Michael Hughes

In this week's interview, Michael Hughes, who works in the English Language & Linguistics department at Kent, talks about how a two week job turned into one that has lasted 24 years. Michael knew from the age of 10 that he wanted to be a teacher, and he recounts his working class background, where money was tight, and his experience of being taught at a grammar school in his native Guernsey, in proximity to Nazi bunkers and mines from the Second World War on the beaches near where he lived.

Michael recalls his experience of watching the first ever 'Doctor Who' episode, starring William Hartnell, back in 1963, and we discuss a shared love of radio (Michael especially remembers 'Listen With Mother') and Saturday morning 'cliffhanger' cinema.

We then move on to discuss how, after doing a B.Ed., Michael returned to teach at his old school - which didn't turn out to be a pleasant experience. And we discover what happened when Michael then tried to change direction, ultimately leading to his decision to train as an English Language teacher, and the 'serendipitous' events that followed.

In the final part of the interview, we discuss the 'nostalgia-invoking' power of music and to his penchant for going around cathedrals and old chapels to experience the recording of live broadcasts of choral evensong. We also discuss the impact of social media in our lives, and Michael gives a surprise answer to the question of whether he considers himself to be a looking forward or a looking back type of person.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Michael Hughes and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.