OP Updates

George Lucas

In June of 1998 I visited Princethorpe with my mother and father who sat patiently while I did the entrance exam. I was greeted by one of the most caring and considerate people I have ever met, his name was Father McManus, along with Berty his dog. I received the good news that I had passed my entrance exam and had a place at Princethorpe starting in Year 8.

I attended Princethorpe from September 1998 through to GCSEs in 2001, during which time I played for the school rugby team and enjoyed many of the school trips to Davos skiing & to Normandy.

The friends I made at school during that time I am still in touch with on a monthly, if not weekly basis. Low and behold they too are self employed now and doing very well for themselves. With the wonders of social networking keeping in touch has been made far easier.

During my final year at school, I went for work experience to the Brandon Hall Hotel, where I was soon snatched up by the Head Chef there (Chris Durden). I was the youngest chef to be employed by the large prestigious hotel chain (Forte Heritage) and during my time there I studied at Stratford Catering College for two years. After this wonderful experience I decide to leave the trade as I was still a young man and the anti-social hours were proving difficult.

I followed in my father’s footsteps for a while into the motor trade, but it was not for me so I looked for a career that I could really get hands on with. I decided to go to Sparsholt College and study Countryside Management for two years during which time I had the opportunity to train to use a chainsaw. This marvellous invention sparked a different way of thinking in my mind and after finishing the course I then moved back up to the Midlands to study at Moreton Morrell in Arboriculture.

Since then I have worked for several large Midlands based companies in arboriculture and decided to make a go of it for myself, setting up Heartwood Tree Services in October 2006. Since I have been self employed I have gained some very prestigious contracts for instance with Northampton Borough Council, Rugby School and Braunston Marina. I have also been approved for apprenticeship schemes with Moreton Morrell and currently have two apprentices about to complete this fledgling course with me. We are always looking to expand and establish links with other bespoke and prestigious organisations whose values are the same as our own.

Over the last year I have also got involved in the charitable work of the Rugby Round Table, this is a wonderful way for me to give something back to the local community.

On the personal front in August last year I proposed to my partner and childhood sweetheart (Kerry Marriott) in front of several thousand people at the fantastic Stanford Hall Fireworks Display. It was a tense moment as I first displayed the ring in its presentation box to the family in front of me, then presented it to her, a moments silence followed which felt like hours, until she smiled with a warm look of love and loyalty followed by the words “Yes I’ll marry you, just sit down before I go red”. The crowds of people around clapped and cheered and saluted their glasses. Success! 

We have set the date for the wedding as 21 July 2012, a venue is still to be found. Or maybe it’s been under my nose this whole time.....

As regards to business my aim is to keep at a level where the service will always be unrivalled and the quality of work to match.

Princethorpe has and always will be the foundation for my morals, my opinions and my behaviour among peers and to work. I appreciate everything the College has given me.

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Guy Rylatt

Guy Rylatt (1977 - 1982) married Peggy in November 1985, so they have just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

He still lives in Coventry and has never lived outside of the city.

He worked for the Royal Mail for 22 years, mainly as a Delivery Manager. In 1999 he obtained a professional qualification for the Institute of Management Services (IMS) and became an Industrial Engineer for Royal Mail.

He left Royal Mail in 2006 and is currently working for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) as a Work Study Officer. He is currently on a secondment to the Intervention Department of the SRA as the department's Contract and Relationship Manager.

Anyone who remembers Guy will recall being tormented by him playing the bagpipes! However, he has been quite successful in this discipline. Following a period of time playing for the best pipe band in England, he was asked to play for a very well-respected band in Northern Ireland. From there he was asked to join one of the best bands in the world, Field Marshal Montgomery's Pipe Band, also based in Northern Ireland.

He has had the honour of winning two world championships in 2002 and 2004 with them, a feat that he believes has not been achieved by any "true" Englishman (i.e. one without any Scottish ancestry) before.

He also played the pipes in the interval act for the Eurovision Song Contest when it was in Birmingham in 1998.

Guy was diagnosed with asthma in November 2010 which has sadly meant he is unable to play any more. Although only 45, he now has a lung age of 74. He has never smoked, but had a particularly bad lung infection in 2009 and it appears that this is the problem stemmed from.

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Luke Scales Three Peaks For Charity

A big well done goes out to Old Princethorpian Luke Hedderwick who successfully tackled the Three Peaks Challenge on Friday 13 May in aid of two local charities,  the Rufus' Friends' Fund and the Leamington & District Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society which supports local people who have MS.

The challenge involved reaching the summit of the three highest mountains in Scotland (Ben Nevis), England (Scarfell Pike) and Wales (Snowden) in less than 24 hours, including driving time.

No mean feat as there is a minimum of 11,000 feet of ascent, 25 miles of walking and total road travel of approximately 460 miles.

Luke was at Princethorpe from 1976 - 1982. He is now a chartered surveyor and runs Riverline Development Limited, a commercial property and railway property consultancy in Rugby. He is married to Ruth and has three children, Hattie, William and Robert. 

He says of the challenge, "It went really well, we did it in 23 hrs and 35 mins.  It was tremendously hard work, no sleep and lots of effort but I thoroughly enjoyed it!.  We did Ben Nevis and Snowden in pretty good time, but Scarfell took us longer becuase the weather was so appalling (gales, rain and low cloud at 3.30am makes it a fairly surreal experience!). We also had a 40 minute detour because the car park was full at Snowden! "

"Although my muscles were a bit achey I didn't get any blisters which was very good news! In the process I will have raised in the region of £3,700 which i am very pleased with!"

One of the charities, The Rufus' Friends Fund, is particularly close to Luke's heart. Rufus Hedderwick had severe learning difficulties, was well known for his cheerfulness and love of life, and his highly developed sense of fun which included others as well as himself. The Rufus' Friends' Fund was set up by his family after his death in 1990.  The charity funds much needed holidays and short breaks for people with learning difficulties and their families, who would otherwise be unable to afford them. The fund helps eight to ten local families a year.

Luke would be very grateful for any further sponsorship, please email him at Luke Hedderwick.

Many thanks.

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