OLD SCHOLARS Easter Gathering

“The point in the Easter holidays when the relative calm of a pupil-free School is broken by the return of Old Scholars and descendants of Old Scholars, as well as hangers-on who’ve been adopted into the Ackworth Old Scholar family over the years.”

For decades this annual reunion has brought together families and friends loyal to their school, to enjoy a time of fellowship, reminiscence, worship and varied sporting/ cultural/creative activities, with the swimming pool used by young and old alike. The staff room becomes the social hub, with rather different refreshments to those enjoyed during term, and occupation well past 4 pm! Some who live near enough come as day visitors, but boarding accommodation is available for anyone to stay one or more nights from Good Friday through to Easter Monday, with final departures on the Tuesday morning, and many multi-generational families are represented, enjoying the improvements made in the boarding facilities over recent years.

On the final morning this year, I found myself in conversation with a lady who is not herself an Old Scholar, but is descended from J. A. Barringer, a teacher at the school more than a century ago who met his wife here, and who lived in Ivy Cottage at the bottom of Great Garden, where my family have resided for the last four years. She was delighted to see around the cottage that had been his home, and recognise the backdrop of an old family photograph.

The school caterers keep visitors well fed – full cooked breakfasts, lunch and dinner, with elevenses and afternoon cakes there too, as well as evening snacks. I defy anyone to leave weighing less than they arrive, except possibly Old Scholar Sal Wright who, as Easter Secretary (an entirely voluntary role which subsumes inordinate amounts of her time throughout the year), scurries around in her Easter Bunny costume prioritising everyone’s needs but her own. Some highlights mentioned by a couple of recent Old Scholars:

• Hearing stories from other people’s times at Ackworth

• Meeting up with friends made at previous Easters

• “It’s always cake o’clock!”

• Doing the Grand March again

• All-age sports on The Green (and elsewhere)

• Egg and spoon race, and other egg-related activities

• “POP’s always fun!”

• The formal dinner - ideal for a reunion meal with old friends

• The local walk - revisit bits of the area that you may have only ever seen on Founders’ Day

• Running (or walking) the ‘old’ Badsworth course – could you beat John?

Easter Gathering was kept alive virtually through two years of lockdown, but its continuity has taken a knock, as with so many things. What it needs is you, Old Scholar or supporter, to come and find out what you’re missing. Ackworth School has a remarkable history, and fascinating stories are shared between Old Scholars over the Easter weekend. This time of fellowship is too valuable to lose. If you too value being part of the Ackworth School family, please consider attending at least for a few hours next Easter. The costs involved are easily outweighed by the benefits. Gather some of your peers and make it a date! 29th of March to 2nd April 2024 or any day/days in between.

Oh, and if you don’t know what POP is, you’d better come along and find out!

Susan Swales

Evening Reading Easter 2023

In Evening Reading a few years ago, my theme was silence and how we benefit from the experience of silence, its effects on body and mind in slowing the pulse and calming emotion, in expanding awareness and understanding. Very often when people look back on their time in school, the influence of silence remembered in a Meeting for Worship or in the smaller silences during the school day are defining memories which they value in later life. I think that school’s gift of silence to those who pass through here is very special.

Tonight we’ll revisit the theme and look at how we can grow in our understanding of silence, how we can develop the habit of silence, consciously making it a richer experience particularly in our connection with the natural world, as Stewart will explain.

In the past 25 years or so I have spent very many hours walking in the hills with a friend and Ackworth classmate and I have often been asked “What did you and Peter talk about during those long walks?” The answer is we did not talk much at all because we were usually several yards apart and both of us comfortable with silence having attended Ackworth. We soon discovered that we were so much more receptive to our surroundings, the habitat and the weather if we walked in silence and we gradually trained ourselves to become more aware of natural influences. There was time enough to talk when we paused for food or to discuss navigation.

While much of the benefit of training the senses to become more receptive goes unnoticed, there are times when the heightened perception produces rewards. One such occasion was when Peter and I were walking in Glen Etive and heading up the valley to the col between Ben Starav and Glas Bheinn Mhor. It is a fairly narrow and steep-sided valley and we were close to the top in misty but wind-free conditions with Peter several yards ahead of me.