Travel and campervan expeditions beckon for retiring head teacher Tony Robinson, who is leaving Michael Primary School after 17 years.

Mr Robinson steps aside this summer after 10 years at the helm.

’We are going to be moving back to the UK - to Morecambe - in September,’ he said.

’We are keen campervanners and we decided it would be a bit expensive to keep taking the van on the ferry, when we are drawing our pensions. Morecambe is pretty central, handy for the M6 and we can easily travel back to the Isle of Man as foot passengers.’

With five grandchildren aged from eight months to eight years living in the island, he expects to be a frequent return visitor.

Originally from Newcastle, he completed his post-graduate teacher training as a mature student, having worked as a medical rep for some years before that.

’I was selling diabetes care equipment to hospitals and doctors’ surgeries around Yorkshire, Dumfries and Galloway and Newcastle,’ he said.

In 1991 he came to the island to work at Andreas school, where he remained until 2000.

He then moved to Michael school, working as acting deputy, then deputy, before becoming acting head then head a decade ago.

However, he’s still kept in touch with the children, teaching every Monday as well as covering planning and preparation time for other staff.

’It’s a small school (121 pupils) so everyone tends to muck in and make it all work.

’I suppose there are highs and lows in the job every year and it’s hard to pick out specifics,’ he said.

’The highs are always the fantastic kids we have and the shows and sporting activities that we have done well in.

I’m very proud of what has been done at the school but I can’t really pick on a single thing.’

To mark his 10 years as head, staff and children presented Mr Robinson with a cake complete with an effigy of himself sitting on it.