"Piggy" Wade was born in Caistor, about 10 miles south-west of Grimsby, in 1894 and in 1901 was living with his grandmother, Mary Wade, in Winterton, about 20 miles west of Grimsby.

At the age of 14, he started at the Humberside Foundation School in Grimsby, leaving there at 18. The following year he started training as a teacher at the Westminster Training College, and in 1915 he moved to South Africa.

His first teaching post was at the Benson Training School in South Africa, where he stayed for two years. He then moved on to Grey High School in Port Elizabeth until August, 1919, when he returned to England and took a post at the Central Day Continuation School in Grantham from 1st April, 1920.

While at Grantham he studied for a BA (Hons) in History with London University and gained his degree in 1924. He left Grantham in 1925 and at the start of the Autumn term he joined the staff of South Shields High School, transferring with the staff to Harton in 1936.

After having become Senior History Master of the Boys' High School, he was appointed to become Headmaster of the newly re-opened Redwell County Secondary School, a post which he took up in February, 1951.

He was feared by many of the boys, and he is thought to have acquired his nickname when one day he entered a most untidy classroom and questioned the boys as to why the room was always like a pigsty.

He was politically active as chairman of the South Shields Liberal Association, and president of their Debating Society. He also contributed to the revival of the YMCA in South Shields, and was its chairman from 1961 until his death towards the end of 1965.