Governor Reg Norkett retires after 69-year association with Blue Coat
On 4th December, Reg Norkett retired from Blue Coat’s governing body after a 69-year association with the School. Reg joined the School as a Foundationer and boarded from September 1948-July 1953, during which time he was a keen footballer and cricketer, the School squash champion in 1953, and a member of Frankie Way’s drama group, which staged performances every year. He was mentioned in Headmaster Bernard Inge’s Congratulations column in The Aldworthian for his “inimitable performance in the Fifth Form play”. No details given! Reg was also a Prefect.
After leaving Blue Coat, Reg was a member of the Old Blues’ Committee for more than 20 years, and served as President of the Association between 1982 and 1983. In 2005 Reg, Nick Siney and Frank Glasspool volunteered to spend time at the School, helping to catalogue many Old Blues’ photographs of School events and documents. Reg’s sons, Ian and Clive, also kept up the Blue Coat tradition as pupils here in their time.
Always heart and soul for the School, Reg was a governor for 17 years until his retirement. As a governor, he was Chairman of the Buildings Committee, later the Finance and General Purpose Committee, where his expertise on building was invaluable to the School. Reg worked on numerous projects including the Sports Hall, Cricket Pavilion, Boathouse, Richard Aldworth Building, Sixth Form Centre, Brian Walsh Building, IT Centre and Design Technology Centre. We hope Reg will continue to offer advice, particularly on the development programme and the Old Blues.
On behalf of the School, a very big thank you to Reg for his service to and support of Blue Coat. – Simon Jackson, Clerk to the Governors and Bursar