Visiting My Former School Richmond House on Book T...

It’s a uniquely particular expertise visiting your former college as an grownup, particularly when your expertise there made such an indelible impression in your life and profession. Nice training ought to have a long-lasting affect.

That’s what Richmond House did for me.

This excellent prep college instilled unflappable confidence in me from a younger age, it inspired me to talk up, to share no matter I’d learnt generously with others (I gave a speech to a youthful class when my geography challenge on Australia was revered) and to decide to pushing out of my consolation zone whether or not that was on stage in performs, taking part in netball competitively or memorising Wordsworth in English.

Throughout my formative time there, I bear in mind following by means of with an thought I needed to create the primary college journal, photographing each image, and writing the editorial inside it, celebrating the college. This was duly photocopied, laminated and given to potential dad and mom on Open Days and it additionally bagged me the Design Expertise cup at prize giving. A few years later I grew to become the editor of Movie & Festivals Journal. I suppose I embody the time period multipotentialite, working throughout completely different sectors and having pivoted in my profession from filmmaking to TV broadcasting, content material creation and writing books.

I visited Richmond Home yesterday to share my second e-book and bestselling debut youngsters’s e-book Greek Myths, Folktales & Legends revealed by Scholastic UK and never solely was it described as a excessive vitality, enjoyable, informative and artistic meeting, it was deeply transferring for me to retrace my steps and provides one thing again to youngsters who had been as soon as sat in that meeting corridor, the place I as soon as was 35 years in the past! 

Sharing a e-book studying, writing myths collectively in addition to sharing workouts the place youngsters matched the parable to the TV present or film adopted by a signing and Q & A with the intense, affable and engaged college students, it was a memorable day hopefully for the entire college students in attendance in 12 months 3, 4 and 5, and undoubtedly for me.

The kids adored the traditional Greek impressed hair piece Claire Austin England designed for me.

I look ahead to returning once more. Thanks Richmond Home!

Under I share a chunk I despatched to the college on my reminiscences of my time there together with a photograph from all these years in the past of my brother Solos and I!

I’ve many fond reminiscences of my time at Richmond Home. I liked performing and performing in a number of college productions held within the meeting corridor. 

Enjoying Miss Honey in Matilda was a stand out second for me, as had been the assorted comedy roles I usually invented, largely as previous males, in different productions (a lot to the rapture laughter from the dad and mom in attendance)!

I had an thought to create the very first college journal for Richmond Home too, taking the entire photographs and writing in regards to the fantastic services and alternatives on supply on the college. Miss Pettingale, the Headteacher on the time proudly confirmed it to potential dad and mom for a very long time after. I later grew to become the editor of Movie & Festivals journal, writing for The Guardian throughout my time at college earlier than then. 

One other spotlight was giving a presentation to among the youthful years, the place I shared my geography challenge on Australia, a rustic I’ve nonetheless not managed to go to but! 

I received the Geography, DT and Artwork Cup at Speech Day throughout my time there, and nonetheless have the books given to me by the college as a memento when the cups had been returned.  

Richmond Home gave me the boldness to hone my voice, construct self-confidence and stand proud in entrance of an viewers. This has fared effectively in my profession as I’m additionally a daily contributor on ITV’s Good Morning Britain information present, having labored with them for nearly a decade, in addition to showing on BBC Radio 4 and 5 sharing my insights into breaking information affecting youngsters and fogeys. I’ve even been invited to talk in Parliament a number of occasions on roundtables discussing the net security invoice, and maternity rights, respectively. 

My former English instructor Mrs Sullivan taught me to consider in my energy as a author throughout my time at Richmond which has helped me as an writer. 

My debut non fiction e-book Mumboss grew to become a bestseller and was deemed one of many high 10 enterprise books written by ladies by the Impartial, and my current youngsters’s e-book Greek Myths, Folktales & Legends is already in its second reprint after simply 3 weeks, when that often occurs after a 12 months, so it’s proving common with youngsters and adults alike! 

As a British Greek Cypriot, it’s fantastic to go on my ancestors’ magical, usually strange tales, adapting them to be extra fashionable items that may hopefully resonate with younger readers. Thanks for having me again at Richmond Home, to share the unbelievable world of historic Greece with you!

All skilled photographs by Ben Harris and shared publicly with permission.