5 minute read
Letter from the Warden
Next Article
Dear ORs,
As I write this, the nation is in mourning as we remember the extraordinary life and service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Such moments are of profound importance; they cause us to examine our roots, traditions, values, and beliefs. At Radley, we emerge, as I trust we do as a nation, confident that we build on firm foundations. As we stood in Chapel as one, I was struck by three things: the universal respect and acknowledgement from boys that this was a solemn and significant moment in history; that such acknowledgement held true for those for whom she was not their queen; and that Chapel was the perfect place for us all to be collectively, in that moment. I am very proud of the Chapel extension as an architectural project but the purpose of it was not merely aesthetic; it was to make sure that we could retain the tradition of all boys being together: singing, reflecting, identifying as one. Never more true – or important – than this week.
It seems apt, somehow, that as the nation does the same, we should reflect on our history. That has been a feature of our 175th anniversary year and it is celebrated in this edition of the Old Radleian. It is nice to think that we had two visits from the Queen: in 1947 when she was still a princess and 1997 when she and the Duke of Edinburgh visited to open Queen’s Court, a visit which many ORs will remember. In our archive, there is a wonderful letter from the then princess dating from the first visit as she wrote warmly about the occasion to a former member of staff who lived in Windsor Great Park and had returned to Radley for the day. As for so many, the Queen is part of our College history.
History has been at the heart of our anniversary year. We have a new book, Untold Stories, that draws on less wellknown elements of our archives to bring light and life to our past. In June, we reflected on the momentous days of 1847, recorded in Singleton’s diaries, as first the idea and then the reality of Radley College came to be. And, of course, back in November 2021, we had the sad – but also wonderfully uplifting – service to pay tribute to the contribution Richard Morgan made to Radley as Don, Tutor, and Warden. The year was not, however, designed as simply a nostalgia-fest. As all good birthdays do, it involved a lot of celebratory fun, kicked off by a wonderful evening of music, the 175 Concert at Cadogan Hall. Our Festival 175 in the last week of the Summer Term was the culmination of the celebrations. The highlight was probably, judging by the numbers present, the visit of Dame Mary Berry … though mention must be made of the compering role played by the Sub-Warden as he guided her through the cakes on display. The festival stage welcomed the BBC concert band, a magician, a debate on Covid lockdown, Sir Anthony Seldon, and much else besides. Two particular highlights stand out for me as I look back. First, the bands night, not because I enjoyed the music – though the quality was excellent – but because it was a fine example of boys from different years coming together and supporting each other in exactly the way we would wish. The second also involved music, but was again more about what the event represented as we welcomed hundreds of primary school pupils to a day with Kabantu, a leading folk music band. It was a huge logistical feat to get them here but the smiles on their faces and their enthusiastic reception and interaction made it more than worthwhile.
This leads me to the third aim of the year: honouring the past, celebrating the present … and looking to the future. I never tire of saying that we are right to love, and hold on to, our traditions but at the same time, we want to be doing things differently, evolving what a Radley education looks like in the 21st century. We were keen to reflect on what the next 175 years might bring.
Three themes emerged: sustainability, partnerships, and entrepreneurism. We were delighted to launch our sustainability strategy in June, and it is good to have lots of new initiatives coming from the committee tasked to lead us, on which boys have a significant voice. Tree planting in honour of the anniversary will give a lasting memory of the year, and our plans to introduce a solar farm look all the more important given the current energy crisis. It is great to see the Countryside Centre at the heart of our plans, something I have long thought we could make more of.
We have made the Countryside Centre a core element of our partnerships strategy, welcoming partner schools and groups into Radley, as we seek to ensure that the College is properly and purposefully connected to the world beyond our gates. I am thrilled at the progress in this aspect of our strategy.
Finally, we are conscious that an entrepreneurial mindset is perhaps more important than ever. It has been interesting to see how just how many Old Radleians seem to be taking a different route to career planning in the post-Covid period and are succeeding in starting and growing their own enterprises. Here at the College, we are fortunate enough to have a lead donation to help kickstart a new approach encouraging an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset in our boys: watch this space.
We are always building on good foundations, of course. As we look back on a remarkable period of over seventy years of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s rule we are, I think, proud of it. Of the heritage, stability, and continuity, but also of the way in which the ancient institution of monarchy has adapted and changed. And of the humanity, dedication and service involved. As we also look back on 175 years of Radley College, I hope – I think – the same themes apply.
