Development & Alumni Office
| St. Clare's
Association Annual Weekend 4-5 June 2005 |
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What a wonderful weekend! The first occasion of the St. Clare's Association Annual Weekend was held here in Oxford on a cold and grey summer's day. It began on 4 June with tea and a talk from the Vice Principal, Keith Allen, on Global Citizenship, followed by lively discussion. The Reception and Dinner which followed brought together alumni from five different countries as well as the UK. It was a warm and memorable occasion. The St. Clare's Governors were represented by Roderic Bullough, Chairman of the Finance Committee, and Jesmond Blumenfeld who joined us as a Parent Governor when his daughter, Rebecca, was on the IB programme from 1998-2000. Also present was Catherine Lewis, one of our two US-based Governors. Towards the end of the Reception, guests were intrigued to be invited to a short musical interlude, where Boyd Roberts, an accomplished counter-tenor, sang Bach, Mozart and Copeland to a clearly amazed and delighted audience. He was accompanied on the piano by Maureen Lake, one of our music teachers. A candle-lit dinner followed in the conservatory overlooking the garden. Boyd Roberts welcomed guests and spoke before the dinner about the architectural masterplan and the future directions for St. Clare's. Anne Dreydel was our Guest of Honour, and spoke after dinner, with Roderic Bullough and Jesmond Blumenfeld also speaking. Although a formal occasion, the atmosphere was relaxed and people moved around the tables to meet up with eachother.
On Sunday, Anne Dreydel hosted a luncheon party at her home. Against all the odds, and the weather forecast, the clouds parted and the sun came out, so we were all able to eat alfresco in Miss Dreydel's lovely garden. This was a very special occasion. Jill Ross-Thomas (1963-65) summed up the feelings of all who attended in her subsequent email: "I just wanted to thank you for such an delightful lunch party yesterday: all that a Sunday lunch in summer should be, except possibly for the weather? The company more than made up for that and it was, as ever, wonderful to see Miss Dreydel on such good form. The lunch itself was absolutely delicious (a winning combination of all that was light but totally wicked - and as for that Brie....). Do please pass our thanks on to all the ladies concerned: I'm sure they knew how greatly appreciative we all were." Ann McKeown, a former Chemistry teacher at St. Clare's in the 70's and 80's said: "It was lovely to meet you and to renew all the "old" acquaintances from the late 70's. We both thoroughly enjoyed the dinner and the lunch at Anne's." Truly a wonderful weekend at St. Clare's.
Dates
for 2006 St. Clare's Association Annual Weekend Kay Honner, Development Director
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