25 April 2013 Peter Holmes - Face to Face

Colin Strachan welcomed members and guest Steve Birnie to last week's meeting.

The speaker was member Peter Holmes who, along with his wife, Paddy, joined the club in 2011.

Peter gave a brief resume of his upbringing in Newcastle, County Down where he enjoyed the open countryside before a move to more industrial Lancashire. Having gained his 'A' levels at 17 and unable to go to University until he was 18, Peter returned to Northern Ireland to teach for a year. During this time he took signing lessons and was then successful in gaining a place at Magdalen College, Oxford on a music scholarship where he sang in the college choir. He met and married Paddy in Belfast when he was teaching at Eastbourne College. After various teaching posts, Peter was seconded to prepare a paper on the introduction of comprehensive education, followed by a brief to set this up. However, following a change in government, the project was scrapped and Peter then had a short spell looking at school building design before he was called back to look at the reorganisation of higher education. After 15 years in the higher education field, including time spent at the European Parliament, in the late 90's, Peter decided to leave the civil service and move to the private sector. The credit crunch, problems in the banking sector and plunging property values led to his decision to resign a few years ago and he and Paddy moved to Dunblane to be near their family.

Alasdair Mackie gave an amusing vote of thanks for a fascinating talk. Colin Strachan then advised members that next week's speaker was to be Peter's wife, Paddy proving the old adage that wives always get the last word!