The Alleynian 704 2016

Finally, what is your fondest memory of your time at Dulwich?

As I often reminisce with other OAs about our College days, which truly were the best days of our lives. There’s so much I miss: the cricket nets sessions with Mr Athey; Mr Barrett-Green’s passionate historical re-enactments; organising interfaith debates with Mr Weaver; weekly lunch with the other Senior Prefects – all of my colleagues and teachers made my time at Dulwich so enjoyable. I learnt to make the most of every opportunity. As my parents never had the chance to go to university, they were determined to make sure that I would study at the very best school to get there. I remember sitting the 11+ entrance exams at ten of the best schools in South London, including Westminster and St Paul’s. The hard work paid off as I was accepted into all of them, but my heart was fixed on Dulwich from the outset. As cheesy as it sounds, it really was love at first sight! I remember it clearly, waking up at the break of dawn as my mother brushed my hair down and prayed with me before I left the house. Our situation was very different then to what it is now and we couldn’t afford a car, so my father and I had to take several buses to make it over. We ended up lost in Brixton, where a kind man offered to give us a lift; but by the time we arrived we were over an hour early. It began to snow as we huddled together outside the Old Library and after some time a tall grey-haired gentleman, who I’d later discover was Mr Rutter, arrived and rushed us inside. He made my father a cup of tea and gave us a fascinating tour of the College before my exam. We returned a few months later, this time for my interview. I remember Mr Lock laughing at my response to his question about the teachers’ strike as I said they were being irresponsible and should put students first – funny how over a decade on I’m in a similar position! I was then taken to see Mr Able in the splendour of his office, along with my parents, who told the Master about how kind everyone had been to us and how indebted we felt to have even got so far. He told me that the College would be indebted to us and weeks later I received a letter through the post that would change my life – a Bainbridge scholarship to study at Dulwich College. As they say, the rest is history.

The government claims it is intending to improve the quality and safety of a cost- ef fective seven-day NHS: no one can deny this is what we need, but I think they’ve gone about it the wrong way

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