Old Princethorpians

I left Princethorpe in 1994, and then enjoyed three years at Roehampton Institute in London (now University of Surrey although still feel uncomfortable claiming that I went to University!). I left with a degree in Business & Sports Studies that has enabled me to enjoy a career in sports marketing and management.

I started at IMG in their golf division, then moved on to World Sport Group in Hong Kong (Asian PGA Tour) and back to their London office (Ladies European Tour and 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup). I joined SCG, an athlete management agency that looked after the likes of Lawrence Dallaglio, Jonny Wilkinson and Martin Johnson as well as a host of other rugby players.

More recently, I’ve spent time in South Africa promoting the South African Open and for the last 3 years, I’ve been with a US agency called Jet Set Sports who were one of the London Olympic hospitality providers.

I still have the pleasure of working with Lawrence Dallaglio (we have a hospitality and events business at Twickenham called the Green Room). This year, I organised another big  charity cycle ride for him and Freddie Flintoff that saw them both (and me!) embark on a 2,000+ KM cycle from Olympia in Greece to Olympic Park in East London, raising over £2m along the way for Cancer Research and Great Ormond Street. Immediately and for a short time post cycle, I was back to my Princethorpe fighting weight, although six months later, I’m sorry to say that I’m back to my January pre training weight!

I have a lovely wife Sandra and two very active boys, and live in the shadows of Stamford Bridge in the heart of Chelsea, London.

I have to confess that I’ve lost contact with most of my contemporaries so if anyone’s out there who recognises me with no hair, I would be delighted to hear from you  richardrelton@greenroomsports.co.uk.

I am happily married to Lyn with a daughter, Grace, and we all reside in Wellesbourne with our scruffy dog. I work for Key Parker in Lutterworth, and waste my money on rubbish old British cars.

I was fortunate to attend Princethorpe from about 1980 until 1985/6 ish. Something like that. It was all a terribly long time ago really.  And that’s not a great deal of time when weighed against my 43 years.

I could probably work the percentage of time out if I’d paid more attention to Fr. O’Connor’s math’s lessons!

And yet such an influential time – one that has informed me ever since.

I was not a remarkable student in any particular area of school life. In many ways I felt like an observer as things unfolded around me.

At least this was what I thought, until I realized that Princethorpe guided me to find the things that I love in life. Art, language, people, and drama. All things that led to my career in design and advertising. A career that places ideas high on the agenda that requires you to think and to empathize and to understand people. All skills generously handed out by teachers back in the eighties. My favourites were Mr. Darkes (simplicity…itself) Mr. Wier, Mr. Skiffington (how do you spell his name?), Mrs. Carpenter and Fr. O’Connor who was as clever a Dumbledore himself !

So now my daughter is due to sit the entrance exam in January. How wonderful it would be if she could attend Princethorpe and discover what it is in life she loves. And perhaps I could encourage her to have the confidence to be more than just an observer.

After leaving Princethorpe in 1978 I went to the University of Kent in Canterbury to study Economics. I then took a complete diversion and took up a programming position with the Kwik Save group. I joined my current employer (Kuehne & Nagel Ltd) as a programmer in 1985 and have remained with them since.

I am now the Global Installation & Support Manager for finance systems. As we are a freight forwarding company we have offices all over the world and I have been fortunate enough to have visited the vast majority.

Privately I am married to Julie and we have three daughters Holly, Amy and Lucy, aged 21, 15 and 13 respectively. I am still close friends with Bruno Delieto from my school days and have had occasional contact with Mick Glynn.

I look back on the seven years at Princethorpe as amongst the happiest of my life.

OP Clem Clements made a trip to Ireland in the summer to see former teacher, Fr Dan O'Connor, Clem takes up the story.

Dan was on great form especially having had some heart bypasses. In between these heart bypasses he continued to play squash and told of one amusing occasion when he had just beaten a surgeon friend of his and was getting changed afterwards. The surgeon commented on the scars on his chest and was amazed that Dan had chosen to carry on playing squash after his surgery. I can also imagine it would have made the defeat an even more humbling experience.

Dan showed me around Blarney Castle and wasted no time in climbing to the top at age 70. He also treated me to a great meal at the Old Wool Mills next door.

Dan keeps himself busy and is running the bursary where he lives. He remembered all of our year (left 1975) and was still sharp as a button.

Anyone wishing to contact Fr O'Connor should email Old Princethorpians for details.

I have just completed my degree in Law LLB (hons) at the University of Nottingham and was awarded a 2.1 for my efforts. In addition to this I was awarded the MacGregor Prize by the Law School; a prize which is awarded to an upper second class student who has made an outstanding contribution to the life, work and well-being of the School of Law as well as to other areas of University life. I was also awarded the University of Nottingham Law Graduates Association Moot Prize for being the winner of the internal Moot competition.

This year I was elected Bar Society President; I spent the year increasing our links with the wider legal community.  Highlights from the year include an audience with Lord Phillips (Chief Justice of the Supreme Court), the first Mock Trial Competition at the University of Nottingham and an evening with Nicholas Green QC (Chairman of the Bar Council). I also collaborated with the Mooting Society to bring about the first annual Advocacy Conference and raised money to built a Mock Trial Court for future competitions. I was proud to see the Bar Society be awarded Gold Award Status by the Students Union as well as being given an Individual Award for Outstanding Contribution.

I have mentioned "Mooting" and "Moot" a couple of times already - it is essentially a debate on a point of law but with very strict rules and timings. I have been on the Mooting Society Committee twice since joining University, this year I declined to join the committee but ended up judging competitions and coaching the external team anyway. This year I have had great success in my personal Mooting life, I won the Internal Mooting Competition, beat Oxford University, won the Nottingham Varsity Moot and reached the Semi Finals of the UKLSA national competition. I have truly found my home in advocacy this year.

The University of Nottingham has enriched me with skills, knowledge and friends. Despite this big adventure, I must mention that two years ago I met my boyfriend Jonathan Williams whilst working at the College in the summer - it only goes to show that however far you go, home will always hold a special kind of magic....

So now I have graduated and it is time to look to the future. I am very excited to be going to Nottingham Trent University to undertake the BPTC (Bar Practitioners Training Course) and I am looking for a Pupillage for 2013 in order to qualify as a Barrister.