History Hero: an Interview With Richard Hartley
History teacher Richard Hartley has been at St Margaret’s for more than 20 years and over this time has made quite the impact on pupils, past and present. Known for his love of a diverse range of music, his passion for West Ham Football Club and the football rattle he employs to keep a class quiet when girls are getting chatty, Richard was the most-asked after teacher by alumnae when they wanted to know who from the staff would be attending the Summer Alumnae Party. He lives in St Albans in Hertfordshire with his wife Kirsty, a tutor, and their two young children, Juliet and Henry. He shares his thoughts with us on his memories of school, reveals who inspires him in particular and shares some wisdom to pass on to our girls...
What other jobs did you do before you became a teacher?
I used to work in the planning department of the now-defunct West Glamorgan County Council. We dealt with the restoration and aftercare of opencast coal sites. I went on numerous field visits as part of this job and some of the places I visited felt a lot like “The Land That Time Forgot”. I met a lot of interesting people at this time in my life and it served as a worthwhile counterpart to my experiences at university.
What would the pupils be surprised to find out about you?
Absolutely nothing – as open books go... However, a fun fact that most of my pupils should know but might have forgotten, is that I was born on the anniversary of VJ Day on 15th August and my sister was born on VE Day on 8th May. It’s almost as if my parents timed my conception with my future career in mind!
What is your dream holiday?
I have always wanted to go to Japan. Everything from the stunning landscapes to the food, the people and a culture that is so far removed from anything I’ve experienced in my life.
What is your “trapped on a desert island” book and film? Book:
“The Heart of the Matter” by Graham Greene. I’m a big fan of Graham Greene and I love the fact that he dicotomised his fiction into ‘literary novels’ and ‘entertainments’. “The Heart of the Matter” is one of those books, and there have been many, that has moved me and repointed my thinking and, hence, my understanding of the world. For non-fiction, I invariably turn to the wonderful works of psycholinguist Stephen Pinker.
Film: In recent years, “Parasite” by the wonderful Bong Joon-ho – a stunning meditation on social inequality. It operates on a metaphorical level and conveys so many meaningful messages about life, such as an understanding of how ingenuity can be a corollary of desperation and despair. It subsumes many genres and left me feeling like I’d gone 12 rounds with Tyson Fury. To cheer myself up, I think I would then require yet another viewing of “Withnail and I” – I’ve seen it far too many times and I will quote from it ad nauseum, given the opportunity.
If you won big on the lottery and decided you were going to give up teaching, what would you do instead?
Hopefully something philanthropic, but not before I’d gone on a lot of day-spa breaks at Sopwell House in St Albans.
What would your last meal be?
Probably beef rendang and nasi goreng. I know that this sounds like an Indonesian Surf n Turf, but it’s grub heaven for me.
What makes a good day for you when you are at school?
I feel so luck to have been able to go to work every day and do something I love – there are precious few who get this opportunity and I don’t take this privilege lightly. One of the loveliest parts of the last alumnae reunion was to be reminded of moments that had been long consigned to the backwaters of my memory.
What is your favourite dish made by the school chef Jerry?
I’m a big fan of his veggie moussaka, amongst a great many other dishes. He has an impressively extensive repertoire. In particular, the Mediterranean buffet he did for Quiz Night was mouthwatering.
What is your first memory of being at school when you were a child?
Playing marbles on a drain cover.
Any embarrassing teaching moments that you’re willing to share with us?
For any ex-pupils reading this, there will be no scarcity of source material, but one of my more recent pratfalls involved me stacking chairs at St Luke’s Church at the end of the Christmas Service, bending down to pick something up and, inevitably, ending with up with a gigantic split down the back of my trousers. The rip was so long that the sound it emitted went on for a good half-minute! Maybe I am exagerating a bit! I also recall quite a lot of incidents involving wasps. On one particular occasion, I swatted a wasp intruder onto a window, which promptly dislodged a pane of glass. Thankfully, no children were harmed in the making of this anecdote.
If you could enrol in any other teacher’s class, whose lesson would you like to go to and why?
Madame Vialle’s French class. I was at the bottom of the class in the bottom set at school and I sense that I would have a lot of ground to make up!
What current trends baffle you?
There are probably too many to list, so I’ll just mention my current bugbear, which is young people using the term, “Wait, what?”. Initially I think it was used as a term to denote surprised confusion, but it has now come to serve a litany of purposes. On balance, I think I prefer “Excuse me”. Actually, come to think about it, single- sheet dispensers in toilets, modern plugs, celebrities talking about being “humbled” when they accept awards...
If you could take students on a field trip to anywhere in the world, where would you take them?
Swansea. I am a big fan of the pursuit of beauty in the unlikeliest of settings.
If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?
If you wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty – but the pig likes it!
Is there a quote you live your life by?
I like that old Chinese proverb, “He who seeks perfection, abandons joy”.
Who inspires you?
I don’t want to go into full-on Cheddar mode, but Mr Mark Webster – for his kindness, determination, good humour and consistency.
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