Abingdon News No.53

22 April 2020 Abingdon Development 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 are celebrating 150 years of Abingdon School at Albert Park, having moved to the site in 1870. Sarah Wearne, the 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 piece which was performed brilliantly by current sixth formers Tristan Tonks, Louis Renouf and Henry Pickess. The script used a number of memories contributed by OAs as part of the Boarding at Abingdon School project, along with extracts from the Abingdonian, to highlight the differences and similarities of life at Abingdon over the last 150 years. The project, which seeks to build up a picture of experiences and memories from those OAs who boarded, will add to our rich Archive, and is part of the ongoing 150th anniversary celebrations. Abingdon 150 Giving Day Although our Giving Day was postponed at short notice due to the difficult circumstances surrounding the Covid-19 situation, we were overwhelmed by the positive support, kind words and donations to the Abingdon Bursary Fund from our fantastic Abingdon community. Thank you to everybody who contributed. We very much look forward to holding the Giving Day in the future. Boarding Memories at Foundation Dinner