What are your lasting memory of King’s?

I have so many lasting memories from King’s, and from all aspects of my school life there, be it lumbering up the stairways to and from lessons, nostril assaults from the changing rooms when changing for sports, the Cross Country route through all the cow muck (at least it warmed the feet up!), boxing in the 1st floor gym in the Fitzjames, minibus trips to away matches, bulling corps boots on the hobs and running errands for sixth formers. I particularly remember spending as much time in the nets or on the pitches outside Lyon as possible, forgetting books in lessons and being made to run back to Lyon to get them in a ridiculously short time slot (I not so secretly loved doing this as running was my passion), performance nights in the Fitzjames and all the preparation and craziness behind the scenes, weekend chaos of matches, match teas and then free time after chapel or before evensong.

Is there something you wish you had done at King’s but didn’t?

I’m not sure I have anything in this category. One thing King’s taught me was to use every second of time to pursue the things I wanted, so I was out of the house running around the environs at the break of dawn, spending time with my friends and peers throughout the day and making the most of any breaks to find new ways to torment each other. Evenings were all about getting out of the house to play rugby, cricket, climbing or whatever other sport was on the agenda for the short hours before lights out, and maybe sometimes after lights out!!!

What was your favourite meal at King’s?

Well that’s easy, breakfast. It was a challenge to get as much breakfast as possible starting with tea & toast, moving to cereals (minimum of 3 per bowl) and then the cooked breakfast option and finishing with as many ‘toasties (two pieces of toast made into a jam sandwich) as possible into my blazer pockets to fuel the morning up until lunch time!

Best thing about your boarding house?

Location, location, location. Lyon being right next to the pitches was heaven for me. We could get straight out to endless space to play whatever game, sport or ridiculous activity we came up with. It was away from the immediate school surrounds and feeling of being ‘hemmed in’. The horizons were as green and verdant as my aspirations and it gave me room to move, something I have valued my whole life.

What did you want to do when you left King’s?

When I left King’s I was so sure I was going to be a teacher. It took me some time to realize that all the jobs I have done have included large elements of teaching, but I never made it into a school to apply this, instead driving knowledge in industry specific environments from Leisure to Hospitality and now to the insurance markets including the Independent Schools sector, Charities and Commercial environments.

Did you have a favourite subject or teacher?

Oof. Difficult question, there’s not just one. Mr Evans surely stands out, not just because of his height, Brian Ashton saw through all my B/S so has a special place in my heart teaching me that I couldn’t get away from doing the work not matter how prepared I thought I was.  Mr Ellis has to be in this list as he opened up climbing, mountains and exploring for me and this has been a central element of my life after King’s.

You come back to King’s for meetings and the like.  What does it feel like walking back on site?

Arriving back in Bruton still lands me right back to those end-of-school holiday feelings intertwined with the warmth of seeing my friends (the people who were forced into my company at least!). All that is inseparable from memories of unpacking trunks and sharing holiday stories ahead to the term. Being able to continue to have meaningful connections with King’s is genuinely thrilling for me and sitting alongside others who share that wide eyed enthusiasm for the furthering of the Old Brutonian Association’s ambitions is a tonic.

What drew you to being President of the OBA?

The OBA stands, in my mind, as a unique association with the school that helped to shape me. The independence of the OBA from the school allows for the A-Political furthering of the unity of others who have been through King’s. While this has been important to me in reminding me of who I dreamed of being and of those I spent time with, reframing my feelings about the world and those around me, being President of the OBA I hope I have the opportunity to maintain that special place for OB’s who may also have found, restored or reinvented their sense of self in a meaningful way, and maintain our community within which we don’t have to work to explain or justify our background, it’s understood and accepted.   

What do you hope to achieve during your Presidency?

 I hope to continue the stalwart efforts of those who have come before me as President of the OBA, but also reach further into the OB network to highlight that the OBA is available to all King’s Leavers, and Honorary OB’s, from this year, or any year prior, and to remove any perceived barriers to people engaging with the association. I want to be able to reveal the lack of ‘stuffiness’ that the younger OB’s might perceive and demonstrate our eagerness to embrace all the aspirations of the entire OB community as well as continue bringing the Association into the ‘digital-present’ wherever possible while continuing to provide relevant analogue access for those who prefer it.

And finally - do you have one piece of advice for those at King’s currently?

I’m not sure I am qualified to give advice, but I stand by my personal mantra that I learnt the value of during my time at King’s; “Real life begins at “Yes””. Saying “no” is so easy, when you say “yes” you have to find the way, make it work and find new and exciting (sometimes downright failures) of paths, but you come out stronger, more full of life and excitement, and can be inspired by the smallest things as well as inspire others to achieve the greatest.