About me

I grew up in Liverpool and attended Liverpool College. I went on to study Classics at Cambridge University and went into teaching. I came to Pangbourne from Radley College. I enjoy reading, crosswords, skiing, chess and coaching rowing; in recent years I have completed the Devizes to Westminster in a Canadian Canoe.

Why do I love teaching Classics?

I thoroughly enjoy the frame of reference that Classics gives in examining the modern world, by providing a paradigm that is often very different from life today. Greek myths are usually quite challenging and often also embody fundamental truths about mankind's position in the universe. I came to the Classics through the study of the languages, and the challenges that involved. More recently in Classical Civilisation, I have enjoyed being able to see the entirety of a Civilisation. There is nothing quite like getting a group of students into a Museum or on a site in Greece and watching their delight as the wider picture starts to make sense.

My other roles at Pangbourne are:

Head of Sixth Form - including University Entry (UCAS)
Rowing Coach

If I hadn't been a teacher I would have been...

Trying to make a fortune selling things?

My role model is...

Douglas Cashin, among others...

I would describe Pangbourne as...

For me the Pangbourne 'product' is special. In the main, Pangbournians can effectively collaborate; they 'walk with kings, nor lose the common touch'; they genuinely demonstrate kindness and integrity in their lives and are probably the most comfortable in their own skin.