UK Dinners
Scottish Dinner Friday 12th March 2010
- Lord Cockburn Room in The Roxburghe Hotel, 38 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4HQ T:0131 240 5500
- 7.30pm for 8.00pm
- Cost is £50 for a three course meal, plus coffee/tea including pre dinner drink and gratuities. Table wines and other drinks can be ordered on the night and will be at personal cost.
- Lounge suits
Accommodation can be booked at The Roxburghe or through the Edinburgh Tourist Board www.edinburgh.org
Please contact Andrew Fisher for more information or to book a place
e: afisher@blueyonder.co.uk t: 07803 180053.
Cheques should be made payable to Andrew Fisher and sent to 10 Johnsburn Park, Balerno, Edinburgh, EH14 7NA
Northern Dinner 13th November 2009
The OM's Northern Dinner held on Friday the 13th November 2009 was seen in with a typical generous drizzling of northern rain which failed to dampen our spirits for the evening ahead. Having all liaised with Windsor Roberts through the medium of Facebook, an online event enabled us to communicate together and get back in touch. This year was the first time both Leeds and Manchester combined for the Northern Dinner and future dinners will alternate between the two cities each year.
The young Northern OM contingent comprised seven Leeds University Students and one from Manchester University. The majority of us have been in the North for 3/4 years, having left Mill Hill in 2006 but the youngest member was Charlie Ensor who is a Fresher this year, having just left Mill Hill in June 09. With all of us studying various degree courses from Maths to Medicine, Drama to Design, this is the first time we've been to such an event and we're all so glad we did.
Having assembled for pre dinner drinks at my house we made our way to the venue for the evening. As we walked up to the impressive building on Albion Place Leeds, rain pouring off our rarely used smart evening wear, our excitement and anticipation for the night’s events grew. Stepping into the warm and inviting Club LS1 we made a beeline to the Bar where everyone was congregating. A beer or two down and hunger was setting in, however, unlike the usual ping of the microwave or pop of the toaster, dinner was signaled with the sharp strike of a Gavel and we proceeded into the dining room.
The evening was a great success and all of the YOM's had a great time. Even though a lot of us live near one another it is not always easy to meet up and this dinner was a brilliant opportunity not only to meet the other OM's in the North but to also see our friends and a few familiar faces. In particular, it was great to see Jamie Monaghan who was my and two others’ housemaster at Mill Hill. Catching up with him and hearing about the improvements in School House as well as the growth and development of the CCF was really pleasing to hear and we all enjoyed his presence at the dinner table although we did not envy his early departure the next morning to teach and referee Saturday Rugby in equally miserable weather. We also met the OMC's new President, David Short. He spent a considerable amount of time speaking with all of the YOM's and was very enthused to see us at the event. We look forward to seeing him at the next event.
The Headmaster’s report on the school's successes was really encouraging and gave us an insight into the changes going on across the Foundation in the relatively short time since we have left. We all look forward to visiting the school in the near future to see these changes for ourselves.
On behalf of myself and my fellow YOM's in Leeds and Manchester we would like to pay special thanks to those who came up from North London and to Windsor Roberts for organising a great evening thoroughly enjoyed by all. We all look forward to the next event and hope to spread the word to other YOM's up north and increase the attendance for next years gathering.
For more images from the Northern Dinner, visit out gallery.
Cambridge Dinner 24th April 2009
This year we again resumed our peregrinations and dined at Trinity College by the kind invitation of Mike Proctor. The Reception was held in the beautiful surroundings of the Old Combination Room overlooking Great Court and the dinner next door in the Allhusen Room.
David Short welcomed the guests, including the Club President, Alan Toulson, the Headmaster, Dominic Luckett, and the Chairman of the Court of Governors, Mike Proctor. It was a delight to welcome among the thirty six people present William and Margaret Winfield and their son and daughter Edward and Frances, both OMs up at Cambridge, and another undergraduate, OM Flora Lai.
To perpetuate the memory of the founder of the dinner Tony Bell, the loyal toast was followed by a new toast to his memory. After the speeches the usual lively question and answer session ensued. Rumour has it that a few members who shall be nameless were still celebrating well into the early hours of the morning.
