Having not been back to school for many years, I decided it was time to pay a visit and see for myself all the many changes I have read about in various newsletters. I also wanted to catch up with my old House Master Simon Smith, before his retirement in the summer. From the moment I first made contact, the OBA office were extremely welcoming and helpful, happy to make all the arrangements to enable the visit to take place.

Simon Smith has decided to retire at the end of the academic year after 38 years of outstanding service to the college, for the past eleven as Second Master.

He has been a wonderful support to me in my five years as Head Master, providing wise counsel, good humour and kindly reassurance throughout. My predecessors, Bill Blackshaw, John Leach and Anthony Seldon, also owe him a terrific debt of gratitude. He has served each of them with great loyalty. Above all, Simon has served this community. He has made time for colleagues and pupils in equal measure, supporting them when times are tough and admonishing them only when necessary.

I hope you are enjoying the summer (if that is the season where you happen to be). I hope also that you are enjoying the new look website, and I am very grateful to Alex Bremer (R. 1979-83) for his efforts in bringing it into the 21st century. The OBA has recently hosted two events, a Vice Presidents’ Lunch at the Carlton Club and the celebration of the entry of the latest cohort of College leavers into the Association, which coincided with the College graduation. For younger OBs we are arranging an informal reunion at the College for those who attended the school under Anthony Seldon, who was the Headmaster from 1997 to 2006. Details and/or reports of all these events can be found elsewhere on the site.