Chris Burgess

Chris, who is now in his eighties, came to study business at university much later in his adult life around the age of 50. He, like so many other mature students that come to study at LJMU, are able to enhance their knowledge through higher education and help others upon completion of their studies. In Chris’s instance, that was through working with small businesses across Liverpool as he was able to share things about his time running his own business and those he learned while gaining his qualifications.

Chris features in our ‘Humans of LJMU’ series in collaboration with the ‘Humans of Liverpool’ social media account, sharing the stories of the people who make our city, communities and university the vibrant, inclusive place it is in celebration of our bicentenary year.

In his interview he reflects on his early memories, growing up during the Second World War and the limited education opportunities he faced as a child.

Chris’s ‘Humans of LJMU’ interview

“I was born in 1940, so my first memories were during the war. When I was two, my uncle gave me his army helmet and said get under this mat and pretend to drive the Jeep. The helmet fell off my head and cut through the top of my nose. I’ve still got the scar from it now. My mum said you shouldn’t be playing with that, I’m taking it off you, and I’m throwing it down the toilet. I remember standing over the toilet and thinking, how did she get that big helmet down that little gap in the toilet? I wholeheartedly believed her, and I couldn’t figure it out.

“When I was about the same age, my mum would send me a quarter of a mile to get the shopping, with some bags and a note. She said I was a sensible young man, which you’d have to be to avoid the traffic and trams on the way.

“If you were an ordinary working-class kid back then, you had no chance of going to college. These days young people are fortunate enough that most of them can have the opportunity to study at university. I came to academia very late in life. I was a TV engineer for most of my life, running my own business. So, I knew how to run a business, and I have always been a keen reader, but I wanted to learn more.

“I always thought I wasn’t very bright right up until I was around 50 years of age, but after receiving a late dyslexia diagnosis and successfully completing my business qualification at LJMU, I realised that I just had a different way of thinking and learning. After that, I was heavily involved in supporting small businesses in Liverpool, through the Prince’s Trust and the Federation of Small Business. I helped others get the support they needed and helped to nurture people’s ideas. I’ve always loved helping others to see their own potential.”