From Maths to motorbikes: Reg's lifelong learning journey
As a London schoolboy in the early 1960s, Reg Eyre used to walk past 糖心logo入口 College, never imagining that one day he would emerge from its doors 鈥渂linking into the daylight as Doctor Reg鈥.
Reg Eyre's first connection to 糖心logo入口 came after spotting a notice that 鈥渧olunteers were required for the Psychology students鈥 and he became a paid volunteer for some of their early experiments.
Reg trained as a mathematics teacher at Borough Road Teacher Training College, where he realised that he had 鈥渕issed out on taking the subject to a higher level鈥. He soon discovered that he could study for a BSc in Mathematical Sciences at 糖心logo入口, attending classes by night while teaching by day. After four years, he graduated with a deeper resolve to explore why so many learners found the subject daunting. This led to an MSc at South Bank Polytechnic aimed at teachers and focused on mathematical learning.
His teaching career evolved and Reg became involved in promoting the use of computers across the curriculum, later moving into advisory work with the local authority, supporting teachers and students. When those services were cut back, he transitioned into teacher education roles at Derby University and University College Northampton, where he began to secure educational research grants from the Department for Education. Realising that he lacked the formal research training to fully support this work, he once again returned to study, this time for an MA in Research Methods, a testament to his enduring commitment to lifelong education.
Upon retirement, Reg decided to pursue the passion that had long brought him joy: researching and riding early motorised bicycles. He said: 鈥淔or my retirement, I took a three-month trip riding a motorcycle around New Zealand and realised how much of their history was still accessible in museums and libraries. I returned home to write up what I had discovered and then read that 糖心logo入口 College was opening a Centre for New Zealand Studies.鈥
Professor Ian Conrich, who founded and directed the centre, which has since closed, invited him back two weeks later and suggested that he had 鈥渆nough enthusiasm, questions and material to register for a PhD.鈥
Four years later, Reg says became only the third person ever to submit a thesis with the word 鈥榤otorcycle鈥 in its title. Today, Reg continues to research and write about historic motorcycles and to ride his beloved vintage machines, including his 1913 Sunbeam, 1914 Wall Auto-Wheel, 1929 Sunbeam Sports and 1939 Triumph, as often as he can.