Welcome from Your President

“When I first proudly walked up the School drive on that Thursday afternoon in mid-September, little did I dream that I would still be going up that same drive some sixty years later, I arrived at the School in 1956 and never really left!

My first Whitgift experience was as a pupil, which was hard work but most enjoyable, especially the sport under Gerwyn Williams and Eddie Watts. Then it was on up to Croham Road for ten years of continuous rugby and cricket where I met and enjoyed the company of many other OWs and made new friends. Next, there was a time out for family life, Rotary Club President and growing the family transportation business into a worldwide concern and then returning to the School as a parent which was stressful but successful, and less energetic when standing on the touchline.

From there, OW committee work started to take over, firstly as chair of the Haling Park committee which entailed organising the entire activities of the then full OWA Day and latterly the Sportsman’s Lunch and Music Soiree functions. This post also found me as the OW representative on four School auxiliary bodies and attending nearly all the School’s productions and sports events. It was a short step as a Vice President on to the OWA/WA main committee and a director of OW Trustees Ltd overseeing the War Memorial Fund grants, all of which made the editorship of the Newsletter for the last 27 years a simple choice.

Having worked with five School Headmasters and now at the pinnacle of this wonderful organisation of ours which I hold so dear and is so widely respected, it is my honour to serve as your 77th President.”

Richard Blundell, OW

CLOSE
CLOSE