Bea Bates

The title of Bea's talk to the Club in May 2016 was "From Calculus to Cakes".   This curious title led to a fascinating talk, starting with a test on the audience's understanding of the patterns which recur in mathamatics, using the keys on our mobile phones as a teaching aid!  

Bea spent the first nine years of her life in Bombay in colourful India before moving to West London and "a very sedate and traditional upbringing".  She went to a convent grammar school, and then read psychology at London University.  She trained as an educational psychologist before a thirty year career teaching mathematics.

During that career she progressed up the teaching ladder to become Head of Year, Head of Department and Deputy Head of a large secondary school.  Although a natural pessimist, her mantra became "I Can", as she tackled these administrative posts which seemed at first to be way outside her comfort zone.

As well as a love of mathematics Bea was passionate about baking, and what began as a fun way to indulge her creativity grew as she began making cakes for other people.  A few years ago she launched a new career as a professional baker, making everything from classic bakes and decorative cupcakes right through to opulent celebration cakes and corporate orders, creating bespoke bits of deliciousness for every occasion.

Her baking and teaching and communication skills let to the launch of a range of interactive workshops which she now runs

from her Cotswold home in Churchill in Oxfordshire.

Bea shared with us some of her favourite anecdotes from her years in education, and talked about setting up her business and launching a new career.  She illustrated her talk with photos of some of her incredible cakes, using her skills as a communicator in the best possible way.