The VOICE of Esmond Harris MBE, Class of 1945
In this episode, Esmond Harris MBE (Class of 1945), recounts his childhood fascination with trees, spurred by Sunday walks with his father in the Chilterns and his early exposure to sapling trees and their labels in the grounds of The King Alfred School. Despite a challenging early education, including evacuations and unsatisfactory prep schools, Esmond found his passion in forestry, guided by influential teachers and experiences. The narrative unfolds his deep-seated love for woodwork, nurtured during his time at KAS, and highlights various school traditions, weekly crafts, and elective afternoons.
His story encapsulates a nostalgic reflection on how his brief yet significant stay at KAS shaped his personal and professional life, emphasizing the importance of progressive education and the community spirit fostered by the school. Post-war, Esmond pursued forestry education, obtained a degree from Bangor, an MSc from Oxford, and joined the Forestry Commission. Highlighting his teaching and mentorship roles, Esmond shares how his formative years at King Alfred School influenced his career and educational philosophy.
His story encapsulates a nostalgic reflection on how his brief yet significant stay at KAS shaped his personal and professional life, emphasizing the importance of progressive education and the community spirit fostered by the school. Post-war, Esmond pursued forestry education, obtained a degree from Bangor, an MSc from Oxford, and joined the Forestry Commission. Highlighting his teaching and mentorship roles, Esmond shares how his formative years at King Alfred School influenced his career and educational philosophy.
Esmond's lifelong passion for forestry was recognized in 2009 with an MBE awarded by Prince Charles for his contributions to forestry and conservation in the South West. He owned woods in Cornwall and a small farm dedicated to educational purposes and is a retired director of the Royal Forestry Society.
Creators and Guests
Composer
Amy Cash
Amy Cash is an actress, VoiceOver artist and an Old Alfredian from the Class of 2020, having joined The King Alfred School (KAS) for Sixth Form. Since KAS, she has gone on to train at Mountview Drama School and is pursuing a career in acting. She kindly offered to lend us her voice and record the introductions for Alfredian Voices - with a little help from Dan in music. Make sure to watch out for an Amy shaped space on a stage or screen near you soon!
Guest
Esmond Harris MBE, FICFor
Esmond Harris is a forester, conservationist and author. In 2009, Esmond was awarded an MBE for services to Forestry and Conservation in the South West. He has numerous awards named in his honour for conservation and is one of the pioneers of the UK’s woodland conservation movement. He worked with the Forestry Commission for many years and was a Director of the Royal Forestry Society (RFS) from 1975 to 1989, when he retired. Esmond was awarded the RFS Gold Medal in 2000 in recognition of his lifelong work championing education in forestry circles, in schools, with the public and for promoting wildlife conservation as an integral component of forestry stewardship.
Producer
Heather Roberts
Alumni and Development Officer: Heather has been the Alumni and Development Officer at The King Alfred School since 2020. Having become disillusioned with her career in the fashion industry Heather moved to this role within Development and Alumni Relations, pulling on her transferable skills. Heather credits her ease at engaging with new people and different audiences with having lived overseas for seven years in Moscow, Russia and Bogota, Colombia. As a self-confessed nosey person who likes a good natter, the Alfredian Voices podcast has been the dream project for Heather to work on.
Producer
Tamlyn Worrall
Development & Alumni Relations Director: As a consummate professional in the Alumni Relations and Development space, Tamlyn brings years of experience to cultivating relationships with our Old Alfredians. With a footprint in South Africa, Australia, and Japan, Tamlyn proudly calls London home, and it’s here that she’s developed her career in the education sector. At the heart of what she does, Tamlyn loves connecting with and learning about our OAs. She approaches every conversation with a sincere curiosity and warmth, finding herself fascinated by the details of every story. This podcast series was a germ of an idea in 2020 and thanks to a fabulous podcast editor we have finally been able to bring these Old Alfredian stories to a wider audience.
