Doris Dixon (1919-2018)
Headmistress of Stoke Damerel High School for Girls 1959 to 1979, and a greatly respected and devoted teacher, she has been described as a ‘legend’ by one former pupil. In tributes, it has been said that her legacy of inspiring her girls has been passed down across the generations by them. Though formidable, she had the affectionate nickname amongst the girls of ‘Diddy Doris’ because she was so diminutive in height. The school closed in 1986, having been founded in 1926. Miss Dixon was determined that the women after whom the school’s houses were named (including Agnes Weston, Edith Cavell and Elizabeth Fry) would inspire her pupils because, for her, they embodied the motto ‘The Utmost for the Highest’.