OLD BOYS' DINNER 1998
Speaker - Frances Edmonds
Headmaster Mr Eric Hester with Frances Edmonds
Some 150 Old Boys arrived at the college this year for the annual dinner which was also enjoyed by several members of staff. In total the dinner was attended by 171 people.
A gregarious Joan Handford highlighted the presence of current and former female members of staff who joined us for the first time.. This was no doubt in some measure, a response to the fact that also for the first time we had a female speaker who as you might expect (but never necessarily guarantee these days) was not an old boy. She is however the sister of the Moriarty brothers who attended the school with intellectual distinction over a variety of years in the late 60s and 70s, the youngest of whom appeared to have been drinking lighter fuel on the night.
Frances is a successful writer, journalist and TV presenter perhaps still best known through her marriage to the former England cricketer Phil Edmonds and for her account of the England cricket team on tour with her book "Cricket XXXX Cricket". Her speech adopted the ribaldry of the book, giving us insights to the game, its characters and her experience of being brought up with the three brothers. She provided an excellent delivery and was well received by the Old Boy audience for her tales and bravery.
The roast beef was not the same animal that had been used the year previously as some had deduced by its texture. We will have a change in 1999.
Kieran Charleson