Music Matters: Shaun McHugh (OC 1976, Swift) on his days at Cokethorpe and giving back
Can you share with us some of your memories of Cokethorpe?
The word that comes to mind is adaptability. It was quite a different place in my day – as with so many of our independent schools in the UK at their founding, Cokethorpe was sited in a building that was never meant to be a school, with stable blocks and so on. I recall spending a lot of time in the cellars – not playing truant or looking for hidden wine or anything! Back then, the low, arched chambers of the cellar were our common room. We would study there between lessons. I was always struck by the Corinthian Room; it is such a special space and probably one of the only areas of the School which has remained largely as it was when I attended Cokethorpe. That and the shrill call of the peacocks wandering the grounds.
The School today is substantially larger than it was back then, physically and in numbers. The lessons almost felt like tutoring at times. I remember the Bell Tower’s old bell used to ring out to mark the end of each lesson – with a roster of younger pupils taking turns to ring the bell each time. I imagine that has long since stopped now!
Has that adaptability stayed with you in your career and later life?
There was an element of getting on with things, certainly. The School was something of a melting pot as well; there were boys – it was all boys then – from all walks of life. You learned how to muck along and get on with people with all sorts of experiences and viewpoints. It was informative and beneficial socially and professionally, absolutely. The School cultivated a ‘can do’ attitude.
And where did your career take you?
All over, as a matter of fact – I was a commercial airline pilot for the majority of my career! When I left Cokethorpe I went and worked on a ranch in Texas, USA. I had to have a year’s practical experience on a farm to do the course I wanted to do at university, but they weren’t worried about where that was and I just thought ‘why not’? There was a little naivety on my part – there were some things about life out there I was not aware of before I started which made it quite a tough existence – the number of rattlesnakes I would encounter coming from rural England wasn’t something I had bargained for! Alongside ranching, we grew Alfalfa and other crops. I remember we would stand on a trailer and stack the hay bales up with hooks and long gloves; we used them because it was more common than you’d imagine to have an angry rattler come flying out of the bale at you which hadn’t much enjoyed its trip through the bailer! It was quite an experience but not one I would change looking back.
At the time I used to get away from things by investing almost all my wages in taking flying lessons in the USA. When I came back, I went to the University of Wales in Bangor and earned a degree in Agriculture. Having gained a scholarship provided for me by the Royal Air Force, I was part of the university air squadron down in Cardiff at RAF St Athan for three years.
Coming out of university, the economy was not in a fantastic place and there were next to no jobs available, especially in aviation. You had to take whatever you could find. I worked in agriculture for a spell, where I continued to invest everything I earned supplementing my flying qualifications. I was then able to make the leap into commercial aviation. I flew with three airlines, ending my career with British Airways.
Did you maintain your connection with the School?
I had quite a few contemporaries who I had stayed in touch with over the years, several of whom had remained living locally. Perhaps six or seven years ago, one of them asked if I was coming to the Reunion Dinner; I decided to go along and reconnected with quite a few people, including Peter Green who had been the Master of Cricket in my time among other things. When Peter ran the sports fundraising campaign a year or so ago, I was only too happy to give something back.
And you have since kindly contributed to the Music programme?
Cokethorpe is one of those places that always has so much going on; there are any number of things one could choose to support and I was interested in continuing to do so. The seed had been planted for supporting music by purchasing instruments when we did something similar for my father’s old school in the west of Ireland. It is something that provides tangible benefits to a lot of people. For me, that felt more impactful and lasting.
To borrow a phrase from a friend of mine, it is much more satisfying to give something with a warm hand than a cold one. That sense of a living legacy is a powerful one – the opportunity to do something that is meaningful and will enrich the lives of others, particularly somewhere like Cokethorpe where the gift is really felt and used well. It is something I hope more alumni will join me in experiencing.
What is next for you?
I recently had the opportunity to speak with someone who runs a local air cadets squadron. The access they had available to gain experience in the air had scaled back. I would like to see more ways of inspiring young people to consider a career in aviation – an area we are very good at in this country. One thought might be to look at a flight simulator. If the pupils are enthusiastic as well, I am encouraged we can get something off the ground together, as it were!
