Regardless of whether they left 70 years ago or 17, Old Leightonians converged on the Park to mark the school’s special birthday on 19th September 2015.
Students provided guided tours during which OLs shared some wonderful pranks and stories – we are not sure who enjoyed the experience more. The remarkable 1959 film ‘A School in a Park’ was screened in a packed Grove House common room, with fascinating insight into some of the technical challenges overcome by one of the original film makers Malcolm Brahams (G 1959). Housemaster Graham Smith displayed many old photos and John Allinson, Archivist and former Senior Master, gave an entertaining talk with photos that had the audience calling out memories.
One of the highlights of the day was the burying of the Time Capsule (created by two year 11 students Katinka Pim and Robyn Ellis), near the Peace Pole. The ceremony was officiated by Hugh Dawson (S 1943), who was celebrating his 90th birthday that weekend.
In his speech, Hugh remembered the school’s 50th anniversary “in the dark days of 1940”, when several of the first boys at the school were still alive.
“The school has progressed unimaginably since I joined the school 76 years ago. The two boarding houses for 150 boys have enlarged to a co-educational largely day-school with 500 pupils. The grounds are in pristine condition. The school house donkeys to mow the pitches and piggery are things of the past. But academic excellence and character building with emphasis upon Christian and Quaker principles remain fundamental to the ethos of the school.”
He consigned the time capsule to the ground with a “fervent prayer that Leighton Park School may continue to shine a light and blaze a trail in the field of school education”.
A film of the day, made by Alice Martineau (2010), can be seen on Youtube:
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