3 minute read
House Reports
College Society
2019 was a very busy year for the College Society, with four major events.
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We started the year with a rip-roaring Spring Lecture by novelist and professor, Adam Mars-Jones, before we had the unveiling ceremony of the portrait of the first eight female Queen Scholars. The portrait was painted by OW Lucy Li (BB, 2016-18), and bears the inscription:
τελοῦσιν (ἡμῖν ἡδονή ᾿στιν ἢ γέλως;) νῦν εἰσακούεις εἰς δόμον κόρων κόραι.
Look at the letters QSS, reflect on what they mean. It’s only right that girls can now be Scholars of the Queen.
The epigram was written by Charles Low (QS, 1967-72; Common Room 1983-2015) for the 2016 Election Dinner: the year in which it was announced that female scholars would be joining the house. The literal translation of the epigram is:
Is it a joy or a source of laughter for us? You now hear that girls will belong to the boys’ house.
The underlined syllables in Greek (the puns) are pronounced girls now as QSS...hooray!
We were then lucky indeed to have the former Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, give a guided tour of the Henry V Chapel and the newly opened Triforium Galleries. While small in number, our group had a wonderful morning followed by a late breakfast in the Abbey Café.
Finally, the College Society hosted its annual dinner, this time jointly with Wrens. Welcoming over 60 alumni from both houses, the dinner was rounded off in style, not by Compline unfortunately, but by further drinks at the Blue Boar. We look forward to hosting more joint events in the future, although the 2020 dinner, to be held on 17 September, will be for College alumni and their guests.
We are also hoping for a Spring event, details to be confirmed. We would like to thank Andrew Havery, who stepped down after many years on the Committee, including a time serving as Treasurer, for all his hard work over the years, and to welcome Amanda Barnes (CC, 1976-78) to join the Committee.
The Committee would like to welcome the new Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend David Hoyle, and we look forward to hosting him at our events soon.
If you would like to join the Society, please do contact me on the below details. Membership is very modestly priced and provides vital funds to support the work of the Society and discounts on tickets for events.
If you have any ideas as to how the Society might extend its activities, please do not hesitate to contact any member of the Committee. Arda Eghiayan
Chairman: Oliver Gillie (QS, 1955-58)
oliver.gillie@outlook.com
For membership details
Hon Sec: Arda Eghiayan (CC, 2000-02)
arda.eghiayan@gmail.com
Purcell’s
After a few quiet years, we were thrilled to reignite our house Society in summer 2019 with a fantastic drinks and canapés event in
Ashburnham Gardens. It was a wonderful opportunity for Purcell’s alumni old and new to come together for the first time in four years and reminisce about our memories of life at Barton Street as well as our new beautiful home on Great College Street.
Being two Purcell’s alums who left Westminster before the house became mixed in we were delighted to meet some of our new male counterparts – with the beginning of the evening feeling a little like a school disco before we were all brave enough to collide! We are also very grateful to our current Housemaster Dr Gabrielle Ward-Smith for attending and regaling us with wonderful stories from her time with Purcell’s.
Following the success of the drinks we look forward to a new tradition of an annual Purcell’s Society event, in addition to organising a Society presence at any other events where we may celebrate our alumni’s achievements. We would warmly encourage any alumni who would like to be in touch to contact us via the Development Office (alumni@westminster.org.uk). By Annabel James and Alice Godwin (PP, 2007-09)
