"A cup of tea with..." Tom Goodinge from Reception
BY LAURA COOKE
The Hogarth team is made up of en eclectic mix of amazing individuals, and I've been chatting to a few of them about their experiences over the last 12 months outside of the Club.
Hey Tom, how are you finding lockdown number 3? Have you started baking banana bread and watching Tiger King again yet?
Oooo the novelty has worn off hasnt it? In the first lockdown it was Money Heist and Succession for me, now I'm on BBC's the Serpent and Test cricket. Been doing some early mornings and late evenings to catch the tests in Australia and Sri Lanka.
What are you studying at the moment?
I'm doing an MSc in International Business at Cass Business School. I've just finished a set of exams, which I had to write out in three hours at home and then scan in! A bizarre experience, but I'm sure it'll be commonplace in the future. When students return to traditional exam halls, they should petition for coffees brought to them on the hour, every hour, from the invigilators just like my sister brought me. I'd sign it, having a coffee supply was an unfair advantage.
What has it been like trying to do a masters degree during a pandemic?
Given education was allowed to stay open for so long it's actually been relatively normal. Saying that, because most international students stayed at home, my coursework group were based in Ukraine, Shanghai and Paris which was an interesting dynamic.
You and your team absolutely smashed the Hogarth 500 challenge, what did you love about taking part?
Oh yeah we smashed it! They're gonna say I was fed these lines but I really think the Hogarth is an amazing community we're all very fortunate to be a part of. Our Hogarth team was the perfect microexample of that. The six of us, three staff and three members, had constant conversations and chatter, alongside all the exercise, throughout that November lockdown. We pushed each other a little, and I think we all got a lot out of it. Meeting up after was so nice too, celebrating not 500 miles, but around 1150 instead. Hats off to all the other teams involved too, a great achievement.
Being a Chiswick lad through and through, which Chiswick pub are you missing the most?
Born and bred Chiswick boy. What pub am I not missing? As a couple of my Hogarth 500 team now, I'm partial to a pint and throwing some darts at the Cross Keys, especially on a Champions League night. They've got a projector screen you know? I yearn for the Twelve Pins in Finsbury Park though, thats my true stomping ground.
Ok you’re on a desert island with only three things…
Three things on a desert island? I'd have some sunglasses, a fishing rod and a radio. I think the radio is clever, if I could find the right frequencies I'd flick between chilled-out Indie vibes in the day, moving towards some Afrobeats in the evening when I'm cooking. Maybe switch on LBC when I'm catching up with the latest goings-on while drinking my morning coconut.
Any big plans for 2021?
A bit of this a bit of that. A few holidays would be nice, if we're allowed and its sensible. I'm also going to try and learn Turkish. Got a couple phrases already on me. "Buyuk" means "big" and "kazanan" means "winner". Don't ask how I know that.
Arsenal, beer, or your grey Hogarth reception uniform: which one could you NOT live without?
Arsenal, beer or my grey Hogarth shirt? Not an easy call. Having thought about it though, beer isn't the only beverage and grey isnt the only colour, but Arsenal is the only team. If I'm on my desert island I'd also quite like a Sky box and a massive tele, wouldn't want to miss the games.
Finally, any pearls of wisdom for our members of how to stay sane during lockdown?
The craze of quizzes or the like over zoom was amazing in the first lockdown, but they seem to have fizzled out a bit. I think its easy to withdraw a little when you have to stay at home, but staying in touch with people is crucial, at least for me. Having said that, its probably a double edged sword. I would never say my daily screen time on my phone out loud for fear of being overheard.
Thanks to Tom for chatting with me, and thank you for reading! Stay safe, stay sane, and I look forward to seeing you at the Club soon.
Laura