Keeping Connected Summer 2020

Musa

Valete

Cloister Time typically plays host to a variety of end of year occasions.While we were unable to celebrate these in person this year, in keeping with the times, we attempted to capture their spirit in the first and hopefully last Virtual Valete. From the comfort of their own home, boys and their parents enjoyed the HM's Commendas, Medal Speaking and a message from the Warden. The Valete ended with a unique performance of Domum which can be listened to here.

Wykeham Week

Wykeham Week marked the end of an extraordinary term. Thank you to everybody who took part in our first digital campaign in support of the Houses. We hope you enjoyed the nostalgic reminders of what we had temporarily lost. In 36 hours we raised over £100,000 from over 400 donors, in support of House Bursary Funds and the Covid-19 Hardship Fund.

To mark the 150th anniversary of Moberly Library we also received numerous photographs of your bookmark placed within your current read.

Should you be looking for a summer reading list, then look no further ... read more.

Rudyard Kipling

In last term’s final ‘Thought for the Week’ Dr French reflected on the poem If, found more than once in surveys of Brits to be the nation’s favourite. Kipling of course is now seen as the bard of imperialism, whether he entirely deserves that characterisation or not, and whether indeed he would have welcomed it. Dr French calls for the enduring merits of a work to be allowed to stand separate from its creator or discoverer, whatever their personal flaws, or however unpalatable to us now may be some of the values of their time.

The opening of the Cecil Range – George Edward Cecil (B, 1909-12), 2nd Lieutenant, No. 4 Company, 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, was killed in action on 1 September 1914. He fell leading his platoon to the charge, with his sword in his hand. The Cecil Range was erected by his mother in 1915, in his memory. It was opened by Rudyard Kipling on the site of the present War Cloister.

‘It is well to die for one’s country. But that is not enough. It is also necessary that, so long as he lives, a man should give to his country, as George Cecil gave, a mind and soul neither ignorant nor inadequate.’

Rudyard Kipling, December 1915, at the opening of the Cecil Range.

Winchester College Society

Thomas Browne and the Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century

Physician, author, natural historian, collector, and Old Wykehamist, Thomas Browne (1605-82) was an extraordinary figure. Through his curious approach to the world, he contributed to an intellectual community that forged a revolution in scientific thought.

Last term an exhibition curated by the boys, and dedicated to his life, was due to open in the Treasury. This was delayed. However, a new online exhibition allows visitors to explore the work of Thomas Browne in more depth. The school has recently announced that the Treasury is now open until 28 August, Monday to Friday, from 2 - 4pm. No booking is required and safety measures are in place. The online exhibition will complement the experience of those who are also able to visit, or indeed provide a substiute for those who are not! Further information can be found here.

Thomas Browne Exhibition

Community Update

Return to School - Parents have now received the welcome news about the start of term. The school will be reopening on the 6 September. Over the last term, twenty senior staff have each been given responsibility for one aspect of return, such as pastoral, domestic, academic, medical, or social. The virus, and measures to control it, remain fluid and unpredictable. However, the school is now confident that it has undertaken prudent risk management and is as well prepared as it can be for any eventuality.

A Cultural Review - The June edition of Keeping Connected announced the Governing Body’s review of our culture and processes, with a view to ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as we can be. A questionnaire has been sent to OWs who left Winchester within the last 10 years. Read more information.

A Fond Farewell - Five dons with over 163 years of teaching at Winchester have left us this term. The Headmaster offers an appreciation of their time at the school.

Andrew Leigh
Nick McKinnon
Paul McMaster
Coralie Ovenden
Mike Wallis

One of those dons is Michael Wallis who leaves Winchester after 34 years. Listen here to Mike talking to Thomas Sharrock (Coll, 2017 - ) about his time at the school.

New Director of Win Coll Soc

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Normand (F, 1976 – 81) as the new Director of Win Coll Soc. He is the son of a College Man and the father of an Old Chawkerite and relishes his return to Win Coll. Christopher will be joining the team at the beginning of Short Half and he looks forward to engaging with those of you he doesn’t know already as well as catching up with the many he does. You will hear more from him after the beginning of September.

And Finally...

Thanks to the wonders of technology we can identify which Keeping Connected articles are the most ‘clicked upon’. Therefore, back by popular demand, we are proud to publish the second of Winston Ginsberg’s Covid Collection of poems, I was there. He has reassured us that his writing has not been interfering with his children’s home schooling!

Until we can gather again, we look forward to keeping connected.

Do keep an eye on the school's twitter feed.