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favours. Almost all the headmasters of
the leading public schools of the time
received such letters and fell for them;
not so Walter Oakeshott at Win Coll,
who saw through the ruse.
Oakeshott had been asked to unveil a
plaque to the founder of Selhurst, one
Ebenezer Okeshot, who Sneath asserted
was an ancestor of the Headmaster. The
plaque would bear what was thought to
be the family motto: ‘Let the Oak Shoot.’
In politely declining Sneath’s invitation,
Walter Oakeshott seeks to correct Mr
Sneath on the motto: ‘Incidentally I
have always understood that since the
introduction of the breech-loading gun,
the family have preferred the Greek
version of the motto, as being less
T he T rusty S ervant
liable to misunderstanding. Doubtless,
however, the School authorities have
good reason for retaining the older form
of it.’ The ability to detect bullshit and
deal with it with such good humour,
Ralph reflected, was sadly lacking in the
current political climate.
The good news, though, is that we now
have five OW MPs: John, Nick Boles
(Coll, 79-83) Rishi Sunak (H, 93-98),
Alex Chalk (D, 91-95) and Marcus
Fysh (Coll, 84-89). All Conservatives,
although we can nod to Labour’s Seamus
Milne as an OW involved in and
influential on the political scene. None
had attended our dinners as boys, so we
can claim no direct success, but we may
yet.
The latest of our dinners was held in
May. It was a particularly joyful one
for me as my eldest son, Tom, who is
in Furley’s, was there and joined in
eloquently and enthusiastically. It made
me proud but caused me to reflect that
after organising the event for almost
two decades it was probably time to
hand over the baton to someone else.
So if there is an OW out there with an
interest in politics and in encouraging
the next generation of Wykehamists in
such an interest, then do get in touch
with Alex Roe. It is both fascinating
and rewarding, brings great pride in the
intellect of the current generation, and is
a whole lot of fun to boot.
Grahame Drew Travel Scholarships
Michael Bruzon, Art Master, reports:
Grahame Drew was Art Master at
Winchester College from 1958 to 1980
and encouraged men to travel in order to
extend their appreciation and enjoyment
of art and architecture. The Travel
Scholarships were founded by a number
of his former pupils who wished to keep
his values and influence alive in the
school.
Since the scholarships began, men in VI
Book 2 have been invited to plan and
submit proposals for travel to European
destinations as a way of developing
independence and broadening
their cultural perspective. Working
independently or in small groups, they
budget and plan itineraries for their
proposed ventures. They are required to
make a presentation before an interview
panel (of Drew Travel Committee
members) explaining the scope for
learning and cultural enrichment in
their proposals. For many the application
process will represent a first formal
interview at this level and is an entirely
appropriate preparation as they ready
themselves for university applications.
Grahame Drew was a drawing master,
so evidence of rigorous visual research
is expected to be seen, not only at this
stage, but also following the trip for the
successful applicants.
This year, 15 men applied and seven
were awarded scholarships to travel
to Paris, Florence and Riga. Many of
these pupils do not study Art as a Pre-U
subject, but have used the programme to
explore creative interests.
Paris
Grahame Drew
14
The Parisian contingent consisted of
Jonas Pullan (A), Inigo Selwood (Coll)
and Rory Benton (Coll). Reflecting on
the experience, Jonas Pullan describes
the scholarship as ‘one of the most
amazing opportunities that Winchester
has on offer. It is a unique opportunity
to travel independently with a group
of like-minded people, and it allows
you to explore an area of interest
outside of syllabus. It is an incredible
experience and it allows you to grow in
independence and in creative intellect.’