Back To School

Yesterday my mum dropped me off at school - some thirty years late for my next class!

I was invited to give a careers talk to students at Dame Alice Owens, my senior school. I am now an 'old Owenian.'

With my fellow 'talkers' for the day.

Travelling from Belgium to UK via this mean machine!

Four jumpers and three pairs of trousers and I can keep warm!

It was hard to nut out the best messages for students coming up to important decisions in their lives. As an author and traveller, I decided to reveal how to find purpose in what they choose to do, find value, be valued, have self worth, break the rules - and anything is possible.

It took them sometime to open up at Q&A time, but with a few jokes and fun pictures they relaxed and asked well thought out, smart questions.

If I have had an impact on just one student - I consider my talk a success.

In the afternoon, we received the grand tour with Mandy English the Alumni Relations Manager. Her knowledge of the changes, funding, processes, and history were impressive. She made it all come to life as I could imagine the fun events with losing Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet) in the grounds and organising a cake 1 metre by 2 metres at Owen's 400 year anniversary!

I tried to capture the changes and bright welcome of the premises, but it was hard to do. Here's a snapshot of our walk around.

Our School Year photo - on the back row there are two girls together, I am the one on the left!

My photography doesn't do this room justice. This is the new concert hall and it is stunning!

The old Sports Hall on the left. The new Science blog (I think I have that right), is on the right. A well designed building costing six million. Owens raised one mil, the brewery donated with 2 mil and the government matched the 3 mil. Impressive. The football area was not there when I was there either. The tennis courts are to the right of the football area.

Everyone thought I was a sandwich short of a picnic when I took a picture of the stairs. But I can remember the bell going and hundreds of students pushing and showing along these stairs - it was a great laugh!

Stairs leading to the lake. These have shrunk! Many fun times were had hanging around this area.

This used to be the library - it's now the main staff room.

Inside a new building - impressive!

The middle floor was our form class gathering area for the last two years (if my memory serves me correctly). This building will be taken down and replaced with the 'Tele-Tubbies' area (unofficial name for next photo). This building will go where the grassy bank area is now. As Greenbelt protected land they can move/replace buildings but not increase their footprint.

This is a lovely central area, with eye-pleasing grassy banks. It has a great name (which I've forgotten) but unofficially it is known as 'Tele-tubbies' :-) You can just see the 'big' steps up to the lack at the back of the pic/bank.

Assembly hall.

No one has an excuse for being late!

Cooking class - bake-bean mince anyone? Lots of great photos everywhere of students and their creations.

The 'top' playground - bike sheds to the right (bikes are elsewhere now) and new building to the top left.

Just a door - this was leading down to the science section once upon a time - it opened into a long corridor - all changed now!

Codes from the library will open the drawers so you can borrow a laptop - neat!

A student drew this picture of Gary Kemp and he donated it back.

New Science lab - Owens has a big intake of science students. I believe (if I have this right) one of the teachers won teacher of the year award!

A little corner that hasn't changed much. Our form class gathered inside on the right (and along a bit) for a while for registration. Who remembers Mr Roberts? He was pretty neat.

So, that's the sports hall on the left, the rest is new or has moved(?) A nice central area where I am standing in the middle of the entire complex. The drama room was top floor of the sports hall - now drama has a complete floor.... somewhere!

My contribution to the staff room!

I've received fabulous feedback from the students today and I was treated royally by the employees (Mandy and Carol), who provided lunch, arranged our rooms and gave us a fabulous floor. Despite encouraging students to 'break the rules' I hope they invite me back one day.

I remember all my teachers and their passion and hope for us all - I am proud to be an Old Owenian. I'd leave to hear other students' memories...