140th Anniversary
The school has celebrated its 140th anniversary with a tree planting ceremony followed by a tea party for the whole school community.
Headmaster, Gareth Jones, welcomed everyone to the afternoon and in his speech said that, “Throughout the life of St Andrew’s, one thing has been constant and leaps out in books that tell the school’s history and in letters written by pupils dating back before the 1900s and through to the current day in emails from OAs who look back fondly on their time here. The constant has been the sense of welcome and camaraderie that only a strong community enjoys. So we are planting this tree in celebration of the last 140 years here at St Andrew’s and also in hope for the next 140 years of what is to come. May this tree be a symbol of our responsibility to make the world a more sustainable and better place now and in the future.”
Those planting the tree alongside Mr Jones included the school’s Headmaster from 1984 – 2000 Hugh Davies-Jones and his wife Sarah who has run the Old Androvian Society for the last 15 years; Nicky Eckert, School Governor and Chair of the St Andrew’s Committee; Cheryl Pinch the school’s longest serving member of staff; Derek Kemp a neighbour to the school for 33 years and architect of the Pre-Prep building; Luisa Veitch and Emily Cracknell representing the staff; Catherine Fellows Chair of the Friends of St Andrew’s; Head Boy, Batuhan and Head Girl, Poppy; David, the longest serving boarder; Tom, a member of the school’s Eco Committee; Jessie representing the Pre-Prep and Jack and Kiana from the Nursery.”
Simon Farrar, who will be retiring as Head of English and History after 28 years sterling service, was called upon to read a poem he had written especially for the occasion.
Floreat* St Andrew’s
What sepia faces gaze
From frames, lost names
Past, forgotten, sun fazed days?
The timeless thwack of ball on pad,
Of bat on base, stick on stick.
Goals and codes,
Reworked, revoked.
Endless untucked shirts and
Sullied work.
Parades of nameplates,
Brass, on backs of pews.
Stained glass light,
Filtered through a dust of years
On lost sons.
And what remains,
These generations gone
Living still in print and page.
And who has pulled these timeless strings
Of scarred wood?
Misdemeanours scratched
And etched on sills and brick.
Old tricks re-inked.
The lines and links stretch on.
Fathers, daughters, mothers, sons.
A living bond forged
In child and building.
Floreat St Andrew’s.
*Floreat is a Latin word meaning flourish.
