BEEKEEPING, fellwalking and - hopefully - many more skiing holidays to come are on the horizon for a former headteacher who is retiring from education after 46 years.

Alex Wilkinson, 66, has worked primary in schools across north and west Cumbria, as well as support roles, and looks back on his career with great fondness.

“I hope that I have made some positive impact on those who I have taught and who I have worked alongside. It has been a privilege to have had this remarkable opportunity,” he said.

“I hope I have managed to provide lots of fun and inspirational learning opportunities for children and taught them that Cumbria and the outside world is a wonderful and very special place.

“I hope that they have learned skills that will enable them to get the most out of life and at the same time to realise that we have a responsibility to look after other people and the environment in which we live.”

For the past seven years, Mr Wilkinson has worked as executive officer of Cumbria Primary Headteachers Association, which supports 280 headteachers across the county, but his career began at Seaton Junior School in Workington in 1975 when he was just 20 years old.

He then moved to Carlisle and taught at Pennine Way Junior School before moving to Rockcliffe CE School as deputy head in 1983. There, he worked alongside headteacher Steve Palmer who he said was “inspirational” and championed learning about the environment.

“These were the days prior to the National Curriculum when we have a great deal of autonomy,” said Mr Wilkinson, who lives in Askam with his wife Lis, a teacher at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School.

“Whenever we could, we planned hands on learning in the outdoors and it was a time for fun as well as learning, the two going hand in hand.

“One week we had a hot air balloon building project. Some were over two metres high and we flew them across the village. We also hatched goslings and grew plants.”

After about ten years, Mr Wilkinson became deputy head at Norman Street Primary School in Carlisle. His children Guy and Amelia were born in the 1990s and both attended the school. He said it was lovely to be taking assembly seeing them sitting in front of him.

He was then asked by the local authority to become acting head at Gilsland CE School, which was in special measures.

“This was a very challenging time but after a few months, thanks to the hard work of the staff, the school was judged to be good again.

“This was my first experience of working in a small rural community school and it felt like a family,” said Mr Wilkinson.

A secondment to the LA’s Learning Improvement Service took him out of the classroom for the first time. He visited schools across north and west Cumbria to support headteachers, especially those who were new to the job or in an acting position.

But missing the involvement of being with staff and children during the school year - Christmas plays and summer residentials which Mr Wilkinson says are all so important - he took on his final post as a headteacher at Fairfield Junior School in Cockermouth in 2004.

After just one term, the family moved to Cockermouth when their Carlisle home was badly flooded. His children, who are now 27 and 24, were once again among his pupils.

Mr Wilkinson stayed at Fairfield until summer 2013 when he retired from headship.

“I believe that we should take all opportunities that are offered to us and tried to teach children to give it a go if they get a chance. It might be the best thing that they’ve ever done and could shape the rest of their life,” he said.

“At Fairfield we offered an amazing array of extra activities to enhance their learning, many during the school day. At one point I calculated that a third of pupils in School were learning a musical instrument and over a third participated in weekly sporting activities after school.”

Working for Cumbria Primary Headteachers Association, Mr Wilkinson said it was a privilege to support "amazing people who are committed and passionate about providing the very best opportunities for the children and families in their communities, especially during the current crisis when they have provided emotional and pastoral support to whole communities whilst at the same time trying to provide a broad education."

With a love of skiing, having been taught on Great Mell Fell by his father, Mr Wilkinson was also involved in the Cumbria primary ski trips, taking children to Italy and France every January.

Every year he tries to ski abroad as many times as possible and said he is really missing it this winter.

Mr Wilkinson doesn't think he'll be bored in retirement. In September, Lis reduced her hours so the couple could do more of the things they love - fellwalking, cycling, skiing, paddle boarding and travelling. He recently started beekeeping, has just acquired three pet sheep and is also a member of two bands, The Evidence and Ocean.