On Saturday 11^th June the rain stayed away from the skies over Bruton just long enough for King’s to showcase the School for its first ever Day of Celebration – a day for parents past and present, Old Brutonians, staff and pupils to celebrate ‘All that is good about King’s’.

From early afternoon, a steady trickle of Old Brutonians and Friends returned to King’s, some for the first time in many years to tour the School as well as to watch sport.  Two teams of Old Brutonian cricketers faced the School’s 1^st and 2^nd XI teams in exciting, nail-biting games, both of which finished with very close wins for the Old Boys.   At the same time, Parents and Old Brutonians faced the School’s excellent tennis players for a series of matches.  By 4 o’clock the Pavilion and Hyde were a-buzz with Old Brutonians, young and old, parents past and present, staff and pupils alike, ready to feast on a tea fit for royalty, produced and served by the BTEC Hospitality students – all washed down by Birchalls tea, kindly donated by the OB Graham family.  There was also the opportunity to buy ties and other King’s and OBA merchandise and admire the recently designed and tailored OBA blazers.   After tea it was time for many OBs to visit their former Houses; shown round by House staff and pupils, they marvelled at the modern facilities whilst regaling the present incumbents with tales of skulduggery.  Many also visited the John Davie Room to see the interesting exhibition on the History of the School, recently completed by Andrew Leach, School Archivist.

In the evening, the spotlight moved to the Memorial Hall, where 110 guests were treated to a Black Tie dinner, again served by the BTEC Hospitality students.  OBs, parents and staff dined on fine food and wine, interspersed with musical accompaniment between courses.  The soloists, Chamber Choir and Temperance 7 Group were quite simply breath-taking and as one former pupil said “was the stand out element of the day”.

Gilly Bunday - Events Manager