wellington college yearbook 19/20
Will Heathcote (A 98) Director of Organisation and Teacher of Physics What was Wellington like when you were a student? I think the strangest thing about being a Wellington pupil and then returning later to teach is that the College is very different and yet in many ways the same. It looks the same and some of the teachers are even the same. Some of the aspirations of the older Wellington are still there, but everything now operates on a bigger scale. When I was a pupil, the College was a bit less ambitious and things happened on a smaller scale. It’s often said that the College is a friendlier and kinder place now, and that’s certainly true. That’s not to say that it was populated by monsters back then, but I don’t remember the same College-wide sense of community that now exists. What are your fondest memories of Wellington? Many of my memories are based around the music performances and ensembles that I had the opportunity to play in. There were the big events like the South Africa Orchestra tour or the Jazz Orchestra tours but also smaller ensembles and concerts. Other things I remember fondly are things like athletics training on Rockies. I was a hurdler and high jumper and sometimes ran a 1500m. Rockies in summer weather still is a wonderful place and being out there coaching in summer is something that holds many memories. Did any member(s) of staff stand out in particular and why? I remember many staff and some of those who taught me are still around the College. Given that my interests were mainly Maths,
science and music, I probably remember these teachers more, and certainly spent most time in these lessons. But I guess there are two that I could mention. One is my Maths teacher — Mr Halpin. He taught me for all five years and had a good understanding of how I worked. I remember that there were times in my Upper sixth year when I was really busy — I was taking 5 A Levels as well as two grade 8 instrument exams and so I needed a little flexibility occasionally. I remember that he let slip in a parents conference once that he knew when I didn’t understand a topic, because that’s when I would hand in the homework. I also remember my piano teacher, Irene Roberts. She was had very high standards and was very tough to please. But every so often when you got something just right she would visibly relax and say something in her Austrian accent like “Ah now Villiam….”. I remember playing Chopin and being aware that she was waltzing around the room behind me. It wouldn’t happen often, but you knew that when it did, that the practice was paying off. Did you ever get into trouble? Of course not. I’m assuming that to get in trouble, you have to get caught. I was fairly well-behaved sort of pupil on the whole and that meant that I normally got the benefit of any doubt. I do remember one occasion when I was charged with the job of going to Little Sandhurst in order to buy Saturday night supplies for the Anglesey sixth form. This was a job that went on rotation —
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