A former student’s love affair with Art has come full circle – 45 years after he was Deputy Head of School at Monmouth School for Boys.

Philip Chatfield, an Old Monmothian, is now a professional stonemason and has been carrying out work as part of the refurbishment of the Glover Music School.

Mr Chatfield originally carved the stones in the foyer of the Glover Music School in honour of Dame Jane Glover, the world-famous conductor and Old Girl, who opened the building in 1989.

Dame Jane’s father, Mr Robert Glover, was Headmaster of Monmouth School for Boys from 1959 to 1976 and she grew up in what is now New House.

Mr Chatfield is pictured having finished painting the lettering and the re-engraving of the stones, as part of the current refurbishment of the Glover Music School.

To do the painting of the engraved lettering, Mr Chatfield used the Head of School’s new office in the cloister.

Mr Chatfield remembers sitting in this office to work on his art with dreams of becoming a professional artist while he was Deputy Head of School in 1976.

Mr Chatfield was encouraged to follow this path by Otto Maciag, the inspirational Head of Art at Monmouth School for Boys, who took up the role in 1947 and was in post for 31 years.

“It’s great to see Mr Chatfield, having made a career out of his early interest in Art, back at school 45 years later,” said Headmaster, Mr Simon Dorman.

“It is lovely to see an Old Monmothian’s story come full circle.”