WFA NEWS

I hope you and your families had a good Christmas break. It is always a very busy start to a packed term, and with the Fifth Form and Upper Sixth IB students all immediately into exams, it will be ‘full-on’ for them in particular.

Oxbridge results were very pleasing, with seven Oxford offers and four Cambridge offers for a variety of subjects. We are also delighted that a growing number of students have received superb offers from top overseas universities, including Princeton and Stanford in the USA, as interest continues to grow in this area.

This term sees two major drama productions, a Junior years production of Swallows and Amazons on 8, 9 and 10 February and a Fourth and Fifth Form play Remote on 22, 23 and 24 February. There are a number of musical concerts taking place during the Lent term including a Chamber Choir Gabrieli Roar Concert on 10 January at Westminster Cathedral, the Lent Collection Concert on 2 March at Whitgift, the Brass Concert on 10 March at Whitgift, and the Chamber Choir and Orchestral Concert on 30 March at Croydon Minster. Added to which we have a full programme of fixtures of course and once again a range of academic enrichment talks which are always fascinating.

As part of our desire to connect with as many members of the Whitgift Community as possible, the Development Office is launching a new initiative this term, “Innovation meets Experience”, more details of which can be found later in this Newsletter. IME consists of a series of monthly online meetings focusing on different fields and subjects. Each session will be led by a Sixth Form boy who will present a subject and idea they are passionate about, we will then open the floor to questions and discussion, allowing young minds to absorb advice from and exchange perspectives from professionals from across the Whitgift Community. Please do get involved with this if you feel able. Later in the term we will be running a Business Breakfast for medical professionals and aspiring medics: I will be inviting a number of OWs to join us, but if you think we may not know you work in this area, and would like to share your insights with some of our students, alumni and other professionals, do let me know!

At the end of last Term, I spoke with OW Oluwani Akintunde about the mentoring programme he has helped us set up. The video can be found here. If this is something you feel that you could be involved with please let us know by messaging alumni@whitgift.co.uk.

I hope that you enjoy the latest edition of Whitgift For All News and please do keep your stories coming in; we are always pleased to hear from you.

Chris Ramsey Headmaster

City Drinks

On Wednesday 28 September, OWs came together alongside members of the Development Office and the Headmaster at Willy’s Wine Bar on Fenchurch Street.

These City drinks provided an opportunity for OWs and staff members to discuss Whitgift for All and the work being done at the School, and also an opportunity for informal discussion to help build relationships. It was also great to see lots of OWs from different stages of their careers network and build up business relationships.

South West Dinner

Organised by David Westnedge on Saturday 22 October, a group of OWs and their partners convened at the Best Western Tiverton Hotel for an evening enjoyed by all.

The dinner provided an excellent opportunity for OWs from around the country to catch up with one another, reminisce about their time at the School and discuss their future plans. Given the enjoyment of the evening, planning has already started for the next South West dinner. Saturday 7 October 2023 is looking the likely date for this, with more guests welcome – you do not have to be based in the South West to attend.

Nyc Dinner

On Thursday 27 October the Director of Development met with a group of OWs based in America at Bowery Road in New York City for a dinner with the US OWs.

Remembrance Service

As usual we welcomed OWs and members of the wider Whitgift Community back to School for our Remembrance Service on Friday 11 November.

OWs had tea and coffee in Big School prior to the service. The service started with a performance from the Corps of Drums, followed by an address from the School Chaplain and readings from the Upper and Lower School Captains. Dominic Edwards laid the wreath on behalf of the OW community.

It was fantastic to be able to hold this event in person, having had a virtual drinks event last year. With attendees having been at the School from 1972 to 2018, there was much discussion about different memories of the School and the changes seen during this time.

UPPER FIFTH 1952-53 PLATINUM JUBILEE LUNCHEON 2022

Peter Warren OW (1947-56)

Courtesy of the Headmaster, Christopher Ramsey, we held our 70th anniversary Platinum Jubilee lunch at the School on Wednesday 12 October 2022 and welcomed him; the Director of Development, Thomas Northcote, and our Honorary Member, Angela Warren, as our guests.

Our Jubilee coincided with Her late Majesty’s. After an excellent meal, I was challenged to propose, for the first time in 70 years, a Loyal Toast to the King. For the three of us born in 1936, the accession of King Charles III meant they had lived not only throughout the reign of the longest serving monarch in British history, but in the reign of three other monarchs. One, Gerald Haywood, could not attend but we were able to congratulate Ron Bernard, in person, for his achievement. (Alas, in November, we learnt that, the third, Roger Brasier, consummate entertainer to the form and throughout his life, had passed away in September).

But we are still 16 strong (of 28 originally) and 9 were present. We toasted our absent friends, alive and dead. And recognised here the part played in or formation by the late John Maynard, consummate actor of the female roles in Gilbert and Sullivan Operas staged at Whitgift in the late 40s – early 50s, who on going up to Cambridge in 1956 invited four of us, also there, to tea in his Music Scholar’s rooms in King’s.

The seed was sown for whole class get-togethers and with great help from Mr Freddie Percy (Old Boy, Master and Archivist) we located 28 members and began annual reunions during the Christmas to New Year period when all were likely to be at family homes in the Croydon area. Initially hosted by my mother until 1972, my wife Angela has now taken on the role, hosting more than 35. At the instigation of Ron Bernard, Angela was unanimously elected Honorary Member in 2015. After Lunch, and a Toast to the School, Christopher kindly proposed a Toast to her which had fulsome support and was much appreciated.

From 1972 we introduced 5 yearly special events, dining at such places as The Royal Society, the House of Lords, and the Athenaeum, the first of which Mr A H Holden, our Form Master, could attend. On our 40th Birthday we had no less than 12 Masters who had taught us in 1952, the number sadly dropping to 7 in 1997 and one, Mr Robert Schad, 5 years ago. Alas, our delight over a call from his daughter to tell us he was well and sent his good wishes but was too frail to attend, was short-lived; very sadly a Times death notice appeared on 29 November. I attended his funeral on 8 December; an occasion celebrating a ‘life well lived’ to age 96. This Platinum Lunch is unique in our hosting a Headmaster, and in his own “home”.

But jubilees are not solely for looking back. Given the turbulent world we are now living in, our reunions have kept morale high; our cheerful conversations over this Jubilee lunch suggest that these will succeed a while yet.

Our first report; “Letter to the Editor of The Whitgiftian, 1968” referred to the numerous bringing togethers of classmates, sometimes after 10 year gaps and concluded: “For such moments, we propose to continue indefinitely [well for a while longer, last one put out the light please] these reunions and recommend past and present Whitgiftian’s doing the same”. Despite our age, no less appropriate today.