EVENTS & REUNIONS
DINOSAUR CLUB LUNCHEON
This was the sixth time the event had been held since its inception in 2011 . A total of 27 guests including OPs , spouses and school staff attended the luncheon which was held once again at The Bridge Hotel near Wetherby .
Derek Bradley ( 39-49 ) who started school when the Second World War broke out was the most senior OP in attendance whilst the youngest was Paul Butcher ( 63-72 ) who was attending the event for the first time . Other first timers included : Malcolm Johnson ( 58-63 ), Brian Moore ( 49-55 ), Roy Flitton ( 56-66 ), Mike Brett ( 56-64 ) and John Bullock ( 62-67 ).
After lunch , the Headmaster , Toby Seth , gave an update on the school and spoke of the growing bursary provision the school is able to provide through its Shape the Future fundraising campaign thanks to the generous support of OPs and others in the Pocklington School community .
David Wood ( 47-54 ) followed with a few words of thanks to the venue for hosting and the OP & Development team , past and present , for keeping OPs informed and in touch with the school . He finished by inviting everyone in the room to raise a glass and give a ‘ dinosaur roar ’ of thanks to the organising team .
Afterwards , Paul Hutton ( 49-56 ) led an impromptu rendition of the Pocklington School rugby chant , ‘ alla walla tingle ’, before guests assembled for the traditional group photograph .
Toby Seth commented : “ It was a pleasure and a privilege to spend some time with our more experienced OPs and hear their stories and reminiscences of their school days . It is always a fun and inspiring gathering ; I enjoyed some fascinating conversations and , as ever , was moved by the very real feeling of support and warmth for our whole community . Thank you to all who attended .”
The date for the next Dinosaur Club luncheon will be in September 2025 . OPs who left in 1975 or earlier will be eligible to attend , so look out for further details to be announced nearer the time !
OP DRINKS HONG KONG APRIL 2023
It was a pleasure to welcome members of our OP Association to the Royal Garden Hotel in Hong Kong in April for a longawaited drinks and networking event hosted by External Relations Director , Sheena McNamee , and International Admissions Officer , Victoria Lea . The evening was a wonderful opportunity to share memories of Pocklington School and reunite with peers from throughout the years ; it is always a pleasure to hear of the paths that our OPs have chosen and their ambitions for the future .
We hope that the networking event will become a regular feature in the calendar going forward . On the night , Jaspar Poon ( 05-10 ) and Chris Hanselman ( 73-78 ), who were both attending , were announced as the OP representatives for Hong Kong . Their role will involve helping to arrange and host events , being a point of contact for OPs living , working , or travelling in the Hong Kong area , and co-ordinating the Hong Kong WhatsApp group and the ‘ OPs in Hong Kong ’ Facebook group .
If you would be interested in being in touch with Jasper or Chris , joining the WhatsApp or Facebook groups , or coming to the next event , please contact Rachel in the OP office in the first instance .
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