Whilst a pupil at John Lyon, Conor Taylor created the John Lyon School Mountaineering Club, championed by Mr Ralph Durbridge MBE.

In his email, he wrote: " When I look back on my time at JLS, my fondest memories often involve the array of expeditions we went on. I still find it hard to believe that a group of teenagers (no older than 15!) would summit Kala Patthar, a mountain in the Himalayas sitting at 5644m. As if that wasn’t grand enough, this was followed by a 3 week expedition in Greenland the following year. I could wax lyrical about these expeditions and the fun that was had but I think the point I want to make is how they shaped us beyond the classroom. We may not have known it at the time, but the club taught us many valuable skills and lessons, some of which I would later rely on whilst getting thrashed at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The club taught us how to be leaders, how to be confident and above all, how to be a good person. In the years that followed, I started to realise I owed a lot to Mr Durbridge. He went beyond the walls of the classroom as John Lyon himself would’ve aspired. In doing so, he taught us how to interact in the real world and for that I will forever be indebted to him. I really hope the school can get the club back running and I hope the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme is still going strong. Stet Fortuna Domus."

Conor also attached photos that showcase these impressive adventures and are a reminder to celebrate every milestone in life no matter how big or small.