EVENTS

London Lunch 2010

The London Lunch was held in the Churchill Room and Terrace Room D at the House of Commons, on Monday 1st March 2010. It was kindly sponsored this year by Nick Gibb, MP (OBM).

The Room D party was hosted by Richard Ebbs and Dr Vaughan Southgate.

The Head, Michael Hall, took the chair for the first time.

Paul Middleton (President) proposed the toast to The School, and the Head responded.

The free draw for a bottle of House of Commons whisky was won by Kunle Barker.

The 2011 Lunch will be held on Monday 7th March 2011.

Christmas Lunch 2009

The Christmas Lunch in the Refectory, in the Rutherford Building at BMS, Manton Lane, Bedford MK41 7NT on Friday 11th December 2009, was attended by 120 OBMs and guests.

Founder's Dinner 2010

Over 110 OBMs, staff and guests attended the annual Founder's Dinner, which was held in the Refectory at BMS on Friday 9th July 2010.

The Headmaster, Mr Michael Hall, was in the chair for the first time. Other speakers were the President, Paul Middleton, the Head Boy, Segun Akinola, and the Head Girl, Sarah Fallow.

At the end of the evening, the President invested his successor, Ashley Knight, with the collar and badge of office.

Christopher Fry Festival

David Keep writes:

The Headmaster is to be congratulated on marking the centenary of the birth of Christopher Fry, with two performances of a pair of plays: a revival of 'A Ringing of Bells', written for BMS and premiered on 9th February 2001, together with a new play by Mark Burgess entitled 'A Part of Life.' These performances took place on 30th November and 1st December 2007. The second performance was preceded by a champagne reception in the Christopher Fry Hall, where there was an evocative exhibition of material, largely provided by Tam Fry from his father’s home in East Dean, Sussex, with, in the background, Christopher’s last interview (2003). It included ‘Charlie Corona,’ his typewriter for over 70 years, as well as photographs, portraits, drawings, busts and texts.

'A Ringing of Bells' is a ‘time play’ which it needs local knowledge to enjoy. It was performed competently by a young cast from a co-ed BMS. Six years ago the girls were visitors. Mark Burgess’s play starts with a different cast of pupils before the first production, and ends with them waiting to listen to Christopher (who made a brilliant impromptu speech on that occasion). The play proceeded with the only professional actor, Trevor Littledale, reminiscing about his life. Darcy Crowther was excellent as the schoolboy Christopher and young Tam. Elliot Woods-Stride was well cast as the young playwright, but he could have been ‘aged’ a bit when he was offstage. The other performers had to carry several roles, as familiar episodes in Christopher’s life were presented. Special commendation goes to Charlie Redhead who played, among others, Shaw, Coward, Olivier and Charlton Heston, whose speech at the 1960 ‘Oscar’ ceremony, re-instating Christopher as the screenwriter of Ben Hur, was significant.

In a sense, that was the end of the good times, though nearly fifty years of quiet contentment were to follow. The death of Phyllis was moving and the discussion of
the ‘Angry Young Men’ funny. Trevor Littledale as Christopher was totally convincing and almost uncanny: just as Christopher had been there when we were last in the Howard Hall, it was as though he still was. I hope there will be more opportunities for Fry presentations and particularly for a wider audience to appreciate A Part of Life.

David Keep (OBM 1945-55) is Chairman of the West Country Writers’ Association. This article was printed in Eagle News, January 2008.