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THE BRUTON DINNER
THE BRUTON
DINNER 2003
Saturday, June 21st, 2003 was the
perfect summer’s day: clear, blue
skies, blazing sunshine – the way
summers used to be! It was going to
be a beautiful evening for the
Dinner. However, as the AGM
progressed, heavy, black storm
clouds arrived from nowhere and
settled ominously over Bruton.
Undeterred by the apparent threat,
just over a hundred Members of the
Association and their guests
gathered in the Millennium Circle for
drinks and the lively sound of the
School Jazz Band. Alas, suddenly
thick, wet drops of rain began to fall
intermittently, then more
persistently and finally in torrents.
Everyone fled, either into the
Memorial Hall or over to the
Hobhouse Science Centre. Although
the rain quickly cleared, we had
sadly heard the last of the Band, as
they were due elsewhere for their
second ‘gig’ of the evening. We had
had music before at the pre-Dinner
drinks but not on this scale. It was a
great pity that we were prevented
hearing more of the Band’s excellent
playing. Perhaps next year……
Despite the weather and the fact
that we had been cheated of our
music, nobody’s spirits seemed in the
least dampened, and there was
clearly a great deal of good humour
in the air. This was partly because
Old Brutonians are of legendary
geniality anyway, and partly because
the sparkling wine flowed
generously and the menu looked
tempting. To start, we were offered
either chicken liver parfait (“smooth
chicken liver pate with herbs and a
hint of garlic, garnished with
redcurrants and a spicy cordial
glaze”) or a Stilton, apple and walnut
bavarois (“traditional Stilton mousse,
blended with chopped apple and
walnuts, with a light apple glaze,
served with a salad garnish and
melba toast”). Then there were beef
stroganoff, Thai red chicken curry,
white and saffron rice, Cornish
minted new potatoes and an
astonishingly wide selection of
salads. The duo of Belgian chocolate
with fresh raspberries and clotted
cream is probably served to God on
special occasions; while to follow
there were cheese and biscuits and
coffee. Delicious East Australian
wines, followed by port and Madeira,
washed it all down – or there was
mineral water, if you preferred.
After the Loyal Toast, the President
proposed the toast to the School.
Traditionally and inevitably, this
involves saying thank you many
times over – to those who help run
the Association and to those who
make the Bruton Dinner a
possibility. Of the latter, attention
naturally focused on Rose Vigers,
who for a number of years now has
produced, with her catering team,
the kind of imaginative menu
described above. Rose is stepping
down as the School Caterer in order
to become Housemistress of Arion.
(The School’s loss is the School’s
gain.) Chris Rhys-Jones presented
Rose with a bouquet of flowers as a
token of the Association’s gratitude
for all her work on its behalf.
Presentations were also made to
two retiring masters: Andrew Leach
and Terry Johnson. Andrew received
a cheque for £370 to mark his thirtyseven
years in the School as teacher,
housemaster, Deputy Head and,
most recently, Registrar. Terry, in his
turn, received a cheque for £160. Also
honoured was Geoffrey Lee (L93/98),
one of this year’s Graduate Prize
winners, who received an engraved
decanter and a cheque.
Unfortunately, the other prize
winner, Geoffrey Ferrari, was unable
to be present, but he too will receive
a decanter and a cheque.
In replying to the toast to the
School, the Headmaster thanked the
OBA for its generosity: there were
several pupils in the School who
would not be there but for the
financial help given by the
Association. He went on to say that
he wished to concentrate on three
P’s: People, Place and Progress. In
speaking of People, he paid tribute to
Rose Vigers, Terry Johnson (sixteen
years at the School, nine years as
housemaster of Lyon and with a
particularly distinguished record as
the Head of Design/Technology) and
Andrew Leach. It is impossible here
to summarize adequately the huge
contribution that Andrew has made
to the School. However, the
Headmaster was able not only to
express his own regard for Andrew
but also to call on a message sent to
the Dinner by Tony Beadles, Richard
Smyth’s predecessor. As to Place, the
Headmaster announced that the
School had bought a considerable
swathe of land between the
Wincanton road and Hyde that
offered exciting possibilities for
development. Where Progress was
concerned, he was able to report
success on the games field, increased
drama activity and the words of a
parent apropos the Summer Concert:
“a civilized moment in a mad world”.
Finally, he announced the
appointment for 2003/4 of the first
girl Head of School, Helen Smyth.
The official part of the evening
ended with a cheery rendition of
Carmen Brutoniense, the School
Song, resurrected by popular
demand and this year celebrating its
one hundredth birthday, having first
been sung formally at Speech Day on
June 11th, 1903. For the record, a
report in The Dolphin that summer
ends: “ The proceedings [Speech Day]
closed by the singing of the new
Carmen Brutoniense, which has a
capital swing, and is a fine example
of a school song, and the National
Anthem. Hearty cheers were given
for the author (Mr J.H. Alderson) and
composer (Mr Duncan Hume) of the
song, the Headmaster and Mrs
Norton, and the visitors.”
MEMBERS ATTENDING
Guests in italics
1939
Keith Lilly (O)
James Nowell (O)
1940
David Hickley (O)
Michael Robinson (N/P)
Mrs Dru Robinson
1941
James Burrell (O)
1943
Edwin Bristow (O)
Mike Hooper (P)
Mrs Barbara Hooper
Terence O’Hara (O)
1945
Chris Rhys-Jones (O) [President]
Mrs Mary Rhys-Jones
1947
Michael Downing (N)
1948
Keith Loney (O) [Past President]
Allen Whittaker (P)
Mrs Shirley Whittaker
1949
Michael West (O)
1951
Peter Whitelaw (O)
1954
Roger Gallannaugh (O) [Past President]
Mrs Judy Gallannaugh
1956
Colin Hughes (L) [Hon. Treasurer]
Mrs Gill Hughes
8 OLD BRUTONIAN ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER 2004