Operation ‘coming home’: People, heritage, rugby, family and ‘hwyl’

I wanted to share my story for a few simple reasons: to demonstrate that school grades matter, but they aren’t essential to success, show that a career in the military offers the best experience, the best source of personal development, and is also a huge privilege; and acknowledge that I didn’t realise how much I missed Wales until I decided to come home. So here is my Wonderful Welsh Story…

I attended Caerleon Comprehensive School from 1987 to 1994.  My academic prowess was sub-optimal, including the necessity to re-sit my English GCSE after failing the first time around, otherwise, I would have been ‘out on my ear’ from the sixth form. Although I quickly passed, my distractions with the inevitable sixth form band I was part of, as well as a much greater investment in the Air Cadets, led to the rather poignant A-level grades of E..N..D. I think that told me something about me and education at the time. I am delighted to report I have since gained a Masters (with distinction) from King’s College London, so am indeed capable of reading and writing!

But whilst I was clearly not intelligent enough to go to my preferred university, I was ‘thick’ enough to become an Army Officer and left Wales at the age of 18 and 4 months to attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. I commissioned into the Royal Logistic Corps in 1996 and embarked upon the most remarkable 27 year career which saw me become qualified in bomb disposal, deployed on six operations around the globe, and peaked at commanding the largest reserve Regiment in the Army.

I remember my old careers advisor in school, Mrs Jenny Hood (if you know, you know #flyingboardrubber), when I appraised her of my success at Army officer selection and ticket to Sandhurst saying “Good…..now the harder thing will be staying there”, which probably reflected everyone else’s scepticism of my ability to stick it out. That I not only managed to get through the other side but make it to Lieutenant Colonel and command a Regiment is not just a wonderful story, but a miracle that I feel hugely privileged to have enjoyed.

There are many significant moments that stick in my mind from that fantastic career; commissioning from Sandhurst, commanding my first Troop of soldiers, learning the fine art of bomb disposal (not very well though!). In fact anything I did with soldiers was a highlight and the very reason I joined. But of course the joy is often balanced with the reality of conflict and the sacrifices made by those serving and the loved ones left behind.

Inspecting a new intake of recruits at Pirbright

 My time in Africa in 2013 which started with me serving with the US and French in Mali, had highs and lows. The conditions were rather arduous with near 50 degree heat, four months on ration packs and the threat of camel spiders. But that year Wales won the Six Nations with the famous 30-3 win over England and the French got the wooden spoon; our hosts did not enjoy that as much as I did!  But my Dragons Rugby top went everywhere with me as my little bit of home. 

Later that year my time in Kenya was somewhat less austere but shock hits you when you least expect it.  My involvement in the Westgate terrorist attack in Nairobi was one of the most challenging nights of my life, where I witnessed the very real horror that can be realised by needless violence – 67 people killed, many of whom were women and children.  

Thankfully that was towards the end of a very busy couple of years which if you include my six months serving with the UN in Cyprus in 2012, led to me being away from home for fourteen months out of twenty. Once again, the impact on those left behind as well as those that are overseas is rarely far from my mind and I’m still so grateful for the stoicism of the wonderful Mrs H-S throughout that challenging time (somehow, we are celebrating 20 years married this year!). I would also reiterate that throughout my whole Army career, and equally applicable now in my current role, is the utility of that motto from Sandhurst – ‘Serve to Lead’ – and I am very proud indeed of all that I had the opportunity to experience.

With my family still based in Newport and my in-laws in Pontardawe, and of course a long standing base of friends, the pull back to Wales has always been there. Having settled in Cornwall whilst commanding my Regiment, the lengthy commute was essential but often draining. It was on Boxing Day 2022 when starting out on our way back down South after about our 7th trip to Wales in 3 months, when I turned around to Mrs H-S and said “I think we’re living in the wrong place”. Having left the Army mid 2021, and initially working at Mace Group construction/consultancy in their organisational development team, I had the freedom to pretty much live wherever I wanted to in the UK and still do my job. So the cottage went on the market and the migration plan developed.  But what I still find utterly astonishing, is the feeling I had inside when we made that decision. I can only liken it to an enormous weight being lifted, like a pressure being relieved that I didn’t know was there… I was coming home.  

Whilst the ability to remain with Mace was comforting, I felt it was time to seek out a new challenge that brought a stronger link with people and the community.  Through some vigorous long-distance networking, I was soon appointed as the new Managing Director of Cardiff Bus and I would argue that decision on my part is almost as good as the decision to apply to join the Army, and of course the decision to propose to the long-suffering Mrs H-S.  

I started at Cardiff Bus at the beginning of October 2023 and stayed with family in Newport until the house move was sorted. I remember the beauty of Cardiff on an Autumnal morning, arriving at the station with the crispness of the air and the sun illuminating the hanging mist. The job at Cardiff Bus was, and still is, better than I could have imagined.  The people, the history, and the importance of the service that the company provides is quite humbling. Yes everyone has an opinion on public transport and I genuinely understand the dependence that people have on buses to enable them to go about the essentials of life. But I could not be more proud of this fantastic company which carries more than 70,000 passengers a day around this wonderful city. With 550 staff and a fleet of over 180 buses the task is significant, but I feel well prepared by my previous experience and many of the skills I developed in the Army map across with some real utility, particularly leadership and accountability.  

 I have been humbled by the remarkable team effort that it takes to get 145 buses a day out of the door to deliver our services. It’s not just about the drivers, but all the admin staff, our engineers, the training academy and of course our small team of garage operators that have to clean 145 buses every night – imagine what that is like on a Friday night at Christmas!  I think I have been really lucky with the timing, as the end of the post-pandemic government funding brought a new commercial era and of course the opening of the much anticipated Cardiff Bus Interchange.

Me cleaning Cardiff bus

Having now completed the migration and settled into the Amman Valley, my life in the South Wales community is nothing other than…well...whole! Yes, we chose to live further West and I have a bit of a daily commute, but the feeling I get when I glide through Pontardawe and the imposing view of the Black Mountain appears on the horizon, is all I need to justify our decision to return home.  But I get more than that; people, heritage, rugby, family, the ‘hwyl’.  Being Welsh is brilliant.  But being Welsh and living in Wales is better!