Jack Clode, Walhampton 1977-82, shares his update of life in Hong Kong:

I've been living in Hong Kong since 1995, and am married to Aska, with a daughter and a son. I built a career in investigative research, including founding a company called Blackpeak which I sold in 2019. 

It’s been a turbulent few years for Hong Kong, and the arrival of Covid bought more upheaval. We’ve had the occasional family meltdown during home learning (!), but as I write this I can hear the kids chatting happily away in their google classrooms, and it is a good day. 

My two older brothers, also Walhampton boys, are far away (Tom in South Africa, and Peter in New Zealand), but we speak far more frequently since Covid arrived, comparing lock-downs and telling jokes with our Mum, who is in the West Country.

I am lucky to have a Walhampton friend, Justin Davidson, here in Hong Kong. He dragged me off on a cycling adventure to Tibet and Everest to celebrate our 50th birthdays, just before Covid hit. During lock-downs I’ve organised old photos, and re-connected with Walhampton friends like John Parker, laughing with him about the time Philip Lawrence pushed Mr Gaines headfirst into a school fish pond as Gainsee was trying to retrieve a football!

I’ve kept my Walhampton school reports, which seem far less sugar-coated back in the 80’s.  “He has only produced work of an acceptable standard when under dire threats” is one of my favourites. 

My memory gets worse with the years, but I still fondly remember all my Walhampton classmates. Those were amazing years which I’ll always be grateful for.