The Chronicle 682

10 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

by it again. I nearly swapped to History which seemed really interesting. But in the end, I added Philosophy to my Maths and Physics, which wasn’t strictly allowed or even possible – to make it work, the Master of my College, Syd Holgate, taught me Mechanics outside the timetable, which was unbelievably kind of him. At the end of the first year, I swapped to single honours Philosophy and ended up with a first. And what were your first thoughts about a career? I had a few ideas – I was interested in Nuclear Physics and thought I might like to work at CERN. I also thought about being a Naval or a Cavalry Officer, the latter because of the rather magnificent uniform! I also briefly thought about becoming a don but in fact my first job was teaching Maths at Orley Farm Prep School in Harrow. This set me on a path, and I went next to the Dragon, then to Cheltenham College, then I became Head of Maths at Berkhamsted, next a Housemaster at Radley and after that Headmaster at Dover College, where we were for seven years.

The Warden painting his mahogany clinker day boat, Delphis , with his son Max in 1990

What made you apply to St Edward’s?

Somehow it had always been part of my life. Both my Prep School Headmaster and my Headmaster at Lord Wandsworth had been at Teddies and always spoke highly of it. Top rugby teams at the Dragon played the Teddies Yearlings, and there was a highly-charged competitiveness on the rugby field between Teddies and Cheltenham when I was at the latter. When it was time for me to move on from Cheltenham, I sought the advice of the Head. I was thinking about Winchester or Teddies – what did he think? ‘Oh Teddies

The Warden with Max in 1987