News has just reached me of the death of Sheila Hill. A tweet from the Marylebone Cricket Club announced that:
"MCC is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sheila Hill, MBE.
Sheila helped shape the Laws of Cricket and was instrumental in the training of umpires around the world.
Her contribution to cricket cannot be overestimated, and our condolences go to her family and friends."
In the world beyond cricket, for me and countless others, Miss Hill was our teacher at SPGS. I was in her Maths division for 5 years.
I am grateful to her for two things in particular. Firstly, that although I did not feel I was good enough to be in Div 1, she never doubted that it was where I belonged. Secondly, and I'm not sure how to explain this, Miss Hill had a certain aura. My form in particular had a bit of a rep for being naughty. However, in Miss Hill's presence you behaved. It never even crossed your mind to do otherwise. She never raised her voice, she never expressed frustration or any negative emotion. She was calm and correct, and we did maths. And once in a while there was even a twinkle in her eye. But we knew nothing about her life outside the classroom, not even the cricket.
Throughout my years of being a teacher, Miss Hill has been a model for me. How a teacher can hold the attention of a class like a swan, serene on the surface, doing all the work out of sight. She clearly loved her subject, and wanted us to find it enjoyable rather than onerous (I still remember how to make a hexiflexagon!). May she rest in peace.
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