The Dame Allan’s 1705 Magazine
How Dame Allan’s shaped a global deal-maker
When Peter Batey walked back through the doors of Dame Allan’s nearly half a century after leaving, it wasn’t lost on him how far the journey had been — from the buses that carried a shy boy from Consett to the boardrooms of Beijing, where he would later advise ministers, negotiate multimillion-pound deals and build bridges between Britain and China. He returned this autumn to talk to Business students about leadership, diplomacy and the power of trust in business. Before his talk, he took a tour of the school and reflected on the impact Dame Allan’s had on his life and career. Peter’s years at Dame Allan’s Boys’ School, from 1969 to 1976, were formative in ways he only came to appreciate decades later. The daily 90-minute commute each way from County Durham was gruelling for an 11-year-old — “two buses and a long walk home” — but, he says, it built resilience. What really stayed with him, though, was the teaching. “Don Walker, the Head of Geography, was brilliant — one of those teachers who just enthused his pupils and made you think,” he said. “Nick Glover was also a good teacher — a thoughtful man, fresh from university.” Though initially determined to study science and medicine, Peter had what he calls a “Damascene conversion” in the Sixth Form. “At 16, I’d almost decided on biology, physics and chemistry,” he said. “Then at the last minute I switched to history, geography and French. I’d decided my lifetime ambition to be a doctor had changed.” That decision sparked a fascination with people and politics. He also found his voice on stage, performing in school plays — culminating in the role of Henry IV in his final year. “I was too wooden to be an actor,” he laughed, “but perfect material for a politician.” Business leader Peter Batey CMG OBE returned to Dame Allan’s to inspire Sixth Form students with tales from a career spanning politics, diplomacy and three decades in China.
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