South Yorkshire Times, January 13th, 1933
Reformatory “Head”
Appointments for Mexboro’ Couple
Crowded Career
A former Mexborough man, Mr. J. Vardy, and his wife have been appointed master and matron of the Liverpool Farm School, a large reformatory school near Warrington, and take up their duties on February 1st, Mr. Vardy is an old Mexborough Secondary School boy and was trained for teaching at Westminster College. He represented the college in intercollege sports at Stamford Bridge and won 7 medals in one year: including the long and high jump, putting the shot, hurdles and 220 yards flat. He won his colours for athletics, swimming, and hockey in his first year and was made captain of the hockey team. During vacation he worked at Wath Main at the coal face with his father, who worked as a miner for 57 years.
His first appointment was at the Woodlands School (Doncaster). Then he was appointed first assistant at Saltersford School, Cheshire, by the Home Office in 1925. In 1930 he became principal teacher and deputy governor which offices he relinquishes to take up the new duties on February 1st. During his college days and while he was teaching at Woodlands, Mr. Vardy played Midland League football with Mexborough, Wath and Wombwell. In 1924 he signed for Sandbach Ramblers, a Cheshire League club, and played alongside Burgess, the Sheffield Wednesday and international player. At Saltersford he has trained boxing teams which have won all-Britain championships, and a physical culture team which won the Championship of Great Britain in 1929 at Olympia. He is a Fellow of the Linnean, Royal Geographical and Royal Horticultural Societies. He has six awards of merit from the Royal Life Saving Society., of which he is now an examiner.
Mrs. Vardy was formerly Miss Agnes Wilson, of Golle. She was trained at Lincoln Training College and has taught at the Adwick-le-Street School. She is an accomplished pianist.