January 1st 2019
I left Moulsford in 1993 and have fantastic memories of my time there. The setting alone is an absolute privilege with the River Thames running past the school and so much space for outdoor activities. As a result I was a keen sportsman and there was a perfect balance of competitiveness (which didn’t need encouraging in me!!) and general enjoyment. In particular I have vivid memories of a Bering vs. Amundsen football match where Bering beat us 1-0 on a blustery day and many of my Amundsen team-mates learnt humility the hard way that day as we were sure we would win with most of the First XI in our team!
Other fond memories involve prize-giving at the end of the school year and music lessons and activities with the wonderful Eira Hoare. I am sure all of my peers today can appreciate classical music far more than most of our generation thanks to her contagious enthusiasm and energy although few people can believe I was a head chorister!
From Moulsford I went to The Oratory School and subsequently to The University of Leeds where I studied French & Spanish. Today, I remain in touch with several Old Moles although being based in Chile sadly our reunions are somewhat rare these days - I am the managing director of a winery called Bodega Volcanes de Chile which exports wines to over twenty countries worldwide.
I have been living in Chile for 13 years now and am happily married to my wife Natalia and we have three children – Marcus, 10; Thomas, 7 & Isabella, 4 – who keep us both fairly busy! Besides keeping my energetic kids entertained and my regular traveling or the occasional glass of wine (!), I still enjoy sports and am a regular runner having completed my first marathon (Santiago) in 2017 breaking the personal goal of sub-4 hours!
Moulsford provided some of the most important principles at a crucial time in any child’s life –good manners, honesty, a strong sense of togetherness and in the last years the added responsibilities that were given to us to help us mature before heading off to our respective secondary schools. I’m always sorry to miss the wonderfully organized events for Old Moles but hope a trip back to UK will coincide one of these days – Summer 2018 perhaps!?
