Davidson, Andy

Andy Davidson

Dates at Bournemouth School: 1984 - 1992
House: Romsey

Andy today

Andy studied:
After school, Andy went to: I went to work in a local computer shop where I continued to develop my game.

Andy's biography:

I’m 52 and the creator of the video game Worms, which started life at Bournemouth School, first as a simple artillery game on a Casio calculator during A-Level maths, and then as a game for the Amiga computer which I worked on in the school’s art room.

Worms has gone on to be a very successful franchise; it’s been featured on a Royal Mail stamp, and recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with an exhibit at Wakefield Museum where the publisher Team17 is based.

What was best about Andy's time at Bournemouth School?

Taking over a corner of the art room, where I developed the video game that would become Worms. It attracted a huge following at the school, which convinced me that I was onto something.

Who does Andy remember most fondly?

Bournemouth School was instrumental in me achieving my dream. There wasn’t anything aimed at video game design either at Bournemouth School or at Universities at the time, but my art teacher, Mr. Pakeman, encouraged me and supported my efforts by getting Amiga computers for the art room which allowed me to spend my time doing what I loved.

What would Andy change about their time at Bournemouth School?

I didn’t fit the template of the typical student, so I would have liked to have seen more support of the type Mr. Pakeman offered. I remember having to find excuses to leave the room when the University application forms were handed out because I didn’t see the point in going to one and felt like a failure.

What is Andy's favourite anecdote/most vivid memory?

My game being banned from the school by Mr. Clench, and him telling me I wasn’t good enough when I told him I didn’t want to go to University and wanted to try and get it published instead. What he said never left my mind, or that of my parents, and made me determined to prove him wrong.

Andy's final thoughts

I hope there are more teachers like Mr. Pakeman, who see students as individuals with their own dreams and aspirations. Not everyone is cut out for academic life, and I believe it is up to teachers to identify that and support students in what they want to do.