Gregory Paul Franks (21 Sep 1935 - 10 Jul 2024)

In loving memory of Gregory Paul Franks who sadly passed away on 10th July 2024. Much-loved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend.

Greg was born on 21 September 1935, to parents William and Eva. He opted for a career in education, taking a teaching post at St John Payne Catholic School in Chelmsford in 1959. There he met Angela, also a teacher, and a year later in 1960 they were married. Greg was just 24 and Angela 23 at the time.

As was customary then, they had children young. Andrew was born in 1962, Christopher in 1965 and Timothy in 1968. In 1969, the family moved to Bingham, Nottinghamshire, where Greg took up a post as lecturer in child psychology at the newly formed Mary Ward Teacher Training College in Keyworth. In addition to his teaching duties, Greg was able to indulge his lifelong passion for books there, becoming a buyer for the college library and its specialist collection of children’s literature. The years at Mary Ward were happy, with two magical family holidays to Malta in 1973 and 1974, but sadly brief. In 1977, Mary Ward College was closed. Dad was made redundant and was forced to take a teaching job at Toot Hill, the local comprehensive school, that year.

It is often said that two types of people go into teaching; those who love their subject, and those who love children. Greg was always the latter, and though he never climbed to great career heights, he did, with his fun, enjoyable and friendly classes, inspire great affection among his pupils. Throughout his 20 years at Toot Hill, he taught thousands, a number of whom were the school’s toughest and most difficult kids, and who were only persuaded to attend school at all because of their fondness for ‘Mr Franks.’

It was outside school that Greg really flourished. With a desire to give back to the community borne of his natural generosity, he joined Bingham Town Council, where he served for several years as counsellor, Deputy Mayor and eventually Town Mayor. His mayoral term was particularly successful, as his affable personality persuaded counsellors of opposing political views to set aside their differences and work together for the wider good.

It was a chance find during this time that fired Greg’s passion for books to new heights. After coming across a mysterious Napoleonic volume and embarking with Angela on research that took him to the Bodlean Library, Oxford, he founded his own bookdealing business, Buttercross Books. He specialised in the Napoleonic Wars and though he never sold great quantities, he became known in the trade and among discerning collectors for the high value, exceptionally rare items on his catalogues. With Angela, he also published two historical picture postcard books – Bingham (1992) and Retford (1993) – and provided crucial support to Angela when she went on to become an acclaimed local history author.

Greg retired in 1999 and he and Angela spent several years travelling, both in the UK and abroad. Their adventures took them to Venice Italy, to Zermatt Switzerland, to the pyramids of Egypt, and most recently, beyond the Arctic Circle in Norway, to see the Northern Lights. Having lived in Bingham for over 50 years, they were widely known and much-loved in the local community, and in 2020 they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Greg leaves behind a wife, three children, two grandchildren and countless wider family, friends, neighbours and ex-pupils, on whose lives he left a permanent mark. He will be greatly missed.