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Welcome to our website especially for former pupils, former parents, and staff of Hymers – we’re pleased you’ve dropped by to take a look around and hope you find it interesting. Whether you’re thinking about re-connecting with an OH or you want to find out about our programme of alumni events, or perhaps you’d like to support us with our current fundraising appeal - you are in the right place!
I am absolutely delighted to be taking the reins as President of the Old Hymerians Society for the next year and my first duty is to thank my fantastic predecessor Helen for having handed over such a flourishing, busy and exciting society. She has led from the front and I sincerely hope to be able to fill her boots (or Louboutins) with as much eloquence and panache!
When I left school in 1997 I was told that although I was leaving Hymers, Hymers would never leave me. If I’m honest I wasn’t really sure what that meant at the time and didn’t fully realise the depth of its meaning until many years into my working life. In 2016 I was working in the Falklands as the Maritime Operations Officer when a Junior Officer was appointed to be one of my watchkeepers. When he arrived and introduced himself I immediately recognised the dulcet tones of a Hullonian and when I asked which fine educational establishment he had attended he said, “Oh you won’t have heard of it, it’s in Hull.” “Try me!” said I and he immediately came back with “Hymers, it’s a decent rugby school…” . The rest, as they say, is history but the shared experiences we had from that decent rugby school made the 8500 mile separation from Blighty seem a little less and made the six month deployment considerably easier.
Now almost a decade later I find myself in the enviable position of presiding over the association I joined by accident a quarter of a century ago. On completing my 20 years in the military my family and I moved north and quite soon afterwards Emily Pennack got in touch with me and asked if I could give an assembly. Of course I jumped at the chance and having been preceded by a trombonist performing the Imperial March from Star Wars I felt completely at home again. Since that day I’ve tried and mostly succeeded to help the Old Hymerians in any way I can. This year will be a proving ground for that commitment and my ability!
I am lucky enough to have served in the Naval Service for 20 years, first in the Royal Marines and then as a Principal Warfare Officer in the Royal Navy. In February 2020 I was medically discharged and there followed the hardest six months of my life as I sought to find a job and my family a home away from the warm Dark Blue embrace of the military that I’d known since leaving Hymers as a Royal Marines scholar to go to university. Thankfully I’m now almost fully integrated in to civilian society and I use my fortuitous position and knowledge to raise the profile of the struggle, both physically and mentally, that Veterans often suffer on leaving the military. You will notice throughout the year a subtle (and not so subtle) military bias in some of the events and in my messaging. One of the most moving events I’ve attended in recent memory is the Service of Remembrance at school where, in the midst of the ceremony pupils stand in turn to remember Old Hymerians who have given the ultimate sacrifice. By the end of the reading fully a third of the senior school is standing. Hymers has a long and proud connection with the military and I hope to highlight this and, where possible, use this fantastic Old School Tie to help Veterans whenever they’re in need.
Thank you very much for getting to the end of this missive. I hope to meet as many of you as possible over this next year.
Will Hairsine, OH 1992 - 1997
President, Old Hymerian Association
Daniel Pashley, OH 1980-90 and Laura French, OH 1994-2004 spoke to the students More...
Jenny Aitken, OH 1989-99 told us about her translation work at The French Open More...
The event was held on 28 June 2024 More...
The Drama department have started preparations for next year's production of the Shakespeare play More...
Former staff and students returned to Hymers College to celebrate the admittance of girls into the school in 1989 More...
The event will be a black-tie dinner, with a drinks reception followed by a formal dinner. This is a great chance to get together with your school friends and come back for a trip down memory lane! You can see the school, share memories, and catch up with current and form… Read more
We are delighted to host our annual Remembrance Service at school for our full school community and Old Hymerians who wish to join us. We are welcoming OH President, Duncan Hider, Class of 1993 to deliver our reading and we look forward to welcoming many O… Read more
Ticket prices and finer details to follow. To keep ticket prices competitive we would be delighted to hear from an OH who may wish to be a business sponsor for the evening. We intend to keep the reduced ticket price for U25, and also offer 'sponso… Read more
Please see our latest Impact Report which showcases the work that has contributed to our Hymers community in the school year 2022- 2023. Your generosity, whether through giving your time or by making a donation, has an immeasurable effect. This has helped our students to achieve their full potential and realise their dreams.