From all the feedback we have received from our guests – and also from the empty plates on the day the Back in Time for School Dinners was a great success.
While it was a time of nostalgia for all and a wonderful opportunity to catch up with old friends, for many old boys it was a visit to the ‘new’ school for the first time. A chance to see the wonderful facilities on offer and feel the positive ambiance which the place, staff and pupils generate. Some believed that they would have done so much better in their exams if they only could have been in the Model as it is now and not in their day of portacabins on the front lawn. I am afraid that maybe wishful thinking!
Everyone bar none, were impressed by the pupils who had volunteered to ‘meet and greet’ and act as guides on the day. The boys were friendly, informative and beautifully turned out. A credit to themselves, their families and of course the school. A massive thank you to all the pupils were gave up most of their day off to help make this a great event, bridging the years between them and the old boys from previous generations.
On the day we had a warm welcome from the Principal Mary Montgomery who gave an update on the numbers at the school, the range of subjects now on offer, impressive examination results, cultural and sporting successes. She outlined the value the Bursary and Awards had given to those boys moving in to third level education. We are all so proud of the continuing excellence displayed by the school.
The Architect of the new building is an old boy, Martin Hare, who gave a presentation on his approach to the design on the new building, wanting to retain the key principles of the old building in terms of layout, frontage to the main road, and use of the nature of the site. This was a fascinating insight into how to visualize and plan such an important building.
I had the opportunity to congratulate Mary and Martin and their teams for such an inspiring day and to thank everyone who planned the event with an extra thank you to Roy Adair who did a ‘mountain’ of work to make it happen. Last but not least, all the Old Boys who attended, creating a great atmosphere and clearing all their plates to the delight of the kitchen staff
I must add I was delighted I could still fit into my red honours blazer which I wore when I was at the school in 1965-66 although it did not quite button!
While this event was not primarily a fund raising one but purely a social one, you may be glad to hear the through the generosity of the attendees we raised over £1,000 for the Bursary Fund. We are so grateful to all who contributed.
A massive thank you to Mary, her staff so many boys who gave up a day off school and the catering staff who produced a lovely dinner and were so friendly and fully entered into the spirit of the day. They collectively made this a truly memorable occasion.
Sir Nigel Hamilton
Chair of the Bursary Fund
