About

Savvas Pavlides was born in occupied Kyrenia, Cyprus, on June 23, 1946. He comes from the also occupied village of Larnacas Lapithou. He has been married since 1972 to Eleni Οrthodoxou Christodoulou who is from the same village, and they have four children. They also have four grandchildren. They have lived in London since 1988.

He attended the Primary School of his village (1952-1958) and then the Pancyprian Gymnasium of Nicosia (1958-1964). At the same time he attended afternoon lessons at the School of Byzantine Music of the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus (having as his teacher the Master Precentor Theodoulos Kallinikos) and obtained a Precentor Diploma (Psaltis).  He then attended higher education courses at the Cyprus Pedagogical Academy and obtained a Teacher’s Degree (1964-1966). In the period 1970-1972 he studied at the National Conservatory of Athens, from which he received a degree in Chanting at church (Hieropsaltis). He served as a chanter (cantor) in various churches in Cyprus (1964-1977), in the Middle East (1977-1987) and in the UK (1988-present). He taught at the School of Byzantine Music of the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain (1990-2012). He studied at the University of Reading (1989-1992) and received the postgraduate degree “M.A. in Education”. He also obtained a degree in Pedagogy from the University of Athens (1990-1992). He continued his studies (second postgraduate program of higher studies) at the University of Reading (1992-1996) specifically for “Doctoral Training”.

He served as a volunteer national guard (1963-1966) before the establishment of the National Guard of the Republic of Cyprus. He took an active part in the defensive shielding of the beaches of Kyrenia and in the military operations at Pentadaktylos (1964). He did his military service in the Commando Forces (LOC) of the National Guard (1966-1968) and had an active role in the military operations at Kofinou (1967). He served as a schoolteacher in Cyprus (1968-1974). Following the requisition of his services by the Republic of Cyprus during the Turkish Military Invasion In 1974, he served αs an Officer of the Reserve Commando Forces (LOC) and had an active role in the military operations at “Exi Mili, Kyrenia” as well as at “Pentadaktylos”. [His military diary was published in 1977 in about 80 sequels in the Cypriot newspaper “O AGON” and his experiences constitute the content of his book “Forty-nine days in hell”, which was published in May 2019.]

He worked for three years (1974-1977) as an Officer of the Refugee and Disadvantaged Welfare Service and as a Chief Benefits Assessor at the Limassol Department of Social Welfare. He served as principal and teacher of Greek Schools in the Arabic countries of Kuwait (1977-1979) and the United Arab Emirates (1979-1987). He repatriated and served as a teacher in Cyprus for one year (1987-1988). For six years he was a member of Cyprus Educational Mission in the United Kingdom and he served as principal and teacher of Greek Community Schools (1988-1994). He then served as the manager of the Hellenic Centre London (cultural organisation) for the first two years of its operation (1994-1996). For four years (1996-2000) he served as a school principal in Cyprus. For another eight years, during the periods 2000-2006 and 2010-2012, he worked as an Education Counsellor of the Cyprus High Commission in London and School Inspector-Head of the Cyprus Educational Mission in Great Britain. He also served as the Greek Schools’ Principal and Executive Secretary of the Greek Orthodox Communities of Agios Nikolaos, West London (2006-2008) and Holy Cross and Archangel Michael, North-West London (2008-2010), as well as the Chanter of their respective Cathedrals.

He also offered his services as the first Executive Secretary of EFEPE – Unified Body of Greek Community Education- (1992-1994) with Archbishop Gregorios as President. Later (2000-2006 and 2010-2012) he served as Vice President of this educational organisation. He also served as director and professor of the Greek Diaspora Teachers Training Institute in Great Britain. For more than ten years he served as President and founding member of the Greek Cypriot Reserve Commandos Association in England (ESEKA).

For many years he is the President of the Overseas Cypriots from Lapithos, Karavas and Suburbs Association in Great Britain, member of the Secretariat of the National Federation of Cypriots in the United Kingdom, member of the Lobby for Cyprus Committee, Secretary of the Greek Orthodox Communities Association in the United Kingdom, Secretary of the Holy Cross and St. Michael Trustees Committee, Public Relations Officer of the Community Committee and Protopsaltis (Chanter) from 2008 until today of the Holy Cross and St. Michael’s Cathedral.