I first met Max Fordham 20 years ago when I was a rookie reporter charged with going out to meet a selection of leading engineers to get a better understanding of the industry. I felt an immediate connection with Fordham as we had been to the same school, Dartington Hall in Devon, and given how small it was I’d never bumped into anyone who went there when I met Fordham nor have I since.

Dartington was a progressive school and one of its few rules was the requirement to do ‘useful work’, tasks that helped the school function with the idea everyone needed to contribute to the school community rather than delegating these jobs to paid staff.

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