Supporters of the Stanier Society sat down to their third annual lunch on Saturday 12 May.

The event, a celebration of those members of the MCS community who plan to bequeath a legacy to the school, saw OWs, Parents, Former Staff, and Friends gather on a fine early-summer’s morning in the MCS Dining Hall.

 

Initially, guests arrived to a glass of champagne and a reel of archival footage demonstrating the school’s monumental development over time. The latter provided a welcome visual helping-hand, as conversation over the former naturally centred around comparisons of attendees’ recollections of the school and its transformations through the years.

 

While guests mingled, magic happened. Orlando Riviere, a pupil in the Lower Sixth, dazzled and amazed Society members with a mysterious set-list of astounding card tricks. The triumphal moment of his act, a lengthy story about a fictional New York restaurant owner called Sam, utilised the entire deck in unexpected and intriguing ways, and left all who experienced it delighted.

Guests then sat down to an exquisite three-course meal. The atmosphere was vibrant, with diners continuing to share stories of the school and its great meaning to them, while eruptions of riotous laughter from all sides of the two tables punctuated the afternoon’s repast.

As Society members finished their desserts, the Master and the President of the Society, John Leighfield CBE (OW 1957), addressed all in attendance and thanked them for their continuing generosity to the school.

With speeches said and thank yous given, the Master introduced the school’s Director of Music, Jon Cullen, and Close Harmony, who sang a moving rendition of Hoagy Carmichael’s and Stuart Gorrell’s Georgia on my Mind, arranged by Upper Sixth Former Charlie Shan, before leading everyone in a chorus of ‘Miles Christi’ and ‘The Lilies of the Field’, two of the school’s hymns.

 

Finally, guests were invited to the new Sixth Form Centre Common Room to view an archival display, which included portraits, painted by former-MCS teacher and acclaimed portrait artist Peter Greenham, of former-Master Bob Stanier and his wife Maida, the latter of which was kindly provided by the Stanier family, alongside a collection of other MCS-related paraphernalia. The portraits had never before been brought together.

The school would like to thank all members of the Stanier Society for coming together to make the event such a momentous success, and such a special occasion.