Christ’s Hospital Founder’s Day Dinner 2025

Steward’s Report 2025

A splendid evening was had at the Ironmonger’s Hall on Friday 10^th October.

A full hall of diners, aged from eighteen to ninety-two enjoyed an excellent meal with good company and much reminiscing!

This year’s dinner celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester’s presidency and the fortieth anniversary of the girl’s move from Hertford to Horsham. It was, therefore, wholly appropriate that our guest of honour was His Royal Highness, our Chief Steward and the evening’s Chair was Diana Garnham (6s 1966-71) and our Responder was Janet Porter (2s 1957-65), both ex Hertford girls. To support them was a significant, “enthusiastic,” contingent of their contemporaries, many of whom can be seen in the photographs. We were also delighted to welcome Matthew Judd, our new Head with his partner Ian Hibbert.

Very few present realised when the Duke stood up to speak he had been given only a few minutes notice (an error at Kensington Palace meant he had not been advised). The quality and fluidity of his speech spoke volubly of his ability as a speaker and his true commitment to Christ’s Hospital!

In response Janet Porter entertained us by detailing the numerous successes of ex Hertford girls and ensured the male majority present (55%) knew more about them than they did earlier in the evening! It really was apposite to hear of these successes on this anniversary, as so many of them had “flown under the radar” previously.

Diana, chaired the evening with dignified calmness and but still managed, between many telling comments, to place a few “Hertford plugs!” The formal part of the evening came when she thanked the Duke for gracing the occasion and announced the bar was open until11.00 and that, through Izzy Pelling (Senior Grecian 2016), arrangements had been made for the more adventurous to move on afterwards to a bar in the City. I am assured that most of those who “moved on” were subsequently accounted for!

Downloads of the many photographs taken are available free via   https://sharpphoto.co.uk/p473404792

Next year is the 200th anniversary of the first recorded dinner and an appropriate event is being planned. If you have not been before do consider joining us next year. Twenty-three Old Blues came for the first time this year.

A number of applications for joining the Stewards of Christs Hospital Founder’s Day have been received. There are opportunities for more. If you would like to be closer to the organisation and wellbeing of this major Old Blue event please do consider it. Further information can be obtained from myself at jdw.wor@btinternet.com. If you have applied and not received a response from me yet, please contact me again.

John Williams

Hon Sec. Stewards of Founder’s Day