Sadly he suffered from a persecution complex and though always ready to lend items from his collection to assist other members of staff or boys he was convinced that not only did they not return them but that persons unspecified were constantly taking them without his permission. He was well known for stalking into classrooms in the middle of lessons, marching up to any item of approximately the right type which happened to be visible, most usually not his at all, seizing it with a loud declaration of ‘that’s mine!’ then stalking dramatically out bearing his prize.
His colleagues seemed to take take this in good part, often not even breaking off from the lesson to remonstrate with him. They simply waited until he was absent from his own domain and repossessed their losses. Problems arose when the item involved was actually in use for a lesson, but brief negotiations would invariably persuade him to return later. Amazingly not only was he extremely popular with pupils, he was also very well liked by his colleagues, who regarded his eccentricity as a small price for his undoubted generosity.
