ONA Magazine | Lord Kirkhope

“THE SCHOOL DOESN’T SMELL LIKE IT USED TO,” SAYS LORD KIRKHOPE, TAKING A DEEP BREATH AND ALLOWING THE OLFACTORY MEMORY TO WASH OVER HIM. LORD KIRKHOPE OF HARROGATE IS SITTING IN A SUNLIT OFFICE AT THE ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL, REMINISCING ON HIS SCHOOL DAYS IN THE LATE 1950S AND EARLY 1960S.

“Read an excerpt of Lord Kirkhope's ONA feature below: 

“The Junior School had a distinctive orange smell from the cleansing polish or disinfectant they used," he recalls with a nostalgic smile. 

“It was the first sensory thing that hit me when I started as a young schoolboy, and it has stayed with me all these years.” 

It may have been six decades since the former Conservative MEP roamed the citrus-scented corridors of the school as a young pupil, but his recollections are still fresh and vivid.  

In those distant days, Lord Kirkhope was known simply as Timothy Kirkhope, and, by his own admission, a student of unremarkable academic and athletic achievements. 

Yet his formative experiences and education he received was, he says, pivotal in shaping his character and self-confidence, ultimately leading him to the corridors of power as a Conservative MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber for 17 years. 

“Because I am not a great academic and I am not a great sportsman, you might say, ‘well, what was the point of coming to Royal Grammar School?’ he says. 

“There was a certain formality and rigidity about the school, which I suppose nowadays probably may not exist to the same extent, but it was especially important to me because in that in that aim of developing your self-confidence and your character, it was essential. 

“It taught me an awful lot of skills in terms of my own self-awareness and so on, which I have developed and used throughout my life. Do I think I would be a different person if I hadn't come to this school? Most certainly.” 

Lord Kirkhope’s story is one of personal growth that took him from the RGS to the House of Lords underpinned by a keen sense of duty to give back to the institution that shaped him in his formative years. 

And it is more than just a story of personal achievement; it’s a narrative woven with commitment to future generations.  

Lord Kirkhope’s visit to the school coincides with the judging and presenting of the inaugural Sir Max Hill Debating Trophy. 

He explains how the school debating society was one of the most influential aspects of his school life, laying the foundation for his future career in law and, eventually, politics. 

"Debating at school was something I enjoyed, and it gave me the confidence to express myself. It developed my ability to argue and express myself, which is essential in law and politics. 

"Because of what I learned, I'm willing to listen to the other side and discuss differing views respectfully, which is increasingly rare in today's polarised political climate," he adds. 

CLICK HERE to read the ONA Magazine Issue 114 online.