Abingdonian 2017

78 The Abingdonian come and sadly go. There have been two Heads who have presided over us, each bringing their own brand of strong and stable leadership. And it’s also not to say that everything’s been plain sailing. The past few weeks of exams have been harrowing in many regards, and from the expressions of trepidation my parents exchange with each other when I walk in to a room at the moment, I know that these pains are felt by all involved. But because Abingdon has served as a second home, we have learned things here that don’t simply come through lessons. The value of camaraderie, and friendship for one. It was genuinely heartwarming to be involved in the yearbook project over the past few months, because you discover so many friendships and shared experiences you never knew existed. Of course we also discovered many anecdotes which we couldn’t understand and other anecdotes we simply couldn’t print. But don’t worry, I’m sure those more colourful stories will be augmenting my pension fund should any of you become public figures. But I would like to repeat on this occasion what was said at the front of that book, because I think it rings especially true today: that you achieve nothing without your friends, and those achievements only matter with friends there to celebrate them with you. Hand-in-hand with this camaraderie is of course the respect and tolerance we have learned whilst at Abingdon. Whether your interests lie in the arts, in the laboratory, on the stage, or on the river, we have given each other scope for our passions, realising that everybody’s views, idiosyncrasies and hobbies are to be relished and respected. Of course these virtues don’t come about by chance - they are the result of our surroundings, and here I would like to voice our immense gratitude. Gratitude for our teachers, who have both endured us for the past few years and inspired us, and who have managed to make each day more enjoyable and exciting than the last. We leave with our passions and interests because of you. Gratitude for our tutors and housemasters who have shown unbounded empathy, patience and