ONE of King’s School Worcester’s most distinguished Old Boys is set to return to the city to deliver the Mayor’s Lecture in the Guildhall.

Andrew Reekes left King’s in 1969 after being awarded an open scholarship in modern history to Exeter College Oxford and has since become a major figure in the world of education.

He is also a noted author, having written four books, including Speeches that Changed Britain and a comparative biography on Joseph Chamberlain and George Cadbury.

Indeed, the subject of his lecture on the evening of Tuesday, April 9 will be the life and times of Neville Chamberlain, a man he feels history has harshly judged, in that Chamberlain is principally remembered for the policy of appeasement towards Hitler in the 1930s, while many worthy aspects of his life are overlooked.

Mr Reekes has also recently completed a draft of Worcester Moments, a new work which takes 20 episodes in Worcester's history when the city was of national significance. This is due for publication later this year.

For many years he was an Independent Schools Inspector, devised and led sector training courses on preparing for senior management and lectured for the Industrial Society.

He acts as governor and trustee to a number of schools and is also a member of Marlborough College Governors' education committee.

Mr Reekes was born and brought up in Bournemouth, but sent to King’s as a boarder in 1964.

He said: “At King’s I sang a lot, in the choir and as a soloist, especially in musicals. I captained the athletics team, represented Worcestershire (later Mr Reekes was awarded a university Blue in athletics) and was deputy head of School in 1969.

"Outstanding history teaching at King’s encouraged my academic interests and I won an open scholarship to Oxford University.

“After Oxford I went into school teaching.

"For nearly 30 years I was either a deputy head or a head teacher at a variety of schools, latterly as sub-warden, and as acting warden, at Radley College.

"I was also a lead Inspector for ISI, the Independent Schools Inspectorate, and for ten years ran training courses for teachers aspiring to senior leadership.

“I continue to be involved in education. I am a governor of the King's School, and am chairman of the Governors' Education Committee and of the King's School Development Trust.

"I am also chairman of governors at Summer Fields, Oxford, one of the country's leading prep schools, and chairman of the education committee of Marlborough College.

"For many years I ran the link between Radley College and its academy in Maidenhead.

The Mayor’s Lecture is organised by Worcester Civic Society and chairman Phil Douce said: “We are honoured that Andrew Reekes has accepted our invitation to present the Mayor’s Lecture this year, an event the Society has been involved with for more than 20 years.

"He is a leading authority on modern history and I am sure it will be a fascinating evening.”

The event on April 9 begins at 7.30pm in Worcester Guildhall. Admission is free.