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We were delighted to welcome Old Michaelian Mr Paul Hoddinott OBE CB during June, who attended St Michael's from 1950 to 1955.

Paul spent time with some of our Year 8 pupils, sharing fascinating memories of his school days and his extraordinary life. He recalled how as a young boy, he and his younger brother travelled from Singapore to England as unaccompanied minors. At the time, the journey took three days and the brothers enjoyed the adventure - although they very nearly missed a connecting flight along the way!

His stories of life at St Michael's brought the past vividly to life. Pupils heard about the deep winter snowfalls that made tobogganing down the slopes and from The Warren possible, as well as the legendary staff versus boys snowball fight - though Paul admitted it was hard to remember who claimed victory!

There were also tales of youthful ingenuity, including how a crystal radio and wire set was used to listen in to the Headmaster's telephone calls. Unfortunately, for the curious pupils involved, the conversations turned out to be rather uneventful.

Following his time at St Michael's, Paul went on to enjoy a distinguished career in the Royal Navy, rising to the rank of Rear Admiral. During his service, he was awarded both an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) and a CB (Companion of the Order of the Bath) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Paul continues to enjoy travelling and exploring the world. Having visited 88 countries, he still has Oman and Antarctica on his travel bucket list.

It was a privilege to welcome Paul back to St Michael's and we are grateful to him for inspiring our pupils with his wonderful stories and remarkable achievements.