NEWS
This Forever Keele is full of great news about
Keele’s upward trajectory and we can truly
claim to have had a marvellous year as students
ranked the unique university “on the hill” as
Britain’s favourite. But our marvellous year has
been shared with an unexpected local hero.
While Helen of Troy “launch’d a thousand
ships”, Neil Baldwin has launched a thousand
unbelievable but true stories.
In 2010, Keele graduate Francis Beckett (1969)
wrote an article in The Guardian which posed
a simple question: “As a boy, he walked into
Keele University – and never left. And he counts
bishops, sportsmen and politicians among his
friends. So just who is Neil Baldwin?”
Francis’ article promoted Peter Bowker to write
the exceptional drama, ”Marvellous”, which was
broadcast to great acclaim by the BBC in 2014.
Toby Jones’ portrayal of Neil’s audacity and
vulnerability helped millions to discover some
unexpected answers.
“Marvellous” was screened live in the Student’s
Union Ballroom and while Neil joined a mass
of fascinated students to watch the drama
unfold, whispers circulated that “Marvellous”
was trending first in the UK on Twitter! A child
diagnosed with a learning disability, who left
home at 16 to work as a circus clown, had
emerged as a local legend; an unheralded
hero who inspired others to disregard the
expectations that restrict us and to live a life
without limits.
“I’VE ALWAYS
WANTED TO BE
HAPPY, SO I
DECIDED TO BE.”
Forever Keele 2015 | 17