On Saturday, 27th November, Old Bedfordians, staff, and their partners gathered for the much-anticipated return of the OB Club’s Annual Dinner. Whilst some alumni organisations may struggle to keep these sorts of events going, we were delighted that this was a sell-out event, and it was great to see so many members of our community – aged 18 to 96 – supporting the Club.
Earlier in the day, we were thrilled to be joined by a large number of OBs who had organised year-group reunions, many of whom hadn’t set foot on school soil since leaving. As part of their reunion weekend, they revisited some of their old haunts, much to the delight of the local publicans! On the morning of the Annual Dinner, they enjoyed a guided tour, reminiscing about their time at the school and retracing their old footsteps. They then tucked into a hearty lunch before watching the Colts take on Harrow. Just enough time to freshen up and don their black-tie before coming back to the Great Hall for a thoroughly enjoyable evening…and what an evening it was, with over 170 OBs and guests attending.
At the Dinner, the Head Master thanked the OB community for their ongoing support to the school which takes many forms (from returning to give a lecture to supporting the important work of the Foundation). He gave a review of the year, highlighting that the school is in a healthy position with a full role of 1,100 students. There was a resounding round of applause when he expressed his delight at being named Independent Boys’ School of the Year in the much-coveted annual Independent Schools of the Year Awards.
This year, we were delighted to welcome nonagenarian, former Burnaby Housemaster, Jim Davidson (Staff 54-87), who reminisced fondly about his time at the school. As he took us through his recollections (which spanned across his 33 years at Bedford), he shared some of his interactions with our guest of honour, The Rt Hon Sir Desmond Swayne TD MP (70-75), who was a Burnaby boarder during Jim’s tenure. He went on to welcome Sir Desmond, a charismatic orator, who spoke fondly of his time at the school and recalled some entertaining anecdotes both from his time at Bedford and, more recently, as an MP.
The incoming President of the Club, Professor Martin Snaith OBE (53–63) welcomed all, in particular, The Rt Hon Lord Naseby (50-55), who had recently celebrated his 85th birthday. In order to let the celebrations continue, he presented Lord Naseby with a birthday cake with just 4 candles (85: 8+5= 13; 1+3= 4!).
Despite the rather arctic conditions in the Great Hall (although we do hope our warm welcome made up for this!), there was a fantastic atmosphere and camaraderie in the room. The evening ended on a ‘high note’ with a rousing rendition of ‘Domus Pater’, which was led by the Bedfordshire District Vice President, Dr Jason Reddy (79-84). Thank you to all for attending, particularly those who came to their first OB event since leaving school – you are all most welcome and we hope that you will all join us at future reunions and gatherings.
