“A fabulous night to remember,” perfectly sums up the College’s Golden Jubilee Year launch event at the House of Commons on Saturday 21 May. A 100-strong contingent from the wider Princethorpe Community, who had successfully applied for tickets in the lottery, gathered in the iconic surroundings of Westminster Hall, dressed in their finest black tie apparel and eagerly anticipating the evening ahead.
The party included representatives from all parts of the Princethorpe community - former and current parents, trustees, staff, pupils and friends of the College.
As the tourists made their way home, our party was divided into four groups to go on private guided tours of both Houses of Parliament. Expert tour guides gave a fascinating insight into the history and current workings of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Following in the footsteps of former Prime Ministers such as Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George and Margaret Thatcher, the groups heard about the traditions, customs and quirks of Parliament, before getting the chance to stand in the famous green and red benches. Guests marvelled at Her Majesty’s throne in the House of Lords and the ornate décor, carvings, paintings and statues throughout the historic building.
After the hour-long tour the party made their way to the Terrace Pavilion for pre-dinner drinks, as if on cue the sun broke through the clouds and bathed everyone in sunlight. As boats plied their way up and down the River Thames and with Westminster Bridge and the London Eye as our backdrop, small groups mingled and chatted happily over Pimms and Prosecco.
Just before eight o’clock we were summoned to our seats in the adjacent Churchill Dining Room. The distinctive green and cream portcullis bedecked room echoed with excited voices as the guests found their way to their places at nine tables and were called to order by Headmaster, Ed Hester.
Before dinner was served, Ed Hester invited guest of honour Mark Pawsey, MP, a former parent of the College, to say a few words. Welcoming the assembled throng to his ‘place of work’, Mark quizzed the guests over their Parliamentary knowledge and wished everyone an enjoyable evening. Mark handed over the speech baton to Mary O’Farrell, Chair of the Trustees who spoke of her long association with the College, the special bond between the school and all those associated with it and gave thanks to the foresight, commitment and vision of the MSCs and the three Headmasters present, Ed Hester, John Shinkwin, the first lay Headmaster, and Fr Alan Whelan, MSC.
Fr Alan then proceeded to say Grace and dinner commenced. A delicious menu followed comprising: First Course - Flaked ham hock with broad bean salad, piccalilli dressing and sour dough bread or Minted garden pea panna-cotta with aged Greek feta cheese, oven dried peppers and pea tendrils (v) Main Course - Pan fried Gressingham duck supreme and confit leg croquette,sweet potato mash, roasted beetroot and honey sauce or Wild mushroom and garden herb frittata with brioche croute, confit of fennel, courgette, toasted pine kernel and truffle oil (v) Palette Cleanser - Pimms O’clock - Pimms sorbet, orange gel, diced strawberry, mint, apple blossom (v) Dessert - Raspberry Peach Melba - Vanilla mousse, raspberry poached peach, raspberry sorbet and macaron. After coffee and petit fours were served the final speeches of the night ensued with Ed Hester saying his own welcome and giving thanks to key Princethorpe people, including Mary O’Farrell and her fellow trustees, who work so tirelessly on behalf of the College.
He gave special mention to the three old girls of St Mary’s Priory, one of whom, Mrs Maria Cecilia Cordoba Good, had travelled from Florida to share the special evening.
He spoke of his own journey with the College, first as a parent and over the last few years as Headmaster, of the great strides taken in terms of developments and progress at the College and ambitions for the future including future building projects and the renovation of the area known as Little Switzerland. He also wished Alex Darkes, or Mr Princethorpe as he referred to him, well in his new role in charge of Development, tasked with making a Princethorpe education more accessible to children who would benefit from it.
He then introduced one such Old Princethorpian and bursary recipient, Jacob Stone, who left the College in 2012 to say a few words. Jacob spoke eloquently and movingly of his experience, of searching for and finding a school ‘where he could thrive not just survive’. The four years he spent at the College were filled with opportunities and memories which helped him grow and develop as a person. Now in his third year studying medicine at Southampton University, he hopes to work as a doctor in Sub-Saharan Africa. Concluding his speech Jacob said the Christian values and ethos of Princethorpe would remain with him for a lifetime and thanked the College and staff for really changing his life.
The final speech of the night and the task of proposing a toast to the College was left to Old Princethorpians Chairman Peter Rollason, who in his own inimitable style, spoke fondly and eloquently of what the school means to him, of Old Princethorpians and their varied calendar of events and how pleased he was to see the plans for the Golden Jubilee finally coming to fruition. His impassioned toast to the College, got the biggest roar of approval of the night as the guests raised their freshly charged glasses in unison.
As the last guests departed, some to make a weekend of it in London, and many to catch the coach homeward bound to Princethorpe, a few die-hard revellers took the opportunity for a final photograph in front of Big Ben, before heading off to Leicester Square to continue the celebrations!
A huge thank you to all those who attended and made the evening such a success and to all those involved in organising such a memorable evening.
To view the photos from the evening click here
