Some teachers teach you a subject; others teach about life. Margaret Birch was one of those very special people who did both.
Margaret was my Latin teacher at the High School in Macclesfield from 1975 to 1982. I learned a lot more than Latin from her though. She taught me - by her words and actions- about the pedagogy of care, which is now fundamental to my practice as an academic. What I learned from Margaret was the profound importance of seeing people as individuals, of teaching with human values at the centre of what you do, and of being a real, authentic person. Margaret showed me, through the ways she thought and behaved, how much difference one person can make in another’s life.
I feel incredibly lucky that, over 50 years after she first taught me, we stayed in touch. It has been such a joy to know Margaret not simply as the teacher I remember with affection, but as a real person who I got to know and whose friendship and presence I continued to value throughout my life. I was delighted to have been invited to her 90th birthday party last year and what a wonderful occasion that was!
I will miss Margaret enormously. My thoughts are with Patrick, Rachel, and the all her family at this sad time.
Thank you, Margaret, for the Latin, for the life lessons and for your friendship. You made a difference to me and you were there for me at a time that was difficult for me personally, and I will always remember and be grateful for that.
Rest peacefully, Margaret. You are, and will be, remembered with so much love.
Janet Lord
29/10/2026
