FRIENDS, family and member of the ‘Friends of Gruchet’ group are mourning the death of Eric Halsall, who died last month.
Eric was the head teacher at the Abbey School (now Trinity High School) where he was known for his warm, kind and caring personality.
Gaynor Thomas, a member of the ‘Friends of Gruchet’ group, which maintains links with Redditch twin town Gruchet in Normandy, said Eric took huge pride in his role as head teacher, remembering the names of each and every pupil and asking after them long after they had left the Abbey.
It was while Eric was head at the Abbey that he met the Mayor of Gruchet, Claude Lapace in Normandy.
Claude had discovered a link between the monks of the abbey in Gruchet and Bordesley Abbey in Redditch.
He and Eric arranged a visit by students at Gruchet High School to the Abbey High.
As well as the pupils, a number of parents welcomed the visitors from Gruchet and led on to the pupils from Redditch joining the Gruchet students on a field trip to the Massif Central.
Shortly afterwards a small group of parents, driven by Eric in the school minibus, made a visit to Gruchet.
And so it was as a result of Eric’s efforts that Gruchet became a twin town of Redditch and he in turn became the first chair of the Friends of Gruchet, a position he held for many years.
He remained an enthusiastic member of the Friends until his death in July.
Eric Halsall was born on July 7, 1939 and died aged 82 on July 2, 2022.
His funeral service was at St Bartholomew’s Arley Kings followed by a service for the family at Wyre Forest Crematorium.
