“That was so cool, I thought a coroner was a doctor but it’s not, I never thought about being a coroner before”; “I could have listened to him for another hour”. These were just a few of the many comments made by the Lower Sixth the morning after Mr Andrew Barkley, Her Majesty's Coroner and Old Oswestrian, addressed them on Monday.

Mr Barkley's goal for the talk was to talk about his journey from school to his current career, as well as to discuss a profession that isn't very well known or understood. Andrew had the pupils' attention from the very start. Before he could finish his planned address, they were asking questions, making the event very engaging and educational. The Lower Sixth now have a greater understanding of the varied branches of law, what they entail and how to become a coroner. He spoke about difficult cases and how to deal with them yet still be able to live your life outside of work. He also spoke about the impact of Covid on the Coroner's office and finally, he discussed the investigatory, forensic and objectivity of his profession.

As Andrew was one of these pupils, and who sort his own career advice less than 20 feet away from where he stood in the Long Room, he conveyed analogies of his love of cricket and how he not getting the desired A-level grades but having the determination and motivation to try his very best and succeed.