At the end of term Andy Downie, OH 1984-94, spoke to our Sixth Form students about his career in media. After completing his A-Levels at Hymers, Andy went on to complete his degree in English and Media at the University of Plymouth.

Andy's talk followed his early career in journalism working for various newspapers, touching on how the advancement in that little thing called 'the internet' significantly changed journalism; moving from printed newspapers to online publishing. In a change of direction Andy then turned his skills to teaching.  Whilst this was never planned to be a long-term vocation, Andy held the position as the Head of English for 12 years.  Throughout his time teaching, Andy's love of football was always present and in more recent years produced the programme for Bristol Rovers FC.  In 2021, a vacancy opened to become the Head of Media at Bristol Rovers FC, Andy seized this opportunity and now manages all aspects of the club's media including managing all the social media accounts. Following the talk, Andy had to dash off to help manage the next club signing. 

Thank you for coming back to Hymers to talk to our students, Andy. With such a varied career, your talk really demonstrated how a profession can change over the years when you incorporate your personal interests.