A YORK school is mourning the death of a prize-winning poet and mountaineer, who taught its pupils for nearly 30 years.

Former housemaster and English teacher at St Peter’s School, David Hughes, died last Thursday, aged 59.

Headmaster Leo Winkley said: “David was held in great affection by former pupils and colleagues, many of whom had been looking after him in his final months.

“He was clearly a remarkable man, who gave the best years of his life to the school. We wish David’s family comfort and solace at this very sad time.”

Two years ago, Mr Hughes publicly forgave a 20-year-old homeless man for slashing his throat with a knife after he took him in off the streets.

Mr Hughes first taught at St Peter’s School as part of his PGCE at York University in 1975 and after teaching part-time, went full-time in 1979. In 1981, he won the York Arts Centre national poetry competition, beating into third place Ian McMillan, the now- renowned broadcasting poet of Darfield, Barnsley. He particularly enjoyed First World War poetry. He also led school trips to Hafod in Snowdonia and other mountain areas and to battlefields in France.

Among those he inspired in and out of the classroom was Tim Raylor, now Professor of English Literature at Carlton College, Minnesota, USA,.

“Those of us happy enough to have accompanied David on trips to Hafod in late December, or to some high camp by a tarn in Cumbria in March, learned to appreciate the beauty and terror of the mountains in winter,” he said. “But it is an English teacher that David’s impact was for us most extraordinary. He had a knack of inspiring student enthusiasm for his subject and the skill to turn this into productive and lasting commitments.”

Mr Hughes’ school career included running Queen’s House for seven years and being master in charge of rowing and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, both for five years. He retired after 29 years at the school in 2004, but remained in close contact, last visiting it for a first team rugby match this autumn.