St Edward's Rhubarb - 2018

2 ST EDWARD’S r h u b a r b

President’s Report Michael Palau (B, 1959-1964)

In June John Wiggins made the valiant drive north to the NW Lunch which was most enjoyable, but staying for less than three hours does not really do it justice - apologies for that – followed by the Henley Tea Party. Progress in the Cricketer Cup was frustrated by Stowe - this may not happen again! The Summer Golf Meeting took place at Frilford Heath incorporating a match vs. the School. Your President missed some cricket but made the London Golf Meeting where there was a healthy attendance for the inaugural competition for the Palau Bucket at Royal Wimbledon in early July. September brought the Martyrs Autumn Sports Day and a successful Girls' Reunion, co-incidentally with an extra game of OSE rugby (10-a-side) which proved a most successful warm-up game for the School XV and their vintage performance vs Rugby. Later in September, Peter Swainson led the Martyrs’ Hockey team to win back the Haileybury Sixes and in October Grace Robinson led her team to win the Dean Close Sixes. Your President would have witnessed both but a wedding got in the way of the latter and taking our goalie Tanaka to A&E meant missing the final of the former. All OSE will be impressed with this remarkable double. Hurrah! Late September featured a trip to Hunstanton as our team led by Peter Neal had qualified for the finals of the Grafton Morrish. We had a tough opening match vs Bedford - better luck Special Gaudies We have received several enquiries recently about the forthcoming programme for Special Gaudies. Over recent years, we have asked for and listened to OSE feedback. This has highlighted that there is still high demand for regular Special Gaudies for those at the School before 1970, but that OSE who were here after that time prefer a more varied programme of formal and informal reunions. Construction on the exciting new Quad Development has begun

next year. Your President has a record of missing our OSE crews on the river. He either gets to the wrong part of the river, up too late or picks a day (particularly drizzly) when the Martyrs did not feature. In the meantime your Hon. Sec., AJW, chalks up the occasional victory which he is modest about (Masters E Doubles at the Upper Thames Head with Andy Knight). November saw Rhubarb at The Retreat, remembering our Rhubarb on the Rocks with Ian Stuart, and a vintage outing Rhubarb Goes to Town with a really healthy turn out, the core of which enjoyed a meal at Chutney Mary afterwards. My year was rounded off at the OSE Carol Service in early December, the wondrous music leaving me uplifted and well-primed for Christmas. There was an early quarterly Committee meeting in January at the East India Club. It always produces a variety of ideas and comments. New and ongoing projects are discussed, costs estimated and approved: Readers Make Leaders T-shirts for participants; sponsoring the programme for the St Edward’s Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band, Chapel Choir and Brass Band at St John’s Smith Square; helping our archivist Chris Nathan with his display to celebrate the RAF’s 100th Anniversary and digitising Jack Gauntlett’s photos from glass negatives. The Warden reports record results and there is hearty discussion as to how The Society can further support young OSE. and is expected to take 18 months. Consequently we will also be adjusting the format of large events in School during this period. Watch this space! Needless to say, as soon as the development is complete we will be planning a special Special Gaudy for all OSE to see the stunning new facility. We will be surveying OSE again this year to gain further feedback on what kind of events you want from 2019 onwards. Please take the time to let us know what interests you and we will endeavour to make it happen!​

S O C I E T Y

Michael Palau

My second year started at the AGM Dinner 25th March 2017. We praised the ten-year leavers who came back in good numbers. We praised the longevity and loyalty of Richard Whittington and Theodor Abrahamsen and the seamless continuity of Michael Cox’s attendance (53 and counting). So what is the Society up to? It is still all about reunions, dinners, lunches and new projects. Our Hon. Sec. has a full programme of university visits, Birmingham and Bristol being the latest, accompanied by our new Alumni Relations Officer, Jenny McCarter. The purpose of these is to provide a thread of contact for those who choose to stay in touch and ready responders for when the School invites the five-year leavers to return to regale the Sixth Form with their experiences and exploits since leaving. In April, your President found his way to the Golf Spring Meeting at Worplesdon, the OSE Music Day in the wondrous new Music School with one of the Ensemble Rooms donated by The Society, the Cricketer Cup Dinner which was well attended by our cricketing Martyrs and the David Drake-Brockman vs School XI Memorial Match. Rhubarb at the Rickety proved a fertile meeting for the planning of a drama event in November, David Aldred and Will Bailey in attendance.