THE MAGAZINE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF OLD BRIGHTONIANS WINTER 2006
WWW.OLDBRIGHTONIANS.COM
ISSUE 19
T WO G O L D S , A S I LV E R AND THE SELDON BABES Report on the 2005 Annual Dinner by Peter Binning (C 1975-80) Twenty five years is a long time but what about the 1949 PE team? They were there too and so were quite a few of those who were only yesterday (as it were) walking across the quad without a (real) care in the world. For those of us celebrating a silver anniversary of leaving the College it was for most the first time we had returned for a great many years. And did we enjoy it? Of course we did…until well into the early hours. After all it’s only once in a quarter century! (But what happened to 24 hour licensing in Kemp Town!) All were old friends, most not seen for years but some with whom we have been lucky enough to share other parts of our lives from university to
weddings and children. The OBA dinner was a great occasion for celebration. A milestone and we got here. Some of us did not make it and perhaps that is one very good reason to come back and remember the valuable days we spent at the College in privileged times with the world at our feet and opportunity waiting for us. Keep living for that feeling and, like the 1949 PE team, you’ll be back here in
And in case you thought that the College is turning out straight A students with no nouse for the real world, we had two Golds (if not two Davids) to prove you wrong. The first, David, OBA President, gave a polished speech and conducted the proceedings with considerable Parliamentary authority admitting to less than perfect academic and sporting prowess. The second, Johnny, gave us a
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another 25! That is what can happen if you dare to make a break with our generation’s anti institutional attitude and think that it might just be fun to spend an evening with some wonderful people from down the years of College life and to hear something of what life there is like today. Few can have missed the achievements of the current headmaster, Anthony Seldon, who is shortly to be followed by Richard Cairns. The academic, sporting and social life of the college have all seen immense progress supported of course by excellent members of staff, some of whom remembered us and were there to celebrate too. The Seldon babes (or some of them) were also there – or so he said. (Isn’t that politically incorrect or something? Ed.) Private schools are here to stay and the example being set by the College in the community is a vital one to ensure that pupils are not blind to the less privileged and if schools like this are to continue to have charitable status.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
THE COLLEGE MOURNS LORD ALEXANDER
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FAREWELL DR SELDON
Jan Gold with OBA president David Gold (S. 1986-91) and Guest of Honour Johnny Gold (L. 1940-45) memorable account of life as the founder of Tramp, the famous London night club and all on the weekend that his old friend George Best passed away to a better life. The vote of thanks reminded us that we cannot all be a Gold but the important thing is that Brighton College still takes all types. Whether, like Lord Alexander, you get to be Chairman of Natwest and a famous QC or, like Johnny, you just run a rather successful night club, it does not matter, you will always be welcome at the OBA dinner and down with anyone who would have it any other way. So come on you lot, the class of 1981, it is your turn on 25th November 2006. Make sure you invite as many as you can and do invite the staff and do have a table plan. We’ll do all that next time when we’ll be nearly as old as the 1949 PE team! http://www.oldbrightonians.com/ annual_dinner_2005_01.htm
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HALL OF FAME: TONY HAWKS
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OBITUARIES: H DAVIDSON (H. 1934-38)
14 BACK PAGE: CRONK CUNIS VISTORY!
CLARE CONNOR GETS HER OBE!