Council.

His funeral service will be at the Cathedral on Friday at 2.30 p.m. It will be conducted by the Dean of Worcester, the Very Rev Peter Atkinson, and the Address will be given by former Cathedral Custos (Head Verger) Raymond Fowler.