44
45
Summer
2013
OMT
News
Contact:
Air Vice-Marshal (ret’d)Michael
Harwood (1971-1976)
writes: “My final days
at Merchant Taylors’ were in the glorious
summer of 1976 (yes, such a season existed
in those days!). My final days as a serving
officer in the Royal Air Force were then in
the summer of 2012. This family photo was
taken in the inspirational surroundings of
Windsor Castle. Cheryl and I were flanked
by daughters Sophie and Nina and we all
certainly felt “yet one more fascinating era is
put to bed, nowwhat?”
Retirement is out of the question. The
challenge is to find something as intensely
stimulating as my 34 years in the armed
forces. Fromflying fast-jet aircraft to
commanding operations in the Gulf to
being involved in higher education and
even the crucial international diplomacy
scene, it is thus far provingmore interesting
to be involved in short-term consultancy
contracts rather than settling in a single
role. A business trip to China, close to the
home of both Confucius and Sun Tzu, set
my pulse racing. Working with the first-
rate Henley Business School and a varied
selection of other companies has also
provided ample scope to translate many
rich and compelling experiences in the
military sphere into something relevant for
commercial organizations and their people.
Working from our home in the city of Bath,
every week seems to be a new adventure
and I relish the future.”
DickTaylor (1959-1964)
writes: “I was at the school from1959 to
1964. I remained a friend of John Steane’s for many years afterwards. I
went on toOxfordwhere I read PPE (1964-1967) and then as a first job
to the (then) newUniversity of Lancaster 1967-1970, as the lowest form
of administrative life. Then in 1970 I moved to Leeds University’s Dept.
of Adult Education, where I stayed for 34 years, eventually becoming
Head of Dept. and thenDean of a large Faculty. (If you stay somewhere
long enough, you are almost bound to be promoted through inertia).
In 2004 I moved toCambridge to be Professor of Continuing
Education and Lifelong Learning. I retired in 2009. Among other
things, I have written 13 books, with the latest due to be published
in late 2013 on the historian and political activist, E. P. Thompson
(Manchester University Press).
I now live in the LakeDistrict. I wouldwelcome contact with any
MTS contemporaries. My e-mail is
TomWillcox (1948-1953)
sent in this photo froma
holiday in the LakeDistrict. The roadwas blockedwith 4 foot
of snow and he required a tow to get to a road that was open!
