Nicola Grace, Director of IB Diploma Programme tells us all about herself, including that she is an Abbey Girl herself as well as a Pokemon Go fan! Read on to find out more…
What music do you like listening to?
Anything pop – Britney Spears is my all-time favourite, I have seen her live 4 times and just love how fun all her songs are. Classic 90s/00s pop music is the best. I love listening to musical soundtracks too – my favourite at the moment is Back to the Future The Musical.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of school?
I love building and collecting lego sets – I have about 10 Harry Potter sets on display at home, taking you from Privet Drive, The Burrow, Diagon Alley, the Hogwarts Express and Hogwarts itself. We also have the 1989 batmobile and the delorean from Back to the Future.
I also love playing Pokemon Go, you will always see me out and about on Community Days (if you know, you know!)
A fun fact about yourself or something that someone else may not know about you.
I have done a solo parachute jump from a plane – not something I would do now, still can’t quite believe I did it!
Where did you grow up?
Maidenhead and Reading. I am an Abbey Girl through and though, having been a student here from 4-18. I am so happy I am back at The Abbey as a teacher and running the IB programme. I feel very lucky. Also, I just have to add, Kensington for life!!
If you were stranded on a desert island, which two items could you not live without?
My cat, Goose – I hope my cat counts as an item! I love my fluffy cat. I would also bring Ovid’s Metamorphoses (in Latin of course) for lots of fantastical stories to get lost in.
Rom com, sci-fi, comedy or horror etc?
I love a good zombie movie, I have always been interested in what people would do in those situations. They are not all the best though – World War Z was a terrible film, though I would wholly recommend the book, which is written as an oral history of a fictional zombie outbreak written by a fictional UN agent interviewing different people involved.
What TV programme, film or box set etc did you recently enjoy?
I am a massive Disney Plus fan, anything Marvel or Star Wars is my thing. My favourite series on there have been Obi Wan Kenobi and Loki.
Who is your hero?
My granny. She was always so kind, caring, thoughtful and selfless and I really strive to have those qualities as much as possible.
What is your favourite vacation and why?
I recently got married and our honeymoon was to Disneyland Paris which was so magical! Within 1 hour of arriving from the Eurostar we had met Mickey (see picture below!). We also met Darth Vader who very much approved of my Jedi hunting skills. The characters, the parades, the rides (Tower of Terror is the best), the amazing drone shows…it was such a wonderful holiday and I can’t wait to go back.
What was your favourite school subject?
Latin and Greek of course! My next favourite was Spanish. I love languages and ancient ones are the best.
What interested you about your subject before becoming a teacher in this field?
I love the intricacies of the language, the puzzle of translation, and the wonderful literature that knowing the language unlocks. When I finished my Classics degree I didn’t really know what to do career-wise, but I knew I wanted to keep Latin and Greek in my life and what better way to do that than teaching and hopefully inspiring others to enjoy them as much as I do.
What is your favourite way to spend your free time?
If I have a spare moment I love to have a go at the Telegraph cryptic crossword or the Times Latin crossword, aptly named ‘O tempora’ – special mention to Dr Tullis for sending it to me without fail every Saturday!
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I am an early bird during term time, I like to have plenty of time to prepare myself for the day. Come holiday time, I can mostly be found having an afternoon nap.