David M.V. Short
Past Presidents Luncheon April 2009
Eleven past Presidents and guests Club Chairman, Andy Mortimer and Club President Alan Toulson, gathered for the annual Past Presidents lunch, which was held at the Army and Navy Club on April 16th. Past President. Gowan Bewsher was the senior member there (President 1992/3) and as is tradition, the immediate Past President organised the event.
After Stewart Hibberdine nearly choked on his red wine it was clear that the wine was past its best and the Club arranged for new bottles. It was great to see Ronnie Samuels in attendance after a long illness and he has suggested that the lunch be held at the National Liberal Club in future which is the home of the OMs Club.
St Bees Association
The weekend of Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th April, 2009, saw the final formal gathering and meeting of the St Bees Association. The occasion was inevitably one of mixed emotions, both of sadness and celebration: the Association was started by CDL David Smith and Michael Berry in 1988 to celebrate the Schools remove to St Bees during the Second World War but now with ever fewer members able to attend it has been decided to bring formal events to a close.
The members stayed at Low Wood Hotel on Lake Windemere and formalities began with the AGM on the Saturday, followed by a dinner, generously provided by Michael Berry’s sons, Simon and Tim. A number of informal speeches included an entertaining contribution by Katherine Whitehorn, daughter of ‘The Baron’. One of the first recorded events at St Bees supposedly was the young Katherine playing chopsticks on a recently downloaded piano at St Bees Station. The following day’s coach tour included a visit to St Bees School and the day concluded with an informal buffet lunch at the Masters Common Room, Queens Hotel, in the High Street.
So the Association has come to a formal closure and sadly the last Chairman, Peter Hamilton-Gray (Collinson 42-46) died only a fortnight later, having stoically braved illness to attend the reunion.
Leeds Dinner
The Yorkshire & North East Dinner was held on Friday 15th September at the Castle Grove Masonic Hall in Headingley, Leeds where 30 OMs and guests gathered on a perfect Yorkshire evening (no it was a balmy late summer evening for those of you who think Watford Gap is North!). Ages ranged from 35 Nigel Smart to 75 Michael Sweetman. Our guests were John Elliott (the Club President, 0); Angela Elliott, William Winfield (the Headmaster) Terry Allan (the immediate past President) and Marianne Allan.
After a splendid meal Windsor Roberts (Area Representative for the North East) welcomed everyone to Yorkshire and particularly those who had travelled a fair distance to be at the event. During the meal, Martin Walker had led Windsor to believe that it had become a tradition at Yorkshire Dinners for the Area Representative to take wine with all those OMs born in Yorkshire. Since Windsor is from the other side of the Pennines, Martin suggested that Mandy Roberts replace him - as she was apparently born in Yorkshire. After the toast Mandy quite loudly said she had been born in Grantham not infact in Yorkshire, and Windsor said "That's why YOU drank the toast as I wasn't born in Yorkshire!". Fortunately Allan Prosser-Harris, David Franklin and Dai Rees were not in attendance and Windsor passed the full blame onto them!
Windsor then congratulated William Winfield on his achievements since becoming Headmaster, thanked him for his support of the regions and hoped he would still visit the North East as a guest of the Yorkshire OM's. The President, John Elliott then entertained those assembled with a few tales from his travels over the last 10 months with particular reference to Australia and New Zealand and proceeded to present Windsor with a set of OM blazer buttons which will be put to good use! William Winfield spoke with great passion about the accomplishments of the pupils at Mill Hill School over the last 12 months and reiterated the important role he feels the Old Millhillians Club plays in their development.
With the formalities over, it was time to retire to the bar to reflect on an enjoyable evening and renew friendships.
