A group of former John Kyrle High School students organised a geography field trip as a reunion, with a teacher who had been a great inspiration to them, on Saturday, October 1st to the Doward.

Here, Claire Jenkins explains why she got in touch with her former teacher and classmates to arrange their first Geography Field Trip in 20 years.

Claire said that she is lucky to have had a career that has surrounded her with amazing people, working on things that they believe in, who are passionate, dedicated and enthusiastic about their jobs.

She said: “The first person I met who had passion for his job was Mr Nic Howes, former Head of Geography at JKHS where I went to school from 1989-1996. His sheer passion for his subject meant that half of our class went on to study Geography at A Level.

“Anyone who has been taught by Mr Howes will know what a legend he is. This was echoed by my younger brother, of 11 years, who had also been taught by Mr Howes. This made me reflect on what a unique person he was, to be able to inspire, so consistently, students from over a decade, and be classified as a ‘legend’ by so many.

“A quick Google search found that Mr Howes was working at Hereford Sixth Form College. A few phone calls later and we had planned our first Geography Field Trip in 20 years. Two primary school teachers, a chief operations officer, an insurance broker, a PE teacher, a web designer, an IT manager and a finance manager all headed to Ross-on-Wye, full of utter excitement.

“On Saturday we had ten people, spanning a 20 year teaching stint, all dying to hear more about the geography behind the Doward. There really is nothing like a geography field trip to re-inspire you, re-motivate you and take you back to basics; learning and appreciating the natural beauty around you.

“We did a three-hour hike and saw limestone and granite, and heard about coppicing. Everything we learnt about in a text book years ago was brought back to life.”

Claire said that Mr Howes told the group: “I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and evening, and it was a real privilege to have taught you all, to meet you again and to hear about your lives since leaving JKHS.”

Claire told the Gazette: “We caught up with old school pals, and raised some money for St Michael’s Hospice. We share a love for a subject and appreciated a teacher who inspired so many people. It was a great way to spend a Saturday.

“For those who share our love for Geography and amazing teachers, our next event will be in March 2017. The date is to be confirmed. It will cost £15, which will go to charity. Please email [email protected] if you are keen to come.