On Friday 6 March 2020, the School welcomed guests to the annual Foundation Dinner ‘in honour of our founders and benefactors’. In addition, this year we celebrated 150 years of Abingdon School at Albert Park, having moved to the site in 1870.
Sarah Wearne, School Archivist, had put together an exhibition of photographs depicting the School over the last 150 years which guests viewed during the pre-dinner drinks reception. Guests were then welcomed by the Head of Abingdon Prep School, Craig Williams, and Head of Abingdon School, Michael Windsor.
Our own Abingdon Sodexo team prepared a celebratory dinner for guests which demonstrated to some of our more senior OA guests just how far school food has come since they left Abingdon. We heard from the Chairman of Governors, Professor Mike Stevens (OA 1968), who extolled the benefits of an Abingdon education thanks to a culture of being open to all, shaped by a history of fee-assisted places.
Jeremy Taylor, Director of Arts Partnership, worked closely with Sarah, to produce a unique performance piece, which used a number of memories contributed by OAs, along with extracts from the Abingdonian, to highlight the differences and similarities of life at Abingdon over the last 150 years. This original piece was performed brilliantly by current sixth formers Tristan Tonks, Louis Renouf and Henry Pickess.
