I was very sad to hear the news of Mr Stacey’s death. He had a huge and positive influence on my life and it is hard to think of my time at KES without him. I had the good fortune to be taught English by Mr Stacey and to be part of his debating team. At that time, it really was Mr Stacey’s debating team - he was a one man band: coach, driver, and supporter all rolled into one. His enthusiasm for this odd and, to me, previously unknown activity was infectious. It wasn’t just that debating could open your intellectual horizons and offer the opportunity to discuss the big issues, in Mr Stacey’s world, debating and the back and forth of political argument could also be good fun. His joyous rendition of a final-winning speech on boxing - complete with his dreadful Scottish accent - stands out as a demonstration of his love of style and was sufficiently memorable that I can still quote it almost word-for-word. At the same time, Mr Stacey took the competitive part of competitive debating very seriously. It was a sign of his high expectations for us that he always wanted a top tier performance, whether we were practising in room 176 or in the final of the Mace. He never wanted us to settle for second best, mostly because he thought we could and should win every competition going. Most of all, what I remember from my time debating for KES is arguing about politics in Mr Stacey’s car as he drove us around the Midlands. As we forcefully gave our views, he would gently deflect the arrogance of youth with a wry smile and a good-natured rejoinder. Although he would often disagree with us, Mr Stacey never talked down to us and encouraged us to develop our own ideas. Debating gave me confidence in myself and helped to raise my ambitions. Without that, I wouldn’t have had the self-belief to achieve what I have and for that I owe Mr Stacey a great debt. Mr Stacey represented all of the best of KES. He opened up your way of thinking about the world, challenged you, and raised your intellectual ambition. He will be hugely missed. My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. Shane Murray (2006)