'All the Threes' - 24 June, 2023.
The sun shone on 85 guests who took their A levels at King's High in a year ending in a '3', as they came to Banbury Road for a very special reunion.
Although Warwick School has been having reunions comprising combined leavers from ten, twenty, thirty etc years ago for some time now, this is the first time the King’s High Old Girls’ Association has brought seven disparate year groups and staff together for a reunion. In June it was the turn of ‘all the threes’, with excellent showings from the Classes of 1993 and 2013, but with the laurels going to 1973, with 21 guests present, a fifth of the year group. We were delighted to have a number of former staff with us too, including Miss Coupar and Miss Lewis, under their present day guises of Janet Wilson and Thelma Dawkes, who began their King’s High careers in the 1950s. Our most senior guests were from the Class of 1953, the year of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
On a sweltering day, the guests arrived at the school’s new home for a glass of Pimm’s and a few words of welcome from Head Master Dr Stephen Burley, and O.G.A. Secretary and Old Girl Mrs Polly Beidas. A polished band of current students gave tours of all four King’s High buildings, which included a visit to ‘Cluckingham Palace’, the home of our newly acquired brood of hens. Others perused copies of the Ilex magazine dating from 1946, when our most senior guests had started as pupils of King’s High, and marvelled at the evolution of the school uniform over the past hundred years, displayed on mannequins.
Afternoon tea, a splendid repast from head chef M. Christophe Charpentier, was served by his marvellous catering department, under the watchful eye of Front of House manager Mrs Kate Mouzakitis. Over eighty guests enjoyed a day of reminiscing and reacquaintance with their girlhood friends and former teachers. Renowned chorister and former Head of English Miss Mary Clark led the assembled throng in a rousing rendition of the school song, Jerusalem, with everyone remembering to take a breath between ‘spear’ and ‘O’ as they had been taught years before.
Next year, on 8th June, we are planning a similar reunion for ‘all the fours’, so if you know anyone who took their A levels at King’s High in a year ending in a 4, or who left that year group before A levels, please ask them to get in touch with OGA Secretary Mrs Polly Beidas on p.beidas@kingshighwarwick.co.uk
