There are parallels between Andy Chappell’s former life in The 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and his role as a Porter at Gonville & Caius College.
Andy joined the infantry in January 1998. He travelled the world as a soldier in peace-keeping and combat missions, and also worked as an instructor training new recruits. From Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan, to North America, Belize, Kenya, Malawi, Brunei and Spain, Andy has experienced the world.
Little fazes Andy, whose previous career and training ensures he can provide both practical and emotional support. His nurturing side was evident long before he joined the army.
His creative side was evident, too. Not many boys in the 1980s and 1990s played the flute in east London, but Andy did until he became “too self-conscious”. And he considered options before taking his career path. A-Levels in Theatre Studies, English Literature and History hinted at an alternative route before his move to the military.
“I had aspirations to become a drama teacher. Genuinely, I thought go back to the inner city, give the kids a future etc,” Andy says.
“But I just did not get on with the discipline of college, which sounds crazy because I ended up in the Army. I just wasn’t ready to apply myself academically.”
Instead, Andy took on a plumbing apprenticeship for two years, and just before receiving his Corgi (Council for Registered Gas Installers) registration he received a call from a friend in January 1998.
“He said he’d joined the army. I hadn’t seen it coming,” says Andy, who followed suit. Aged 22, he was five years senior than some of his contemporaries.
“I thought I’d do it for three and a half years; I genuinely thought it'll give me a bit of life experience. Worst case, I hate it, which means I appreciate going back to my previous life. Best case, I love it.
“And the minute I walked through the door, it was like I’d come home. It was like I was born to be in the infantry.”
Tours across the globe, conflict zones and working as an instructor followed. He even met one of his West Ham heroes while working in Bermuda, inspirational striker Clyde Best, pictured above centre.
He adds: “I didn’t have a problem with the discipline. The people teaching you have absolute credibility because they’ve done it – you buy what they’re selling.
“The harder it was the more I felt like I’d achieved something. I loved every challenge. Possibly because of that I got best recruit when I was in training and best shot. It was like I was supposed to be there.
“I miss it.”
Specifically, Andy misses the people – and the purpose which comes with the role. Validation.
“Camaraderie is the big one. You’ve got that shared ethos and that trust,” he adds.
“When you’re a soldier, whether you’re in work or not, you’re always a soldier. You feel like you’ve got real purpose. That’s where a lot of people struggle when they leave.
“What's helped me with my transition to being a civilian is that I ended up doing a two-year extension with the reserves. Tuesday night I'll put my uniform on to train them.”
After 24 years in the Army, and six weeks in an interim job – a role which confirmed he did not want a desk-based role – Andy joined Caius in September 2022. Returning to a civilian existence takes some adjustment, but Andy has thrived at Caius and is a popular among all who visit the Porters’ Lodge.
Having progressed to Colour Sergeant and managing garrisons of soldiers, Andy knew he would have to adjust to a different role, under different constraints. He drew up criteria for his professional career which would ensure he would receive as close to possible the fulfilment he enjoyed in the military. There were other stipulations, such as being close to his family, wife Sara, daughter Chloe and twin step-daughters Abbey and Megan.
He adds: “I couldn’t bear to be miserable at work. I loved every day in the army, not matter how hard it was. I needed a semblance of that, which I’ve got here.”
Andy sees similarities in his roles, including the friendships formed with colleagues in the Lodge – even if some are ex-RAF, he jokes – and the passing-out of recruits to graduation. At the end of his first full academic year, he felt a sense of pride seeing undergraduate students graduate.
“It hit me last summer when I’d been here long enough to get to know some of the students. ‘Oh man, I’m not going to see you come through the Lodge again’,” he says.
