Many thanks to Class of 2010 ON Toby Cowell for sharing his news with us.

Toby's News - April 2022

After finishing my A-levels in 2010, I commenced on a 4-year undergraduate degree in Politics and International Relations at the University of Aberdeen, having been inspired into the world of politics by the late and great Mrs. Howarth at Adams. Going to university was a wonderful experience that enabled me to grow and develop as a young adult in the world.

Whilst coming to the end of my degree however, I was unsure as to what to do next and,having studied politics for four years, I'd become somewhat disillusioned by the hypocrisy of it which was all too apparent, even in 2014. I started to look at various graduate roles, predominantly in London, but soon came to the realisation that I was not quite ready for the world of working yet, and particularly not in a generic ‘business’ career that I had no knowledge or interest in.

I had always (or since about 2008) dreamed of studying at Cardiff and I loved the city, but had unfortunately not received predicted grades high enough to enable me to study there for my undergrad. I now had a second opportunity to live and study there by undertaking a masters degree, and began scrolling through the various courses on offer. It was at this point I stumbled across a course entitled ‘spatial planning and development’.

Upon further research, I began delving into the world and profession of town planning, and discovered that this degree would effectively act as a form of ‘conversion course’, to allow eligibility for membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute, if indeed the relevant practical work experience following completion of the degree was undertaken.

The profession appealed to me as it involved more practical work and common sense, with the ability to spend much of the time outdoors and on site visits, meeting with clients and members of the public, and not being effectively forced to spend a generic 9-5 working day in an office all of the time. I had always had a passion for history and historic buildings, with my interest in politics having not completely gone away. Both of these are part and parcel of town planning, and the switch to planning therefore made logical sense.

Seven years later, after multiple roles in the public and private sector, I am currently working in the planning department of the Government of Jersey in the role of a contractor; i.e. I am not a permanent member of staff but am self-employed and contracted to the Government through my own business – quite a common way of working in the planning profession.

Whilst I live at home in Shropshire with my wife and little dog, I am in the fortunate position of being able to travel to the island of Jersey every couple of weeks, where I typically spend three days working with colleagues in the office, visiting sites for planning applications I am managing, and of course enjoying the fabulous beaches and scenery on the island. It truly is proving to be a wonderful experience - something I couldn’t have imagined myself doing even 12 months ago. I would encourage anyone to take up opportunities that present themselves to you – you are less likely to regret the things you have done than the opportunities or experiences you didn’t take. That was my attitude anyway after I left a permanent job in England for the current role in Jersey.

Whilst no job will always be sunshine and rainbows every single day, and there will likely be tasks required of you that are dull or unsatisfactory, if you are going to spend the majority of your life working (as most of us of course will), try and find something that fascinates you, engages your brain and (most of the time) inspires you to get up in the morning.

Town planning has certainly done that for me, as it has allowed me to get out of the office and see the world as it is, meet some fascinating people, and help shape the future growth, development and prosperity of places, including those where you live. With the current housing crisis and the impact of both Brexit and Covid, planning has never been more important in human history than it is right now. Unfortunately, there is and has historically been a huge shortage of town planners across the UK, and I would therefore encourage anybody to consider this lesser-known profession. It typically only requires a large degree of common sense and a mild degree of intelligence, whilst also being one of the best paid professions in the country.

For myself however, none of my career to date would have been possible without the support and guidance I received during my time at Adams.  It really was one of the best times of my life, where I had some fantastic teachers (Mrs. Howarth, Miss. Bowater, Mr. Warren-Smith, Mr. Jones (Rodders), Miss. Williams and Mrs. Jopling – to name a few), not to mention the indominable, fierce but truly fantastic rugby coach in Mr. Mulhern who led us on our victorious rugby tour to Singapore and Australia in 2008. Likewise, some of the people I met at Adams have become lifelong friends, and I will always be grateful for that.

Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Skeate for his good humour, advice, and helping develop my passion for history, including teaching me about the joys of Elizabethan England and Sir Francis Bacon. Good times.