A TEACHER of music, speech and drama at the former Worcester Girls Grammar school has died.

Alwyn Johnson taught at schools in Derbyshire, Northampton, Lincolnshire and Worcester and was once described by English actress Dame Peggy Ashcroft as a “very talented lady and an excellent teacher”.

Miss Johnson was born in 1921 and had a wide range of interests but her passion was drama.

After further training at the Guildhall School of Dramatic Art, she moved to Stratford-upon-Avon.

There she produced many successful choral works and plays.

These included Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, Lady Precious Stream, Pride and Prejudice, The Taming of the Shrew, Midsummer Night’s Dream and other Shakespeare plays.

In her spare time, Miss Johnson sang with the Stratford Madregal Singers at Holy Trinity Church.

Miss Johnson left Stratford to teach at Worcester Girls Grammar School, continuing to produce many plays including Toad of Toad Hall, Pride and Prejudice, The Zeal of Thy House, Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew and Richard III.

She produced A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Spetchley Gardens, Worcester, and the Everyman in Pershore Abbey.

After retiring to Evesham, Miss Johnson turned to her interests in history, conservation, herbalism and the natural world.

When she was 70 years old an unfortunate accident resulted in a serious spinal injury and it was feared she would not walk again.

However, with a great deal of courage and determination she managed to achieve a limited degree of mobility.

Miss Johnson became a founder member of the Battlefield Trust and also of the Simon De Montford Society and continued to use her talents in the service of the community.

For her many pupils she had made Shakespeare come alive and kindled in them an interest which enriched their lives and in turn those of others.

She died peacefully on Friday, September 11, at Bricklehampton Hall near Pershore, aged 88.

Donations given in memory of Miss Johnson have been made to The Connection at St Martin’s, for the homeless, and Hope Farm, the RSPB research farm.

The money raised to date is now more than £1,000.