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Dr\u00a0David Wright\u00a0(E 48-53,\u00a0MBE,\u00a0LLD, FCIS)\u00a0talks about his experiences of growing up\u00a0as an evacuee, how Bradfield gave him the chance to make a positive contribution in life and his reasons for leaving a legacy.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It is\u00a0amazing the number of other Bradfieldians\u00a0who also went to my prep school;\u00a0John Myers\u00a0(E\u00a044-47), Brian Ling\u00a0(E\u00a045-48),\u00a0Arthur\u00a0Chater\u00a0(E\u00a047-52) and\u00a0I all attended\u00a0Holyrood School,\u00a0originally\u00a0in Bognor Regis.\u00a0I\u00a0did not\u00a0join\u00a0until\u00a0it\u00a0re-established itself in Mid-Wales, in\u00a0a small village called\u00a0Llanilar\u00a0outside Aberystwyth, as it moved away from the danger presented by the Luftwaffe in World War 2.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It is strange to think that as children we grew up accustomed to the sounds of air-raid sirens, explosions, chaos, and rubble, but Holyrood – being in mid Wales – was of course quite different. Naturally we all missed our parents and as during the blitz and V1 and V2 raids it wasn\u2019t safe for us to return home, the Headmaster instead invited parents to stay at school over the holidays, giving them respite as well. I fondly remember staying with Brian Ling and his brother on one of these breaks. What better way to spend your holidays than with your friends?<\/span><\/p>\n Bradfield, like Holyrood, provided a holistic versus purely academic education and the combination meant that as a child who had difficulty reading and writing (later to be diagnosed as dyslexia) I was not discriminated against but catered for. Bradfield had systems in place to manage this apparent lack of academic ability, providing personal support while supplying an endless range of activities beyond the classroom. I really enjoyed cricket, athletics and football, going on to captain athletics and play 1st team football for Bradfield and cricket for my house. I also learnt to play hockey, squash, tennis, golf and fives, which placed me in good stead for the rest of my life (indeed I am still playing golf!)..<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While I enjoyed all these activities, others I remember were less fun. \u2018Outers\u2019 was our swimming pool, an off-shoot from the Pang with freezing, murky waters. On one occasion, during my lifesaving test, I was told to dive to retrieve a brick, only to return to the surface with a crayfish. Of course, I was duly told to go back for the brick! I also remember learning how to \u2018tickle a trout\u2019 at School and poach on Englefield estate, which the estate fortunately turned a blind eye to. Indeed, the trout and rabbits obtained helped the catering department to supplement the food rationing that I endured throughout my time at Bradfield. Ultimately, all these different activities (both organised and un-organised) built character and gave one the confidence to tackle other challenges.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Naturally,\u00a0National Service was no trouble after Bradfield;\u00a0while\u00a0other chaps\u00a0struggled with homesickness and\u00a0sleeping\u00a0in shared accommodation,\u00a0we\u00a0had the confidence to persist.\u00a0It was in this disparity that I\u00a0first\u00a0recognised the importance of a Bradfield education;\u00a0the College\u00a0took children with a wide range of abilities\u00a0and\u00a0educated them to be able to make a\u00a0positive\u00a0contribution\u00a0to society.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After\u00a0military\u00a0service,\u00a0I worked for Johnson Matthey for 36 years, starting on the front counter\u00a0and\u00a0rising to\u00a0become Company Secretary and a Director of some of its subsidiary companies.\u00a0I\u00a0also became\u00a0President of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) in 1990 and\u00a0Master of the Worshipful\u00a0Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators\u00a0(WCCSA)\u00a0 2002\/03, during which\u00a0I inducted George Burne as a liveryman.\u00a0I\u00a0understand\u00a0that many Old Bradfieldians have\u00a0subsequently\u00a0played a significant part in the Livery,\u00a0several\u00a0raising to Masters\u00a0of their companies and\u00a0others\u00a0going on to be Aldermen, Sheriffs and at least one Lord Mayor.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The grounding and all-round education that Bradfield gave me in my early years afforded me the opportunity to have an enjoyable life and contribute to the community without ever having the added benefit of a university education (although I did achieve an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1999). I do not have serious wealth. I am, however, leaving a legacy to the College to say thank you for my education and what it allowed me to achieve.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As a legator I am now invited back to Bradfield as a member of the 1850 Society, in addition to the more general Bradfield Society invitations. 1850 Society events are different in that they are smaller and therefore more bespoke. They are a terrific way to see the impact of your legacy during your lifetime and I would love for other Old Bradfieldians, who feel that Bradfield was formative in their success in life, to join me as a member of the 1850 Society.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr\u00a0David Wright\u00a0(E 48-53,\u00a0MBE,\u00a0LLD, FCIS)\u00a0talks about his experiences of growing up\u00a0as an evacuee, how Bradfield gave him the chance to make a positive…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3665,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n