The Old Elizabethan Association

151st Old Elizabethan Association Dinner: London

The splendid and familiar surroundings of the RAF Club in Piccadilly once again formed the backdrop for the London Dinner on 14th October 2011. With an extremely healthy turnout of 58 diners, the contest to purchase pre-dinner drinks in Victoria Bar was very competitive with OEs from right across the age spectrum taking part. As usual, dinner was served in the adjoining President's Room.

Guest of Honour was G R Dorey (4992), well known to those connected with the College as Donkey-in-Chief of the Dead Donkey Club and to others as Chairman of the Blue Diamond Group. Geoff explained that he had been ambushed in to speaking as Guest of Honour at the dinner much in the same way as he had been ambushed by N L Guillemette (5224) and P S T Girard (5442) in to becoming Donkey-in-Chief! He spoke of the work and future plans of the Dead Donkey Club and also of his career in business, which he very modestly put down to nepotism, having spent his entire career with the Fruit Export Company (started by Percy Dorey in 1904). Geoff spoke of his love of vintage cars and some of the adventures that he had experienced driving them, including crashing and turning one over. He also had the diners (including himself) in hysterics with a mixture of well chosen jokes and a saucy limerick. There were to be two saucy limericks but after careful consideration Geoff decided against the second! All in all, it was an excellent after dinner speech much enjoyed by OEs present.

The Secretary then called on the Principal, George Hartley, who started by saying how pleased he was to be at the dinner at all having been prevented from attending the previous year by a faulty aeroplane. He paid tribute to Brian Allen and John Hooker, two former members of staff who had both recently retired having served the college with distinction for 36 and 33 years respectively. The President was delighted that John was present at the dinner as a guest of the OEA having unfortunately missed the 150th dinner in June through illness.

College had achieved 42% A or A* at A level with nearly all of those pupils who had applied gaining entry into the best UK universities. At GCSE level the Principal singled out Oliver Yerby who had achieved a remarkable 15 A* grades. The overall record last year against Victoria College in the major sports (football, hockey and cricket) ended as played 16, lost 5, drew 2, won 9. The future looks even brighter as College did not lose a single junior fixture against Victoria and won all of the junior cricket matches. This year has started in excellent fashion with a 2-1 victory for the First XI in the home football fixture on College Field and 5-0 whitewash in sailing in Belle Greve Bay.

College experienced a vintage year at Bisley finishing 6th nationally and winning the Cottesloe Cup. Max Barber continued his superb form coming second in the Aggregate Trophy (having won it in 2010). Max was also selected for the Great Britain Athelings tour of Canada where he achieved the highest score in the winning Athelings team. He was then selected for Great Britain Under 25 team and achieved the highest score for them too!

The Principal concluded that College finds itself in fine fettle as it approaches its 450th birthday with excellent academic results and extremely healthy pupil numbers but that challenges lay ahead not least in coping with the 25% reduction in States funding albeit spread over the next seven years.

The Secretary then called on S M D Ross (7148) who proposed a masterfully constructed and wickedly funny ‘Floreat Collegium’. Simon recalled that he had completely failed at chemistry and cricket at College which put him in great stead when he arrived to teach at a school in the Punjab and was told that he was master in charge of both. He thanked College for shaping his cultural identity and praised the OEA for providing a lifelong network of friends and associates.

A lusty rendition of the Carmen rounded off the formalities, with an extra verse included by popular demand.

James Ovenden (7671)
Hon Secretary

More pictures of the dinner

List of diners