Once an Exonian, always an Exonian.
We pride ourselves on building a flourishing community of individuals, so we have brought together some news from some of our old Exonians. We hope you enjoy reading all the wonderful contributions they have made and experiences that have been available to them on leaving Exeter School.
Rory Cox (1994-2000) is Director of Impact and senior lecturer at the University of St Andrews. Here’s an insight into his role and life in Scotland.
Research and writing are part of my job as an academic, but teaching and administrative roles take up a huge amount of time during semester. This means that most of my research and writing are done during the parts of the year when the undergraduate students are on holiday, especially the long summer break. I was also lucky enough to be awarded a twelve-month fellowship at Caltech and the Huntington Library in southern California, which helped a lot. This book was a big project, taking more than eight years to complete, but I was also working on many other writing projects during this time, so sometimes it’s difficult to keep all the balls in the air at once!
My passion for history definitely came from my father, who read the Greek myths to my sister and me when we were children. I’ve always loved the mysterious elements of history: that’s what keeps me interested. I think I’m especially interested in war because I’m fascinated by how people behave in extreme situations – and you can’t get much more extreme than war. When it’s a case of living or dying, kill or be killed, the superfluous things are jettisoned and you’re afforded a glimpse at the things a society really values.
My two wonderful kids keep me busy, but I really enjoy spending time in the great outdoors. I’m very lucky to live in Scotland, which has so many stunning landscapes, so I do a lot of running, cycling, and hiking. I also love Wahammer fantasy and 40k. It’s very geeky, but I find the painting a form of active meditation. I actually got back into the hobby a few years ago after a serious cycling accident…I couldn’t do any exercise for months and it prevented me from going crazy!
I remember my time at Exeter School very fondly and still have many, many good friends with whom I keep in regular contact. Mr Leader had the patience of a saint whilst trying to teach me French, and I always enjoyed Mr Davidson’s geography lessons and Mr Poustie’s somewhat irreverent approach to history.
Richard Penny (1987-1994) served in the Queen’s Royal Hussars for 10 years after leaving Sandhurst – here’s more of his story.
I was an Army sixth form Scholar (along with John Evennett (1987-1994)), Head of CCF and went on to gain a University Cadetship at Swansea University. I served in the Queen’s Royal Hussars for 10 years after leaving Sandhurst (where I commissioned alongside Luke Roberts (1989-1994) who joined the Queen’s Dragoon Guards). My time included tours of Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan but also plenty of sport and adventure training, and I left as a Major.
Many of my past times and successes can be linked directly to my experiences at Exeter School. My military journey was shaped by John Allen and Pete Ranft in CCF on Field Days and summer camps. I represented the Army at slalom kayak having spent many happy evenings and weekends paddling with Pete Scott (1986-2011) on the Exe and Dart. I also represented the Army triathlon team and have completed around 30 marathons including 8 ultra-marathons ranging in distance from 50km to 200 miles – Dick Scarrott, former teacher of Physics and Games (1970-1994), lunchtime running and Woodbury Common are to blame for sowing that seed! Ten Tors with John Spivey (1981-2001) and numerous other staff giving up their weekends also connected me with a love of the moors and mountains.
In 2010 I completed my PGCE and bumped into John Davidson (1976-2018) at the RGS Conference, and have since taught at Haberdasher’s Monmouth School for Girls, Cheltenham College (Head of Geography, CCF Contingent Commander, Housemaster) and now Bradfield College. Despite being Deputy Head (Pastoral) I am still actively engaged in sport, CCF, DofE and cross country. I hope that I can do half as well at inspiring my current pupils as the staff at Exeter did for me.
Adam Feest KC (1981-1988) was appointed as a Circuit Judge by Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. We spoke to Adam about his career and what it means to him.
In answer to your questions, I wanted to be a criminal barrister for as long as I can remember – for no reason that I can now recall. Having been called to the Bar in 1994 and appeared in the criminal courts for many years, it was a natural progression to apply for part time judicial posts. I was lucky enough to have been appointed as a Crown Court Recorder in 2009 and from that time was able to mix my career at the bar with sitting as a judge. As I enjoyed sitting as a Recorder, there came a stage when I felt that applying for a full time job was the next stage in my legal career. By that time, I have been a silk for nearly seven years and was ready for the next challenge.
