OV Nick’s Nostalgic Return to King’s

It was such a pleasure to welcome OV Nick D P Hall (S 91-96) back to King’s this month along with his wife, Cathy, and their three boys, Thomas, Jack and Harry. Having not returned to King’s since leaving, and in the UK for a holiday from their home in Melbourne, it was a particularly special visit for Nick to share with his family.

They began at the Science Block, which Nick remembered very well having studied Chemistry and Physics for A-level. There, the whole family enjoyed seeing the labs and meeting with Dr Mark Poole (Hon OV) and his L6 Chemistry class. Due to the heat that day, all the L6 were in Games kit: Harry noted one was wearing a red top, while the others were in blue. The student shared that it was a KSWBC rowing top and he was heading to the Henley Qualifiers later that week, which resonated with Nick who himself had been a strong rower at King’s, and had represented the School at Henley!

In the DT department, Nick’s sons were captivated by the school’s new 3D printers, guided by Julie Palmer (Hon OV) who was producing an item for a pupil’s coursework.

A stop at the Keyes Building proved equally popular, with the climbing wall a clear highlight for the boys. For Nick, it sparked memories of regularly using the former climbing wall located at the end of the Geography and Fourth Form block, as well as occasional trips off-site to tackle larger challenges. There they also had a conversation with Gilly (Hon OV), remembering Nick’s former coaches and sports tours!

Walking past the Dining Hall, Nick could share with his sons how different the lunchtime experience was, and is, at King’s compared to their school in Australia. From there, they made their way to Michael Baker Boathouse, where Nick met with Head of Rowing, Jim Chalmers (Hon OV). The visit prompted warm reminiscences of Nick’s time rowing in a successful Quad and the 1^st VIII and his enduring respect for Andy Guest (Hon OV) as their rowing mentor. Jim also found photos of Nick and his crews in The King’s School Worcester Boat Club Anecdotes and Memoirs, which led to discussions about rowing life, while the boys were especially impressed by the garage facilities – a significant upgrade to “The Shed” Nick remembered. Nick shared a few memorable stories from his time rowing at King’s, including how he had decided to canoe from his home in Bewdley before sitting one of his mock exams, without quite realising how far it actually was and without a watch to keep track of time! Luckily, he made the c. 10 mile journey in sufficiently good time that he wasn’t late for his exam, although he was exhausted…the canoe stayed in The Shed for a good few months before Nick could muster the energy to paddle it back home again.

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In the School Gardens, Nick recalled knowing they were available for their use, but he was so busy with sporting commitments during break times, from swimming, to climbing, to rowing to general fitness, he didn’t spend any time there!

A brief pause at the 1541 Café in School House offered a welcome chance to cool down before the tour continued onwards to College Hall via the Biology Block. In Biology, Nick shared what an impact Bob Allum (Hon OV) had had on his love for Biology and subsequent career in medicine. He also reminisced with Hon OVs Nicki Essenhigh (Co 84-86) and Steve Bain. Now a Neurosurgeon, Nick credits King’s for his great education, which led to his happy and fulfilling career.

Through the impressive doors of College Hall, Nick shared memories of assemblies and exams, while his family learned about its earlier history as a refectory, where monks once gathered, and what had happened to lead to Christ in Majesty being destroyed.

An important stop was Edgar Tower, as Nick shared with his boys that it houses one of the longest continuously used classrooms in the world, and enjoyed a conversation with Elizabeth Shepherd (Hon OV) in her Classics classroom. During his time at King’s, the space had served as the school library, which is now in School House.

The tour continued to Castle House, where Nick met with Richard Davis (Hon OV). This was the first time Nick had been in the building, as it had been a boarding house during his time. Now home to the English department, Nick had a great catch up with Richard, remembering friends and former teachers, while his boys put the classroom’s whiteboard to good use!

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The visit ended in another first for Nick: with a walk across College Green. The family then passed through the Slype, to the Cloisters and onwards to the Cathedral.

During their visit to the UK, Nick and his family will be spending a couple of weeks in the area, reconnecting with friends and relatives, including seeing OVs Richard Chambers (Cl 86-96) and John Curry (Cr 89-96) and their families, with whom they’ve maintained friendships since school.