Speech Day and Classic Car Display
25 May 2015
Speech Day is less about individuals and more about the whole family of Stowe, remembering the many and varied achievements over the year. And what a year it’s been: in September a new co-educational Sixth Form House, West, was formally opened by Viscount Cobham; in November the School solemnly commemorated the centenary of the outbreak of World War One and the Congreve featured two remarkable plays in the Roxburgh Theatre: Killed, July 17 1916 and Picnic on the Battlefield. The visit of the First Sea Lord, Old Stoic, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, marked the 90th Anniversary of the foundation of the CCF.
Other highlights were the sassy, vibrant and entertaining production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical, Company; the Fashion Show where our glamorous catwalk models raised funds for Kidscape, the anti-bullying charity. We’ve enjoyed a masterclass and recital by the renowned virtuoso pianist, Lang Lang, which no one present will ever forget. A couple of days later Stoic soloists, accompanied by the Stowe Festival Orchestra, set an incredibly high standard of musicianship which was then matched by the choir of the Dominic Convent School, our partner school in South Africa.
Governors, parents and staff are all involved in developing the individual potential of each and every Stoic. Why does it matter? In the words of Thomas Edison, “the greatest invention in the world is the mind of a child”. Each of our children will carry on what we have started and, in 30 years’ time, it will be our children sitting where we are sitting or even, heaven help us, standing where I am standing. When we are gone, it is our children who will judge our legacy, so we might as well pay some attention to them now.
Anthony Wallersteiner, Headmaster
Classic Cars
Sadly, this year we did not have our very stoic Old Stoic, Ronald ‘Steady’ Barker (Grenville/Walpole 38) with us for this event. He has been a great influence and mentor to me over the last five years and had been instrumental in managing to persuade all sorts of people to bring along their very special cars on Speech Day. He passed away on 25 January 2015 at the grand age of 94. Entirely due to his efforts, the 24 litre Napier-Railton Special 1933 came from Brooklands Museum to be displayed this year, but was under orders not to be started. There is talk of this possibly happening in 2016.
Now in its sixth year, the Classic Car Display had 111 cars exhibiting on the North Front, along with six Penny Farthings, most of which had been ridden courageously here from about 15 miles away! Also displayed was the 1934 Lancia Astura ‘Special’ which had been raced by Steady in the 1950s, complete with its own footplate with his nickname engraved on it. A photographic display of Steady’s exploits over the years was exhibited in the marquee and some wonderful and predictably hilarious tributes were paid to him by his old friends at lunch.
An ultra-rare 1923 Austin 20 Sports Tourer, a 1902 Curved-Dash Oldsmobile, a 1926 Morgan Aero three-wheeler, a 1908 Renault Tourer and a very rare 1930 MG ‘Tigress’ (18/100 Mk III) brought by Anthony Littlejohn (Temple 59) were all magnificently on show and the weather was kinder to us than it has been for many a year. There is an article about the event in the July edition of The Automobile magazine by Douglas Blain. Next year’s event will take place on Speech Day, Saturday 28 May 2016.
Caroline Whitlock, Old Stoic Events Co-ordinator