Every time I go into court, I get an immense sense of privilege that I am able to play some (albeit small) part in the criminal justice system. Whilst it may not be perfect, our system generally provides fairness and justice for all those who come into contact with it – to be part of that is both very rewarding and awe-inspiring at the same time. As to the challenges, one only needs to visit a crown court to see how we are battling daily with a whole range of issues that prevents us from carrying out our function most efficiently – lack of counsel to deal with cases, prisoners being produced late, technologies not working – to name but a few.
Sophie Gibbins (2011-2018) shared her experience of the NHS scientist training programme and life after Exeter School.
After leaving Exeter School I went on to study Physics at the University of Birmingham, graduating in 2022. I found the degree interesting, however I quickly realised that I wanted to work in a field where I would be able to apply it to help people. Thankfully, I attended a careers talk in my second year where I heard about the world of Medical Physics, which quickly piqued my interest! I was lucky enough to secure work experience in the radiotherapy department at the RD&E over the summer of my third year and did my master’s project on proton microbeam radiotherapy.
I applied for the NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP) in my final year at university and secured a place on the Radiotherapy Physics specialism at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. Radiotherapy Physicists are involved in ensuring the treatment is both safe and effective. The role is varied but involves treatment planning, performing quality control on equipment and commissioning new equipment. Most people in my department also have individual projects which may be looking at streamlining processes through to investigating new treatment techniques.
The STP is a 3 year work-based training programme which prepares graduates to become registered Clinical Scientists. A part-time master’s degree in Clinical Science is completed alongside the training. I am about half-way through my training and will soon be looking for a project to take on for my degree.
There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work, involving many different staff groups, that goes into delivering radiotherapy. I love knowing that I’m part of a team whose work has an impact on individual patients.
I also really enjoy still being a part-time student and going up to Liverpool for university a few times a year. It’s a great chance to consolidate things I’ve seen at work, and I love catching up with my peers from different centres around the country.
On completing the STP I hope to register as a Clinical Scientist and start working as a qualified Radiotherapy Physicist in the NHS. I’ve really enjoyed my rotation in brachytherapy so would like to work somewhere where I could be involved in that. I also hope to be able to continue with some research when I qualify, currently having a particular interest in spatial fractionation following my master’s project at UOB.
Captain Joe Welch (1954-1957) admits he wasn’t academically minded but that didn’t stop him having a flourishing career in the navy. Here’s what Joe had to say.
I was a boarder at School house from leaving prep school at 13 until O Levels at 16.
Once settled in, I loved all the great school facilities for sport, the CCF, the old swimming pool, the arts and crafts, music, and above all the camaraderie of the boarding house. However, at that age I was basically lazy and was just not much interested in academic work!
Come O Level time I was put in for 8 and only passed 3. Everyone was horrified! Ambitions for university scuppered I stayed on another term – did some work and gained 3 more. Like the black sheep I had become, I felt my only option was to ‘Run away to Sea’ and the 6 O levels were considered sufficient to enter ‘Warsash’ which was an Officer’s training college for the Merchant Navy.
Following this training I joined the once great P&O shipping company as a Cadet and served there for 10 years up to the rank of Senior Second Officer. I had found a career that I really enjoyed and travelled the world and was paid as well! I served on old conventional cargo ships, an oil tanker and the great liners of that era including ‘Stratheden’ ‘Iberia’ ‘Oriana’ and finally ‘Canberra’.
During this time I studied hard because I enjoyed my work and gained my 2nd Mates, First Mates, and Master’s Certificates.
P&O together with the Blue Funnel Shipping Companies were instrumental in setting up a first for Britain: A viable Containerisation System.
P&O employees had the option to volunteer for this. I felt Containers was a great idea. By now I was married with a young family and the idea of regular voyages and good leaves really appealed. I was appointed Second Officer with a Master’s Certificate for the maiden voyage of the 2nd ever containership. After teething troubles Containers caught on and promotion was rapid. I was Captain of a large containership at the age of 36!
If I had stayed with P&O I would not have been a Captain until 56!
I over my 20 years as a ship’s master I commanded a variety of containerships trading worldwide, the largest of which was around 4200 containers and 65,000 tonnes. ( twice the size of Titanic). My claims to fame were that I was Captain of the very first Containership to round Cape Horn, and Captain of the first Containership to serve the Arabian Gulf ports.
All in all I had a wonderful career of 40 years at sea and if I had my life all over again I wouldn’t change it. So very fortunate!
Although academically I did not achieve well at Exeter, I did find a most suitable career. In all honesty I have to say that the character building, the sense of values and the camaraderie that was evident in the School House at that time, helped me enormously with the heavy responsibilities of a Shipmaster. So well done Exeter School.
