The Chronicle 682

4 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

The John Wiggins

Jon Snow OSE Jon Snow OSE has announced that he will be stepping down as presenter of Channel 4 News after 32 years at its helm. Snow, known both for his skill as a master of the investigative interview and collection of magnificent ties, is the longest- serving presenter in the show’s history and has declared that he is looking forward to ‘new adventures’. Snow, who attended St Edward’s in the ’60s, has said of the School, ‘There is no more sublime location – probably anywhere. You have the city, Port Meadow, the playing fields, the whole environment, and then Summertown as your own suburb. It’s an absolutely extraordinary coalition – the organic combination of city, suburb, countryside: it is amazing’. He returned to open the new English Department, now the Modern Languages building, in 2004.

John Wiggins writes: ‘Can you come to lunch as a thank you for all you have done for the Boat Club?’ were the Warden’s innocuous words ahead of receiving the greatest honour that could be bestowed upon a simple rowing coach. Colleagues and family alike were sworn to secrecy and amazingly not a hint was dropped. The penny, however, well and truly came to rest when walking into the Warden’s garden to see the shiny yellow boat nestling on it trestles and the maximum number of smiling faces that Covid restrictions could allow all beaming at me. Family and colleagues past and present were joined by

members of my winning ’99 crew and, of course, the current senior squads. My ‘loss for words’ was genuine but temporary and

hopefully I was able appropriately to respond to the Warden’s generous remarks. I later discovered that this had been in waiting for well over a year but delayed for the same reasons that so many other events had been set aside. It was great then to see the boys move the boat so well, generating great speed and getting faster and faster as they worked towards the delayed Henley Royal Regatta taking place in a few days’ time.

Jon Snow OSE interviewing the Warden in the ITN studios in 2013 and, inset, opening the English Department.