The year 2026 celebrates the 200th anniversary of a major event in the life of Old Blues (former pupils of Christ’s Hospital), the annual Dinner held in honour of their Founder, King Edward VI. Since 1826, when the School was located in London and Hertford, this Dinner has endured through generations – paused by war, Government edict and the recent pandemic – carrying forward the Old Blues rich history of dining.
The book provides some history leading up to the time the Dinner was established and covers its introduction, explaining how the Dinner is organised by a group of Stewards. It lists all the Dinners which have been held, including in 1901, the final year before the boys’ School moved to Horsham, with nearly 600 people gathering in the Great Hall in London, the 400th and 450th anniversaries of the School’s founding, and in 1985, the re-unification of the boys’ and girls’ Schools at Horsham. The list shows the venue, the date of the event, the Chairman (who include two Royal Presidents of the School), and the attendance (estimated at over 27,000 for the 186 Dinners held), and gives extracts from the main speeches made at the event. There are also sections on issues such as the attendance of women, the programmes, the fare, the toasts and the finances. Although focusing on this main event, information is also given about Founder’s Day Dinners which were celebrated in other parts of the UK and overseas.
This is a high-quality A4 soft-back book of 108 b/w pages containing 67 illustrations and five tables.
Price - £15 + UK p&p £5. Please order here. UK only.
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