This term, we took a (virtual) stroll down Dragon Lane with the Pasteur family. The first generation of the Pasteurs to attend the Dragon, in 1942, was Tom Pasteur (OD 1947). Following in his Bardwell Road footsteps were his two sons, Alex Pasteur (OD 1962) and Dr Mark Pasteur (OD 1979). Today, their Dragon family connection continues as Alex’s two children are young Dragons themselves.
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My time at the Dragon School in three words
Alex: Conkers, camps and Latin.
Mark: Regimented, busy, and wheezy. I don’t think we were allowed to carry our own inhaler at that time.
When I was a young Dragon, I wanted to be
Alex: I had no idea but was drawn to logical subjects which later led me to study sciences which I use every day.
Mark: I have fond memories of the science practicals, something in that field seemed attractive from an early age.
The superpower I wish I had
Alex: To have limitless energy.
Mark: Flight sounds fun.
Eggy or marble runs?
Alex: Marble runs.
Mark: An all-rounder really. A craze I remember was writing to companies requesting stickers with which to adorn lockers. Ferodo were obliging I recall.
My inspiration growing up
Alex: Robin Frith.
Mark: Many teachers were memorable, Sanch stands out.
At the top of my bucket list
Alex: Antarctica.
Mark: To retrace Skipper Lynam’s voyage to Norway. Having spent the Summer Term (Headmasters behaved differently in those days) sailing up the coast to the top of Norway he put Blue Dragon II on a train back to Stockholm. What style.
My most memorable moment at the Dragon
Alex: Mr Scott put my hand into pickled onions and told me they were eyeballs when blindfolded in Chamber of Horrors.
Mark: My friend getting accidentally locked inside his trunk on the day before the Dragon Sale. It took some time to find the key. The Housemaster was extremely angry with him, rather unfairly I thought, but I expect he had visions of having to make a difficult phone call to his parents.
My biggest achievement
Alex: Moving up from the bottom set where I started in E Block.
Mark: Reflecting on the impact of early boarding.
The advice I would give to my younger self
Alex: Relish the incredible opportunities.
Mark: Don’t worry, just do it.
In one sentence, what does it mean to be a Dragon?
Alex: To be a decent human being and to want to achieve something.
Mark: Part of a community across the generations.
Since my Dragon days …
Alex: Postgraduate research. Then, a career in life science venture capital, and a lovely family, which brought me back to Bardwell Road.
Mark: After School, I went to Bristol University where I studied Medicine and I am now a respiratory physician in East Anglia. Being part of the NHS and seeing the lives many people lead makes me realise the opportunities we were given at the Dragon were an enormous privilege. I now carry my own inhaler with me but my inhaler technique remains poor.
Would you like to take a ‘walk down Dragon Lane’? Please get in touch with the Development team; we’d love to hear from you.
