Reading

I have become a bit of an education geek recently and most of my reading seems to have become work-related somehow. Of the many books I have on the go, my favourite is Classrooms as Learning Communities by Chris Watkins. I love the way he manages to blend theory and practice to develop an inspirational view of the classroom. Back when I managed real books, I used to enjoy losing myself in the worlds of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Louis de Bernieres.

Film

My film tastes are a bit erratic. I have never been into one particular genre. I am a sucker for a good biopic, such as The King’s Speech. I remember being in awe of Gandhi when I first saw it and have watched it numerous times. I do have a tendency to revert to old favourites as a perfect way to unwind - Trainspotting, The Bourne Identity and A Few Good Men.

TV

This one’s easy: The West Wing. Simply the greatest TV show ever made. I loved the drama, characters and fast-paced dialogue of every episode. This timeless box set will be well worth the investment. I’m also quite a fan of The Prisoner - not the recent remake, but the 1960s original. This caught my attention when rerun in the 1990s, and I was instantly hooked.

Music

I was never a great music fan when growing up, but my first iPod changed all that. I think I was largely too lazy to get myself down to HMV, so iTunes is a godsend. Again, my tastes are quite eclectic, but I tend to mainly go for guitar-based stuff - Newton Faulkner, Snow Patrol, Jack Johnson. I have recently discovered the fantastic Alex Cornish and am very much looking forward to his new album.