Ian Hayward may have retired from Norwich School in September 2025, but he isn’t slowing down just yet. Ian is embarking on a new adventure, taking on one of Britain’s toughest endurance challenges: a full circumnavigation of mainland Britain by sea kayak. Ian, 58, plans to depart from Lowestoft in late April 2026, aiming to paddle more than 4,000 kilometres around the British coastline in a journey expected to take four to five months. The expedition, titled “Britain by Kayak 2026”, will see Ian navigate some of the UK’s most demanding coastal waters — including tidal races, exposed headlands and remote stretches of shoreline — entirely under his own power. A highly experienced outdoor leader and kayaker, Ian lead the 8th Norwich Sea Scouts from 2012 to 2022 and was Housemaster of Nelson House before taking of the role of Director of Sport until he retired in 2025. He has spent the past year preparing both physically and mentally for the challenge. His training has included long-distance paddling, endurance conditioning and expedition testing in both the UK and Spain. “I don’t need to be ready to complete the whole journey on day one,” Ian says. “I just need to be ready to start. The rest is about adapting, learning and making good decisions in a constantly changing environment.” The expedition is as much about mindset and resilience as it is about endurance. Ian reflects openly on lessons learned during training — including managing fatigue, reassessing risk after difficult surf conditions, and refining equipment, safety and communication systems. Alongside the physical challenge, Ian is supporting two charities — Movember and Surfers Against Sewage — raising awareness around men’s health and environmental issues affecting Britain’s coastal waters. He also hopes to spend time listening to the people who live and work around the coastline, capturing their experiences, hopes and concerns. While he will be paddling solo and mostly camping around the coast, Ian will gladly accept any offer of land-based support in the form of a cheery wave, cup of team or offer of accommodation. So if you think you can help or know someone that could, do please get in touch with Ian. The expedition will be documented through his “GooseJuice Adventures” platform, with regular updates, live tracking and video content shared online.  Ian remains connected to the school through his continued support of the 8th Norwich Sea Scouts and the School’s Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition programme.

As part of their 70 th anniversary celebrations, the Norfolk Contemporary Art Society (n-cas) was back in Blake Studio on 16 April 2026 hosting a creative evening entitled “Being Woman”. It marked the culmination of a highly successful 40-day exhibition at Mandell’s Gallery on Elm Hill by a group of 26 local women creative artists. This event at Norwich School concluded their exhibiting together under the banner of “Being Woman” with a joyous (and at times poignant) celebratory evening of talks given by seven of their cohort in the Blake Studio. Their exhibition united intergenerational female artists from across Norfolk and Suffolk, offering a profound look at female archetypes and the human condition. Spanning disciplines from printmaking and collage to sculpture and textiles, the works they had displayed captured the evolving perspectives of women at different points in their lives and practices, exploring that it means to be a woman. See: ‘ Being Woman ’. N-cas had been a proud sponsor of the show and hosted this set of talks. An audience of members of the “Being Woman” creative group, n-cas members, alumni, staff and local creatives all appreciated the varied artistic styles on show and the heard powerful messages of struggle, of hope and of aesthetic creativity across the East Anglia. Also impressive was the palpable camaraderie between them all throughout proceedings. Heartfelt thanks go to their organisers Dr Andrea Hannon and Annette Rolston for bringing together such an inspiring evening. N-cas intends to be back on site in May and June with talks currently being firmed up. More anon… However, for those impatient for cultural gems this spring, the next talk in Blake will be with the Royal Geographical Society: a public lecture given by accomplished and award-winning wildlife cameraman and director Toby Hough, who is also a proud Old Norvicensian. His credits include work seen on Countryfile, The One Show, Springwatch and numerous BBC wildlife documentaries and travel programmes. His talk promises to be a memorable visual feast! Tickets are on sale here: RGS: Toby Hough - Lemurs to leopards: filming adventures from around the world . All are welcome. It takes place on Thursday 7 May 2026 at 19:30 in the Blake Studio.

FONS have generously funded two new lights as part of a planned upgrade.