OP Social Events and Reunions
Quincentenary Finale London Black Tie Dinner 2014
To officially mark the close of the School’s
Quincentenary year, the Old Pocklingtonian
Association hosted its annual reunion dinner at the
stunning Haberdashers’ Hall in the City of London.
Prior to the dinner there was a special attended
Evensong service at St Paul’s Cathedral followed by
a private wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate
the School’s founder, John Dowman, who was buried
in the Chapel of St Catherine on the south side of old
St Paul’s in 1526. Dowman was also a Haberdasher, so
the Quincentenary Finale was indeed a fitting end to
the School’s 500th celebrations.
Over 200 Old Pocklingtonians, former and current
parents, staff and governors came to the Evensong
service which was also open to the general public.
The service was led by the Dean of St Paul’s, the Very
Reverend David Ison. The Canon in Residence, the
Reverend Canon Philippa Boardman, read the First
Lesson (Micah 4. 1-5) and the Headmaster, Mark
Ronan, read the Second Lesson (Luke 9. 28-36). The
prayers were led by the Precentor, the Reverend
Canon Michael Hampel, assisted by the Chairman
of Governors, Christopher Oughtred, and Tom
Nash (68-77), President of the Old Pocklingtonian
Association. The address was given by the School
Chaplain, the Reverend Jim Roberts, and was
followed by a hymn chosen by the School: “The day
thou gavest, Lord, is ended”, the music for which
was written by an Old Pocklingtonian, the Reverend
Clement Scholefield (1839-1904).
attending, it was the largest dinner ever organised by
the Old Pocklingtonian Association and the largest
ever hosted at Haberdashers’ Hall. OPs had travelled
from as far afield as South Africa, the USA and Canada
to come to the dinner, and tables were arranged in
year groups to maximise enjoyment. Some OPs had
organised and booked their own tables for a gettogether of their year in what for many has become
an annual tradition. With so many [