I WAS very interested to read the obituary of Professor Robert Milburn of Weardale (Echo, Mar 3), a really remarkable, uplifting story.

My husband, Thomas William Clarkson, has a similar tale. He was born in Auckland Park in 1916, into a poor mining community. He failed his 11 plus and 13 plus and left senior school, the now demolished Auckland Park School, at 14.

He started eventually as a dental mechanic and was encouraged by his parents, employer, Salvation Army and church to study Latin, French and English at night school in Durham. He passed well enough to be taken on by Prof Bradlaw at the Newcastle Dental School and Hospital.

He did so well in Dental School and finished in 1944 with a BDS with Honours. From there he had to join the RAF Dental Corps and spent 1944-46 in Palestine.

He had a very rude awakening in Palestine, for a village boy. He remembers every iota - a very frightening time - but he did manage to get to Bethlehem for Christmas 1944.

Coming home, he worked in the NHS in Crook and Stockton and in 1965 in South Shields School and Dental Hospital Service.

He is now nearly 91, unfortunately almost blind and housebound.

Very similar to Prof Milburn - a fight for education, compared to the present day.

Marian Clarkson, South Shields.