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News > OM Connect > OM Connect with Malcolm McKellar

OM Connect with Malcolm McKellar

Burton Bank 1974
Burton Bank 1974

What has been your most notable job since leaving Mill Hill?

My working career was in IT and I was good at it, but I was never particularly ambitious - it was just a means to pay the bills.

What is your proudest achievement?

The best thing I ever did was to take up the practice of yoga and meditation and the study of Eastern philosophy soon after leaving Mill Hill . That has been the main focus of my life ever since. I suppose that the biggest decision I ever made was at the age of 40 when I left my comfortable job in the UK as a programmer for a major bank to move to rural New Zealand. But my focus has always been on my inner life, not any outer achievements. And I have achieved a deep state of inner peace and contentment with my life, which is something which seems to elude most people.

What is your favourite or funniest memory from your time at Mill Hill?

There was the time when Robert Spagnoletti and Rob Blackburn strung a canoe high up between the posts on the First XV rugby pitch overnight. It was quite a sight when we went up for breakfast. Otherwise my best memories were of using half-days and weekends to go into central London to watch interesting films and just hang out. But there was always the fear of being caught.

Who was your favourite teacher ?

No particular favourite although there were a couple I deeply disliked.

Are you still in touch with other OMs?

Only one - Sean Mulvaney, currently living in Ireland.

What advice would you give to current Millhillians?

Be yourself - most of my time at Mill Hill was spent resisting the pressure to conform.

What life lesson do you carry with you from Mill Hill?

Mill Hill in the 1970s was not a good place for someone who did not really fit in. I sincerely hope that things have changed and that pupils are genuinely encouraged to develop their own potential. My main life lesson from my years at Mill Hill was to accept whatever has happened in the past and move on.

 

 

 

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