John Cross was born in 1947 at Clatterbridge, Poulton-cum-Spital, on the Wirral. He was educated at The Wirral Grammar School, and at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford. Having graduated in Geography, he then took a Certificate in Education at the University’s Department of Education. His first teaching post was in 1970 at Huddersfield New College, after which he transferred to the 11-18 Comprehensive sector. Having taught briefly at Honley High School he then became Head Of Geography at The Brooksbank School, a post he held for over twenty seven years.
Following his retirement in 2007, he retrained in Archaeology, with a qualification from the Open University, and from the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. Practical experience was gained through the York Trust Hungate Dig, after which he was a volunteer working with The Durham and Northumberland Architectural and Archaeological Society, The North Pennine Partnership and the Dig Greater Manchester project. He has lived in the Holme Valley for over thirty years and is now the President of the Huddersfield and District Archaeological Society.
