The dinner at S Stephen's House (aka Staggers) was a happy event. Thanks to Mark Blandford Baker (K 1974) we forgathered at Magdalen for Evensong followed by drinks in the newly refurbished Oscar Wilde Room. This function room was once the set used by Wilde. Mark told us that Wilde was as tough as nails and mixed aestheticism with athleticism, once throwing to hearty chaps who came to beat him up down the rather steep flight of stairs we had just climbed. I had hoped to have with me a friend who - like Wilde - is an Old Potoran who has often invited me to dinners of the Old Potora Union, but alas, he is away at the moment.
Following drinks we made our way up the Cowley Road to S Stephen's House and to dinner. The Master spoke about the life of the school and told a rather good joke about railway tickets and Harrovians which went down well, and then Canon Robin Ward, the Principal of S Stephen's House spoke about the great man who links Haileybury, Magdalen and Staggers, Basil Jellicoe, of whom I have written on this blog before. An alumnus of all three institutions his dedication to the poor and his self sacrifice in seeking not himself but the benefit of others was, said Dr Ward, a challenge to us in our tendency to commodify education, and see education as something to pay for and then use to our own benefit. He spoke in the context of university fees starting to rise but his challenge to those educated at independent schools is clear: we must add to our privilege the determination to serve others.
Fr Robin then revealed that he had been shown by my sons some of the pictures I had gathered on my camera of some corners of Haileybury which I have for a series of blog posts on 'nooks and corners.' To general hilarity he revealed that I have some shots of modern white cities on the school site. You may get to see those if we ever get the internet working in our new home.
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