Wednesday 18 January 2023 Recently at The Grammar School at Leeds you may have noticed a newly unveiled sun dial on a plinth on the walkway from the visitors鈥� car park to the main reception – but you may find there is more to it than meets the eye. The sundial was commissioned by the school in memory of Derek Fry, a much-loved physics and astronomy teacher who taught at Leeds Grammar School and The Grammar School at Leeds for over 30 years. Otto Stowe (GSAL21) was tasked with creating a plinth for the sun dial as part of his A-level design technology project. Mr Fry sadly passed away in聽2018, two months before Otto, one of his astronomy students, sat their GCSEs. Otto鈥檚 design for the plinth was inspired by maths, physics and astronomical references and made from steel. The three-part construction reflected trigonometry and Otto incorporated an armillary sphere at its centre. Take a closer look above the sphere and you will see Mr Fry鈥檚 profile. Dr Michelle D鈥橵ali, teacher of physics and astronomy co-ordinator at GSAL, worked with Otto on the project. 鈥淭his is such a wonderful teaching and learning tool for the current and future GCSE astronomy students and Otto鈥檚 plinth is absolutely stunning 鈥� the care, effort and attention to detail he has put in to this commission is a wonderful tribute to Mr Fry.鈥� Otto who gained a grade A* in A-level DT, is now studying mechanical engineering at the University of Sheffield. Dr D鈥橵ali added, 鈥淭he sundial will be to put to practical use too by GSAL鈥檚 GCSE astronomy students as part of their studies. The fact that this is not just a memorial but an invaluable learning tool would have been particularly important to Mr Fry.鈥� The sundial itself is made of brass with a patinated and filigree finish which Otto incorporated into the plinth design. Otto is keen that passers-by see something different every time they look at the sun dial and its plinth. Next time you pass take a closer look. It is positioned on the school鈥檚 exact co-ordinates, 53聽52N, 131, W. And finally in the words of Mr Fry, 鈥淚f you scratch off an astronomer, you get a physicist and if you scratch off a physicist, you get a mathematician鈥�. Mr Fry, Otto and all his former astronomy students were certainly proud to be all three. Pictured: Otto with the sun dial on its plinth and the sun dial. General Senior School Sixth Form Alumni News Academic Whole School Arts
