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CHARLEY BOORMAN GOES BACK TO SCHOOL

October 2009

Actor and adventurer, Charley Boorman, went back to school this week to revisit the place where he spent some of his teenage years.

The best selling author, who suffers from dyslexia, was a pupil at Sibford School near Banbury from 1980 until 1983.

He told current pupils how he came to Sibford after being diagnosed with dyslexia on a trip to the States.

“I returned home to Ireland and had to explain to my teachers what dyslexia was, but they didn’t believe me and thought I was mucking about,” he said.

“I came to Sibford because of its reputation for helping with dyslexia and immediately felt comfortable here.

“Dyslexia isn’t something that goes away. You will always have it. But Sibford gave me the confidence to go out and do things.”

A packed audience of pupils and parents heard Charley tell of his current adventure Sydney to Tokyo: By Any Means which is currently being screened on BBC 2.

He also recalled some of the pranks he got up to during his school years -- including climbing the drainpipe to get into the girls’ boarding house -- and offered advice on how to deal with dyslexia.

“When I’m travelling I try to remember the first four letters of each place I need to visit,” he said. “That way I don’t have to try to read the whole road sign.”

Sibford head Michael Goodwin said: “We were delighted to welcome Charley back to school. A favourite piece of advice we use here comes from the Quaker Advices & Queries, and says: ‘Live adventurously. When choices arrive, do you take the way that offers the fullest opportunity for the use of your gifts in the service of God and the community? Let your life speak.’.

“Charley has certainly taken this advice to heart. His adventurous living is well documented and he is also letting his life speak, especially in the work he does for UNICEF and for the charity Dyslexia Action.

“He was a real inspiration to our pupils and we hope we will be able to come back and visit us again in the not too distant future.”

Pictured above: Left: Charley Boorman with Sibford pupils Bernadette  Wagerfield, Michael Bell, Anna English, Daniel Millett and Imogen Creed. Right: Charlie (circled) in the 1980 school photo.

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