Barry Maurice Waller Trapnell, born 18 May 1924 in Hampstead, London, played first-class cricket for Cambridge University in 1946 and later in the same year for Middlesex CCC.[1] As a batsman, he was right-handed, and as a bowler, he was right-arm medium pace.
Barry Trapnell's career lasted one season - 1946 - which was his last year as a student at Cambridge. In nine matches he took 15 wickets at 31.46 and scored 258 runs at 16.12, including 5 for 73 against MCC a week before the Varsity match. He turned out for the Gentlemen against the Players a fortnight later and made one Championship appearance for Middlesex late in the season. He also played squash for Cambridge.
He went on to become a chemistry don at Worcester College, Oxford, a researcher at Liverpool University, and consultant on catalysis at ICI. Later he became headmaster of Denstone College as, at that time, the youngest headmaster of a public school in England. At Denstone he instituted many reforms and, in educational terms, strongly promoted science education, encouraged more pupils to study a second modern language, and modernised religious education. He went on to become headmaster of Oundle School.
In 1986, Trapnell became chairman of Cambridge Occupational Analysts (COA), eventually retiring in 2005. He put enormous effort into establishing the uptake of COA career programmes throughout the country and in organising training courses and visits to schools in the late eighties and nineties. His combination of scientific insight, wide ranging interest in the arts, writing skills and personal contacts were of immense value.