Ian Paul Leatham, affectionately known as ‘E’, was born on the 16th October 1955, it was Harvest Sunday morning. He was born at home, 44 Landseer Road, Everton. He was the youngest of 4 and was therefore spoilt by everyone. Not content to play with the usual toys, Ian preferred to play in his pram with the fireside companion set.
As a child he enjoyed holidays at his Uncle Les’s house in Meols and in holiday flats in Colwyn Bay, Rhyl and Llandudno. He would walk with his family to the famous Stanley Park with Anfield on one side and Goodison on the other. Despite his Dad and sisters being red hot reds he eventually joined his brother Roy in being a true blue Evertonian
It was at Heyworth Street School that Ian showed just how clever he was. His parents, Alf and Elsie turned up at Parents Evening and asked how Ian was getting on. The teacher wrote one word on a piece of paper and showed it to them, it said ‘intellectual’. Those of you who knew Ian would agree that he was a true intellectual. He passed the 11+ with flying colours and went to Liverpool Collegiate, a boys school. He continued to thrive and was moved up a school year. Ian took the Oxford and Cambridge entrance exams but was not happy with his grades so he took a year off, working as a lab technician in his school. Unfortunately by the time the exams came round again, he had changed his mind about going to one of the prestigious universities and plumped to study Physics at Sheffield instead. His student days were fun filled, and many a happy day and night were spent partying with his close friends Neil and Julie, Jon and Rog. Ian completed his degree and went on to do a PGCE. His first teaching job was in Doncaster. Not only did he enjoy teaching the children during school time but would spend many evenings and weekends helping run the local youth club.
A teaching position at Kings School, Gutersloh, Germany was Ian’s next port of call. He was slightly embarrassed when the whole family waved him off on the coach from Liverpool. It was here at Kings where most of you will remember Ian as being the life and soul of any party.
His willingness to try any challenge even when sometimes he knew they were way out of his capability earned him the respect that he he duly deserved. His love of skiing and the dares he and his friends made, make you wonder how they all survived. For charity Ian did a parachute jump even though he was scared of heights. That evening as he was showing some people how to land from a jump he fell off the campbed he was sitting on and pulled a muscle in his leg.
It was in Germany where Ian met Sue. They were good friends for about a year when Ian asked Sue out. Unfortunately Ian had gone into see the Head about promotion and ended up resigning from his post. Sue not wanting a transatlantic relationship turned him down. Unable to accept defeat, Ian persevered and won her over and in October 1987 they got married in Ilkley. Sue by then had accepted a job in Cyprus and so Ian became her house husband, an unusual position in a military set up. It was not long before Ian’s teaching talents were recognised and he very quickly got a physics job in one of the local international schools. Cyprus was fun, long hot weekends at the beach, partying at the Zulu club, and leisurely mezes. However they knew they wanted to start a family and this was difficult as Sue was the post holder, so next stop Hong Kong. It was great to meet up with old friends from Germany, Chris and Jen and Tony and Fiona.
Ian and Sue thought they might stay for a couple of years, but it wasn’t long before Xantha came along, followed shortly by Ben. Nineteen years later………… Ian’s family was his life, he would spend every minute with Xantha and Ben whether it was playing with them, helping with homework or taking them to one of their endless extra curricular. Ian and Sue worked together in the same school and they never tired of each others company. They loved their family holidays, whether it was to somewhere exotic or just back to the UK. E loved his BBQs and would happily sit under the up and over garage door at Croft, invariably in the rain, enjoying his bottle of bud.