Peter Riddleston, Head of Learning, Quality & Development

Peter is Head of Learning, Quality & Development.

A former lawyer, he has spent the last 11 years in professional training and development, including a stint at the College of Law and more recently with Landmark Information Group, where he developed their training programme for lawyers.

How would others describe you in three words?
Clumsy, friendly, sportaholic

What was your favourite subject at school and why?
P.E. Any opportunity to be outside playing sport was always preferable to being in a classroom.

What has been your best professional moment to date?
Running the Streetlaw Project at the College of Law’s Birmingham Centre, I worked with one student who was terrified of speaking in front of groups of people. At the end of the project they delivered part of a presentation on the law to a local community group with real confidence and even enjoyed doing it. 

Tell us about the most interesting or most surprising aspect of your job thus far? 
Meeting and talking to the members has been really interesting.  I’ve learnt lots about the firms that make up LawNet and how they are approaching the changes in the legal sector. 

What aspect of Training (and Law) first attracted you to the industry?
Training is incredibly rewarding when you see someone grow in confidence through their learning and achieve their potential. I enjoyed the problem solving aspects of law but the truth is that, to a great extent, I fell into as a career choice!

If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Learn to laugh at yourself. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

What has been your most embarrassing professional moment to date? 
Presenting a seminar to about 40 delegates with a “Good Girl” sticker on my back.  One of my lovely daughters put it there before I left the house that morning.

Who (or what) inspires you?
Sporting success. I find the dedication and determination of people like Steve Redgrave and Jonny Wilkinson amazing.

If you had the chance to compete in the Olympics, what would be your chosen event? 
Anything to do with cycling.

If you could only eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be? 
Probably chocolate. I have a real weakness for chocolate in almost any form.

What is your favourite film (or a favourite book?) 
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. I really enjoy both the film and the book.      

Name one of your favourite places in the world (a travel destination, or even a favourite pub/restaurant)
Cornwall. A day on the beach with my family followed by dinner and a couple of beers in the Cornish Arms, St Merryn is just about perfect for me! (see main picture above)

Finish the following sentences:

By this time next year… I would like to have improved my tennis so that at least some of my serves land where they are supposed to!

If I won the lottery I would... Buy a house in Cornwall big enough to accommodate lots of visits from friends and family