coningsby ANDREW
Written by Lon Levin
Social sciences were subjects I enjoyed, Math beyond Stats & Commerce Math I did not! I was a very active sports person. Where did you grow up? I grew up in south Croydon (which is in south London). From the age of 8-18 I went to boarding schools in Kent.
What or Who were your influences? My parents were practicing Christians and as a family we attended Church every Sunday. At boarding school there was a short service every morning. Both schools were in rural Kent countryside and I enjoyed this setting and the culture and way-of-life prevalent in the area at that time. The teaching staff at both schools were very important influences. At age 18 I went to Salford University just outside Manchester. This is a very different and highly urban part of the country relative to rural Kent. Politically very different from the south. There was much poverty around and lots of disadvantaged people. I lived for 2 years in what I was told was the largest high-rise estate in Europe. It was an eye-opener and different in very many ways to my privileged upbringing in the south of England.
When did you first think about what you wanted to do as an adult? In my mid-teens I wanted to be a news and current affairs journalist. In my late teens I wanted to try to become a pro tennis player! Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors?
I was encouraged to become a journalist but nobody in my family had any involvement in journalism and so they had no network in the field to introduce me to. I arrived home one day and was informed that my father had booked me in to attend university to study social sciences! I dutifully attended! What kind of kid were you?
I think I was extrovert, gregarious, enthusiastic and hard-working academically (although sadly only with regard to subjects I enjoyed), energetic and a gifted athlete. I read widely and enjoyed visual art. I particularly enjoyed creative writing, including poetry. 34
