On Friday, 19th January, Old Bedfordian and Warden of New College, Oxford, Miles Young (63-72) kindly hosted a very special event. Over thirty OBs and guests gathered at the Founders Library to catch up over tea, where Miles gave us an insight into college life, before being taken on a fascinating tour of New College, one of Oxford’s oldest and best-known Colleges. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham (1324-1404), Bishop of Winchester, it is situated in the heart of the city, on one of the most beautiful sites in Oxford. Film buffs amongst you might also recognise the New College cloisters from ‘Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire’.
It is interesting to note that there is an important historical link between the College and the School which dates back to 1552, with New College acting as the “academic guarantor” for many years, which included appointing the Headmaster up until early on in the twentieth century. With an OB now as Warden of New College, it is good to see that these historical ties are still going strong after all these years!
Following the tour, guests moved on to the stunning chapel to attend Evensong, where the choir sang beautifully. They have been celebrating Evensong in this location for almost 700 years and you can see why the setting and singing have such a special reputation.
To end a wonderful visit, Miles kindly invited everyone to join him for drinks in the Warden’s Lodgings. This really was a fascinating opportunity to gain a real insight into the history of an Oxford College, not to mention its day to day running. We’d like to thank Miles and his team for being such fantastic hosts.