Nigel gets his Duke of Edinburgh gold - at the age of 70 - The Leamington Observer

Nigel gets his Duke of Edinburgh gold - at the age of 70

Leamington Editorial 2nd Apr, 2019   0

A PAST pupil has returned to Warwick School to receive his Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award from the headmaster – at the age of 70.

Nigel Robinson, a director of Leamington PR agency Newsline, was one of the first boys to enter the award scheme when the school introduced it in 1963.

Having achieved both bronze and silver, he completed the gold in June 1966 but left school before getting it signed off by the headmaster.

Nigel explained: “There was so much going on that summer – A-level revision and exams, job interviews, leaving school and, of course, England winning the World Cup. I had completed all the sections but had left without the headmaster signing my record book.”




It wasn’t until sailing up the Norwegian fjords last year that he determined to find his book and apply for the award.

“I had carried out my gold award expedition on top of snow-capped mountains in Norway with David Summers, who became the school’s first recipient of the gold award.


“We were stationed with the Royal Norwegian Army and last year, for the first time, I returned to Stavanger and the memories flooded back. I had often thought about missing out on my gold and that trip finally made up my mind to search for my book, if I still had it.”

He eventually found it in a box of old memorabilia and the school’s DofE Award coordinator Heather Bowie, passed it on to the DofE operations office, who duly approved it and posted him the certificate and the badge.

“Unfortunately, unlike my old school mate Summers, I wasn’t invited to the palace to receive the award – I think they were concerned that if I bowed I might not be able to straighten up again!”

 

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