Full name:
Matthew Edward Lucas
Where did you grow up?
In rural Oxfordshire.
Education:
Mechanical Engineering at Nottingham University, Engineering Business Management at the University of Warwick.
Your previous role/place of work and any interesting jobs you have had in the past:
Before joining King’s Ely I was teaching Physics at Warwick School. Prior to that, I held various engineering and management roles in the automotive industry, including vehicle emissions and driveability engineering, business development and customer quality management.
Your current role at King’s Ely and how long you have been a member of staff here:
Teacher of Physics since September 2021.
What do you enjoy most about working here?
The fresh challenge of working in a co-educational school in such a great environment with motivated students and being part of a really supportive Science Department.
Hobbies/interests outside of school:
I enjoy playing guitar, reading and listening to music, tinkering with cars and spending time on technical projects, like building a guitar amplifier.
Do you have any pets?
Not at the moment. My wife thinks I want chickens, but I haven’t realised that yet!
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
It changed a lot. An explorer, a baker, a zoo vet and a fighter pilot. The most sustained ambition was probably wanting to be a zoo vet but being chased by a herd of cows put me off that a bit. Not that you see many cows in a zoo.
What is your favourite meal/food?
A good chilli or perhaps crispy duck pancakes or something involving a Yorkshire pudding. Dessert would have to involve custard.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Being able to run faster than a herd of cows! Or being able to fly.
Who is your hero?
In terms of their scientific/engineering achievements, someone like Michael Faraday or Orville and Wilbur Wright. I’m also inspired by the examples of Eric Liddell and Jim Elliot who stood up for what they believed in, despite the cost.
What was the last book you read?
The last book I finished was ‘A Walk in the Woods’ by Bill Bryson, although I’m currently slowly working through ‘Anna Karenina’ by Leo Tolstoy (it’s a long book!)
What song are you most likely to sing at a karaoke?
After a LOT of peer pressure, perhaps ‘Got to be the Blues’ by the Blues Band?
What is your favourite film?
It’s difficult to highlight just one, but my shortlist would be ‘Bourne Identity’, ‘Lord of the Rings’, ‘Downton Abbey’ (series), and ‘School of Rock’.
Do you have any phobias or fears?
I am not that happy about heights or spiders!
Name three things you would want with you if stranded on a desert island for a week:
A guitar, Spotify and something to build like a kit-car.