List of Attendees:
John Elliott (50- 55)
President OMC & Angela Elliott
William Winfield, Headmaster
Terry Allan (45 – 49) & Marianne Allan
Jim Roberts (45 – 50)
Jill Roberts
Bill Skinner (49 – 55) & Meg Skinner
Sam Duckworth (49 – 53)
Ian Adams (44 – 49) & June Adams
Ronnie Aye Maung (45 – 50) & Joan Aye Maung
David Jenkinson (47 – 51) & Rae Jenkinson
Dudley Reed (47 – 52) & Judith Reed
Michael Sweetman (43 – 48) & Shirley Sweetman
Paul Taylor (50 – 54) & Lindsay Taylor
Philip Baines (39 – 43) & Janet Baines
Ronnie Cohn (59 – 63) & Barbara Strand
Noyan Nihat (82 – 88)
Windsor Roberts (79 – 85) & Mandy Roberts
Nigel Smart (83 – 88)
Jim Walker (61 – 67)
Martin Walker (66 – 71)
Scottish Dinner
The biennial pre Calcutta Cup match OM's Scottish Dinner was held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh, in the Lochnagar Room, on Friday 24 February, at 7.30pm. All OM'S / Partners / Guests were invited whether attending the match or not. For those requiring tickets for the game, there were a limited supply on a first come first served basis.
The cost was £39 a head for a three course meal, plus coffee, tea and a selection of chocolates, and this price included a pre-dinner drink and gratuities (University Undergraduates £35). Table wines and other drinks could be ordered on the night and were at personal cost. Dress was lounge suits.
We were glad to welcome all participants to Edinburgh.
Andrew Fisher
OM's Scottish Secretary
North West Dinner Nov 2008
As always the St James's Club in Manchester provided an intimate and inviting venue for the North West dinner. On Friday 14th November nearly 40 Old Millhillians and friends met for a most convivial evening: the guests enjoyed some excellent fare, including some delicious lamb and fine wines and, as always, the service was most attentive. Former President, John Elliott MBE, had worked tirelessly to make the evening such a success and left nothing to chance: many thanks to him for his efforts and to his ever supportive wife, Angela.
It was a most enjoyable evening and Robert Harley won the sweepstake on the speeches, only 37 minutes in total, but these occasions are increasingly challenging to organise as the number of traditional Old Millhillian families and individuals in the North declines. Many had travelled from the South and from over the Pennines but the thinking at the moment is that the Leeds/ Yorkshire dinner and the North West/Manchester dinner should combine into a single annual Northern dinner, being alternately hosted by the white and red roses.
South-West Dinner November 2008
An impressive table of memorabilia brought in by guests was a highlight of the South-West dinner at Taunton Cricket Club on Friday 28 November and provoked much discussion and interest. These included School caps from 100 years and 80 years ago, dozens of assorted photos, including one of the main School building before Top Field was laid out, and documentation from the founding of the OMs Club. School Rules from 1945 included detailed instructions about 'beatings', and there were letters from Sir John McClure, whose grandson Christopher Ousey was present. OM Rodney Coffin wore his father's OM blazer from 1922 and had his father's shooting caps from School and Bisley (Rodney, himself, has represented England at shooting).
There were some 40 guests, both OMs and their wives, and congratulations for all the organisation to Michael Henderson, abetted by his wife, Erica, who did the beautiful table decorations. The excellent occasion and meal was enjoyed by all. It was good to welcome Dr Dominic Luckett to his first South-West dinner, and he gave an upbeat review of the School, while the President, Alan Toulson, and outgoing Chairman, John Watkiss, proposed or answered the various toasts.
For more images from the South West dinner, visit out gallery.
Cambridge Dinner 9th May 2008
List of Attendees for the Cambridge Dinner:
Matthew Baldwin
John & Sheila Besent
Rodney Borgartz
Russell & Gillian Cowan
Christopher Dean
John & Angela Elliott
Dr. & Mrs. Dick Dickinson. Austin Field
Matthew Frise
Robert Harley
Ian Jarvis
Tim John
Christopher Knights
Nick Priestnall
Raymond Revell
John Roberts
David Short
Gerry Westoby
Adrian Williams
Ronny Cohn
Dominic Luckett
Michael Proctor
Cambridge Dinner 2007
There was a very good turn out at Corpus Christi College on March 23rd . A new room was used in the College, which met with the approval of those attending. The evening was mixed with a tinge of sadness as it was William Winfield’s last dinner as Headmaster. Grace was taken by Rev James Field , who was also attending for his last time. The President Geoffrey Vero made a speech covering his recent travels in the Far East and William gave us the usual most interesting report on School activities. Students at Mill Hill today are very fortunate to be able to enjoy their studies in excellent surroundings and with activities which must be the envy of many other schools.
