On Saturday 23 June we were delighted to welcome back to school Gilbert Lloyd (50-58) and his wife, Elfie Lloyd. Gilbert has been a great patron of the Arts at the school, and a key element of this special day was to recognise his support over the years and to take the opportunity to thank both he and Elfie in person. The day commenced with a lecture in the Great Hall by OB Will Gompertz (78-81). This lecture marked the ten-year anniversary of the Gilbert Lloyd Art Lecture Series. The Head Master welcomed everybody to the school for this key event in the calendar. He was particularly pleased to welcome Elfie and Gilbert sixty years since Gilbert left school in 1958. He also thanked Will Gompertz for rushing down from Newcastle upon Tyne that morning after a filming assignment, and OB Simon Murray (49-58) for finding time in his busy schedule to come back to school to join in the celebrations with his old school friend.
The lecture was entitled ’Think Like an Artist’ and was both entertaining and thought-provoking. It encouraged all of us to utilise our artistic skills and creativity on a daily basis. Through his job as BBC Arts Editor, Will has been fortunate to meet many involved in the world of Art, identify common traits and to see how an artistic approach can help deal with a variety of life’s challenges.
After an enjoyable lunch, a plaque was unveiled to recognise Gilbert and Elfie’s recent generous donation, which was used to update the entrance to the Art School with an exciting new space, named the Gilbert Lloyd Gallery. In his speech, the Director of Art, Michael Croker, thanked Gilbert and Elfie for their support over the last ten years, and touched upon the benefits brought about by the creation of this new space. In his response Gilbert spoke movingly about how lucky he felt to have attended the school, where he learnt about art from a young age under the then Senior Art Master, Ron Dalzell (Staff 47-70). This special tribute was particularly appreciated by Ron’s son, Roger Dalzell (48-57), who also joined us for the day.
If you have not yet visited the Gilbert Lloyd Gallery, you are warmly invited to do so, and to enjoy the art displayed, which is changed periodically.
