Speech Day Celebrations

13 June 2016

May came to a close with a couple of exciting days at Stowe. On Friday 27 May the sound of the Eighties returned as Tony Hadley and his band arrived at Stowe and delighted an audience packed with Spandau Ballet fans with some of their classic songs. His repertoire also included songs from other artists and many of the audience spent the evening reliving their youth, as many of the Stoics experienced the musical delights of the Eighties for the first time! Tony had a hard act to follow as he was supported on the night by some of Stowe’s musical talent. Miles Nottage, Ben Andrew and Ben Western (BEN2) from our Music Department were the support acts and got the evening off to a wonderful start as our guests picnicked on the South Front.

The following day, we were delighted to see so many parents and Old Stoics join us for this year’s Speech Day. The sun shone on Stowe as we celebrated our pupils’ wonderful achievements and listened to some inspiring words from this year’s Guest of Honour, Tatler Editor and Old Stoic, Kate Reardon (Nugent 87).

For those arriving early on site there were the traditional Stoic v Old Stoic showdowns in the sporting arena with teams put out for clay pigeon shooting, golf, squash, water polo, fives and cricket. And an excellent riding display got underway at the Equestrian Centre as the Classic Cars arrived and were beautifully displayed on the North Front. As Stowe’s Big Band struck up, the flow of parents and Old Stoics increased and it was not long before the marquee filled up for the main event of the day.

This year’s Speech Day was special for many reasons but particularly so as it was Christopher Honeyman Brown’s final Speech Day as our Chairman of Governors. Both he and the Headmaster commented on just how spectacular Stowe’s development has been and how much has been achieved by Stoics, staff and supporters. Musical interludes were provided by some extraordinary Stoic performers (view them here). After the prizes were awarded, Kate Reardon spoke of the importance of having fun and how enthusiasm and reacting positively to situations can truly make a difference to your life. You can watch her speech in full here.

As picnics were unpacked, we were treated to the sounds of The Virtuosi GUS Brass Band and a brilliant air show by the Yakovlev Display Team who this year brought four planes to Stowe for their aerial acrobatics. To finish the day, the beagles made an appearance and then two Classic Cars, brought to Stowe from the Brooklands Museum, were fired up (with a little help from a push start) and proceeded to roar around the North Front.

Many of our visitors called into the Watson Art School and StoweBucks to see some excellent work by the Stoics, produced during their Art, Textiles and Design Technology courses. Speech Day is about celebrating the work and achievements of the School community and these exhibitions, the musical performances by the Stoics and the prizes given for a range of achievements highlighted just some of the creative talent here at Stowe.

For those who missed the event or would like to see some of the highlights and photos are now available online.