Former Beaminster schoolboy to become Welsh First Minister

Vaughan Gething, 50, is set to become Europe’s first black leader when he succeeds Mark Drakeford as First Minister of Wales on Wednesday.

He attended Beaminster School from 1985 to 1992, and played for both Beaminster and Broadwindsor cricket clubs.

Mr Gething’s family has a long association with west Dorset schools, as his sister and four brothers attended Beaminster School.

His father David was a popular local vet at Beaminster practice Gething and Bowditch, which became Girling and Bowditch following David’s retirement.

Mr Gething was born in Zambia and moved to Wales as a boy when his father took a job as a vet.

However, when his father turned up with a black family, the job offer was withdrawn and the family instead moved to Dorset.

Derek Cash, former Bridport News reporter and Labour candidate for west Dorset, remembers meeting Mr Gething as a 17-year-old.

It was then that Mr Cash invited the teenager to join the Bridport Labour Party.

He said: "I went to see him for an interview for the Bridport News, I believe he was head boy at Beaminster School.

"He was a high flyer then, a prolific cricketer and academically one of the best.

"He was a very mature teenager, hoping to go and study law in Cardiff.

"He was a very likeable young man, passionate about wanting to make a difference.

"Since he was first elected to the Welsh Government, I have followed his career through that time.

"It is an amazing achievement, when I met him he stood out as an exceptional young man who was going places.

"He had a tricky upbringing and Dorset must have seemed an attractive place to grow up.

"It is gratifying that someone can come from our local comprehensive system to great things.

"It is a feather in the cap for the Bridport Labour Party who are a small party in a very conservative area, as I found out when I lost my deposit in 1983."

In June 2013, Mr Gething re-visited his old school in Beaminster and was grilled by students.

Mr Gething returned to Beaminster School in 2013 (Image: Newsquest)

Speaking after his return to Dorset, he said: “There has been quite a lot of physical change to the buildings and most of the teachers who taught me have moved on. However, I still felt at home.”

Keith Hales, Headteacher of Beaminster School, said: “We are all delighted, though not surprised, to hear that Vaughan Gething has become the First Minister of Wales.

"Vaughan showed himself to be a lively, talented and motivated student during his seven years with us, seizing opportunities to involve himself fully in the life of Beaminster School.

"His passion for learning shone through, as did his love for cricket and a wider interest in the world around us.

"He is a fantastic role model for our students, living proof that there really is no barrier to achieving what you put your mind to. We wish him every success in this new, exciting role.”