Happy 80th Birthday to Mike Walker (K 60), a very special OH who has spent more than six decades building friendships, supporting fellow OHs, and staying closely involved with the people and sporting communities that mean so much to him.

It would be fair to say that Haileybury runs through Mike Walker’s veins. He arrived at Haileybury in the Easter Term of 1960, joining his brother Fred ‘Guy’ Walker in Kipling, and over the course of his school career progressed from ‘the bottom of the bottom class – minus D’ to become Head of School in the summer of 1965.

Mike absolutely loved his time at Haileybury, although he would be the first to admit that his greatest talents were not necessarily found in the classroom, but rather on the sports fields and courts.

He was Captain of both tennis and hockey, and also developed a passion for the game of rackets , a sport he undoubtedly would have excelled at even further had Haileybury had the benefit of a rackets professional at the time. Mike was delighted to be recently presented with the OH Rackets Society tie, possibly making him one of the oldest members of the club. He has continued to support the rackets court projects over the years, including the current redevelopment, and is delighted to see the facilities finally receiving an upgrade after the surroundings had remained largely unchanged since his own school days in the 1960s.

Of course, his enthusiasm for hitting various balls around Haileybury did occasionally cause some frustration among the more academically minded members of the school! The final incentive to focus on his studies came when he had to resit his French O-Level for what felt like the umpteenth time, sitting alongside his ‘fag’. Determined to achieve the grades required to attend agricultural college, Mike applied himself and secured his place at Wye Agricultural College in Kent.

His final chapter as a pupil at Haileybury saw him appointed Head of School in the summer of 1965, a possibly unique achievement as he was the third person to hold the role during that academic year. One of his last duties was at the request of the new Master, Bill Stewart, who asked him to look after Clement Attlee during Speech Day that summer.

After graduating from Wye College, Mike enjoyed a number of roles within the agricultural sector before settling in Essex, where he ran a small arable farm. The hard work and dedication that he and his wife Brenda invested in transforming the farm enabled Mike to achieve one of his greatest ambitions in life – to be able to send a child to Haileybury.

Mike has always said that achieving three things in life mattered most to him: to be married, to have children, and to be financially secure. In fact, he exceeded that ambition by sending both of his sons, Robert and Guy, to Haileybury and to his old house, Kipling.

Through his sons’ time at the School, Mike built many friendships with fellow Haileybury parents and members of staff. He spent countless hours supporting Robert and Guy on the sports fields, watching them play rugby, football and cricket. Occasionally, much to their embarrassment, arriving in his farmer’s blue boiler suit and flat cap!

One of Mike’s first stops on returning to Haileybury as a parent was the rackets court, where he introduced Robert to the game he had loved so much. As Robert followed in his father’s footsteps and developed his own passion for this remarkable sport, Mike became a familiar and much-loved figure in the rackets galleries at both Haileybury and Queen’s Club during the Schools Championships.

Mike continues to visit Haileybury whenever he can, enjoying watching cricket and catching up with his old friend and rackets partner Tony Harper (also Kipling). He was particularly delighted to be invited to Speech Day this year, where the Chapel Service brought back many happy memories. He enjoyed sharing stories with the current Master, including memories of his day with Clement Attlee and explaining the meaning of Elysium.

A wonderful way to mark his 80th year – and another reminder that once Haileybury is part of your life, it remains so forever.