WHERE ARE THEY NOW
Where are they now? Richard Kirby - (The Grove 1982) - 40 years I live in Middlesbrough with my wife Elaine and have worked in the NHS for the past 20 years. I have two daughters aged 36 and 32 - but sadly no grandchildren yet - and two grown-up stepsons. When I turned 50, I began a series of over 100 “challenges” to raise mental
Olly Gardner (1992) 30 years So Olly, what have you been up since you left St Peter’s in 1992? It’s amazing to think that 30 years has passed since I was at school. For those who knew me well at school, it will come as no surprise that post school, I’ve continued to play lots of sport and I still turn my arm over in the Old Peterite annual cricket match against the school 1st XI. Other than sport, I got married to my childhood sweetheart (not an OP), who I met when I was in the fourth year and we have 1 son, Charles, who is now in the Lower Sixth at St Peter’s. Just like me, he has had the great fortune to have been taught and guided by the great Paddy Stephen. Work wise, post university I had a short stint as a lawyer for a firm in West Yorkshire before a complete career change when I joined the Army. The Army was a perfect fit for me, where I served a very happy 17 years. Post Army I have had 3 senior management roles and I am currently the Chief Operating Officer for a company, who develop and manufacture lateral flow tests, including the UK’s antibody lateral flow test.
Tell me more about the Army: what did you do and why did you leave? To be honest I joined the Army on a bit of a whim; I wasn’t enjoying my current legal case that I felt was compromising my morals, so I just enquired about the Army. Before I knew it, I had resigned from my law firm and I was entering the gates of the Royal Military Academy
We have contacted a number of Old Peterites to ask them to share where they are now. Here is what they told us!
health awareness and, should it ever be updated, my CV would now include being a published author (“Today Just Like Yesterday” being published in 2018), as well as stand-up comedian, recording artist and long-distance indoor rower, although I do need to stress that enthusiasm is never a substitute for ability. I have maintained a connection with St Peter’s and a number of Old Peterites through my love of cricket (which I continued to play up until 2004) and will hopefully have the chance to return to the School and stroll round the boundary again this summer.
Sandhurst. On commissioning I joined the Royal Signals, where I took an ‘unconventional’ path serving with the Paras, the Gurkhas and finished off doing intelligence work, which I could tell you more about, but I’d have to kill you! And of course I played lots and lots of sport for the Army, including tennis at Wimbledon, squash in the Amsterdam squash open, rugby against Fuji and elephant polo in Nepal.
Richard Sharp (School House 1978) I attended St Peter’s in School House from 1974 to 1978, following in the footsteps of my father and grandfather (both also called Richard Sharp). I spent most of my career working in the field of corporate events, primarily focussing on creative approaches to conferences and meetings for many blue-chip clients both throughout the UK and internationally. I subsequently established a property business which I’ve run for the last fifteen years or so. Aside of work, I’ve always been a bit of a writer and am delighted to have just published my first book - This Must Be The Place which is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09TF3ZB15 I live in the Lake District and am now semiretired, dividing my time between work, skiing, motorcycling, and writing.
Why did I leave? If I’m honest, the thrill of being shot at was outweighed by the implications of dying! Perhaps that’s a little dramatic, but I’d reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and the thought of going on operations (which had always been the pinnacle of my ambitions) started to fill me with dread, both being away from home and also that my son may end up without a dad. I guess when you feel like that, it’s time to get a proper job.
What does the future hold for Olly Gardner? Hhhmm. Good question, not sure, but it will certainly involve retirement (hopefully sooner rather than later) and of course sport. I am currently coaching the Colts rugby team at York rugby club and I think as I am less and less able to actually play the sport I love, I’ll coach it.
You are organising the Class of ’92 OP 30 year reunion, aren’t you? Hahaha well … it certainly looks that way. Caroline Murphy called me a few months ago to ask if I would help her organise it, but I think what she actually meant to say was will you organise it and I will organise you!! (only joking Murph!) Keys for Life - 25 -
Yes we have a reunion planned for 1 October this year and will include a meal in the school dining room and then a disco in the Memorial Hall. School have been great and are pulling the event together and I just can’t wait to catch up with everyone, 30 years on. There are quite a few OPs, busy trawling Facebook, Instagram and the internet, trying to get back in touch with OPs from our year to inform them of the event. If you are reading this and you are in touch with any OPs from our year, please will you tell them about the function: the theme is ‘Class of ’92: 30 years on from the prom’ and more details will follow soon. If you have any questions, please get in touch with me at Oliver.Gardner@FusionGroupConsulting.co.uk