William will be missed dearly but he will leave a legacy, which will be appreciated by everyone for years to come. He has been a true friend to Cambridge Dinner Old Millhillians. Discussion continued across the table after the speeches. The main subject which we discussed was the problem ahead for the School. That is to satisfy the Charities Commissioners that Mill Hill School should continue to enjoy it’s Charity status. It seems as though with the plans ahead this will be achieved. After good food, good wine and good company the evening finished late in the evening – we all enjoyed another evening at Corpus Christi. It was good to see some new members attending.
Those attending were: William Winfield, Geoffrey and Frankie Vero, Ronnie and Barbara Cohn, Nic Marcou, Tim John, Claire Erskine Murray, Robert Harley, Rod Borgartz, Gerry Westoby, Alan Bonner, David Short, Rev Christopher Davies, Judith Herbertson, Rev James Field, Anthony Marris, John Watkiss, Matthew Baldwin, Howard and Geraldine Ring, Andrew and Susie Savage, Nick Priestnall, Christopher Knights, John and Sheila Bessent, Jim and Gill Roberts, Russell and Gillian Cowan, and Tony Bell. Bruce Fraser, the School's Bursar had to cry off due to illness at the last moment.
Cambridge Dinner 2006
The 26th Cambridge Dinner April 28 2006.
Twenty seven OMs and guests gathered in Corpus Christi on a beautiful evening. The pre dinner drinks enabled everyone to meet before enjoying a fine meal in The Parker Room of the College. The room provides a very good atmosphere for us to enjoy our event. We were privileged to have the company of the President and Angela attending. Unfortunately the headmaster was not able to attend , but Andrew Gaylor kindly attended in his place. John Watkiss the Club’s Chairman and Geoffrey Vero, the Vice president and Franki his wife were also with us.
After an excellent dinner The President, John Elliott gave us a few well chosen and amusing words which were much appreciated. He also presented Tony Bell with a set of Old Millhillian blazer buttons, which Tony stated, he would treasure for ever! It was a very kind and generous gesture. Andrew Gaylor spoke with much conviction about the School and all the fine achievements in which Mill Hill students of today become involved. A great education, in the broadest sense of the word. The world visits made by many must motivate all those who are fortunate enough to travel. John Watkiss explained the developments within the OMs Club, which are placing the Club on a very strong basis for future development.
It did not seem long before the candles had to be blown out and we now look forward to next year, when, unfortunately, we hope to entertain the Headmaster for the last time before his retirement.
Those attending:
John and Angela Elliott
Geoffrey and Franki Vero
Andrew Gaylor
John Watkiss
Jim and Gill Roberts
Graham Elliot
Mike and Jacki Piercy
Ray Revell
Nic Marcou
Mathew Baldwin
Anthony Morris
Rod and Chris Borgartz
Tim John
David Rodda
Mark Norris
Gerry Westoby
Robert Harley
Maikka Simpson
James Field
David Short
Ian Jarvis and Tony Bell
Manchester Dinner
The North West dinner was held in Manchester on Friday 18th November 2005. A total of over 50 people sat down to enjoy the 32nd consecutive annual Manchester dinner since its re-establishment in 1974. Following a toast by the President, John Elliott, MBE (50-55) Peter Huston proposed the toast to Absence Friends.
Peter welcomed our special guests, Lyn Duncan, Head of Belmont, Pauline Bennet-Mills, Head of Grimsdell and her husband Carey, Tim Corbett, Hon. Sec. OMC, and the Bursar, Bruce Fraser, plus all the ladies present, including Jean Berry who came at the special request of Roddy Braithwaite, in recognition of all the help her late husband, Michael, had given to him with the history of the school.
Peter closed the formal proceedings by thanking the St. James’s Club for an excellent meal and service, and reminding everyone that the next Dinner had been set for the 8th December, 2006, so as to avoid a clash with the South West Dinner.