Life’S Lessons Learnt

From Irish Bohareens to London Streets to the Temples of Learning

Every person has an interesting life story to tell and I do not claim that my story is unique. I write about my experience of living alone with my grandmother on an Irish farm and why it shaped my national identity. My life-changing move to London and the need to become street wise and still make it to university is covered. I describe how my debating exploits at school and university got me an invitation to The House of Lords and how I met my future wife, and entering a grammar school for the very first time as teacher. My passion for comprehensive education, more enlightened science teaching and my role in senior school management all get an airing as well as my camping, political and sporting adventures. Space is given to how we made lifelong friends with some Germans and our many years of skiing in Austria and Norway. The book also covers the period from early retirement in 1999 to my years teaching in some of Englands elite private schools and why girls really do love chocolate. I describe how I coped with a heart bypass in 2012 and got back to marathon running and took up marathon bike riding for charity. I conclude with my take on the human predicament.