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News > Events > Old Badmintonians London Drinks Reunion November 2021

Old Badmintonians London Drinks Reunion November 2021

We were delighted to welcome back over 120 Old Badmintonians for our annual London Drinks Reunion at The Lansdowne Club, Mayfair.
30 Nov 2021
Written by Stephanie Daniels
Events

After a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 restrictions, the annual Old Badmintonians London Drinks Reunion this year felt particularly poignant. On Thursday 25th November, beneath the beautiful, vaulted ceiling of The Ballroom in The Lansdowne Club, Mayfair,  we welcomed over 120 Old Badmintonians from a range of years - from 1957 right through to our most recent Leavers from 2020.

The room was quickly filled with the warmth, familiarity and buzz that we have greatly missed and is challenging to recreate virtually; there is nothing quite like a hug with an old friend or browsing through a School Magazine from the past while enjoying a glass of bubbly together. The opportunity to meet in person once again made the evening feel all the more special.

Amongst delighted voices of recognition and faces of surprise when unexpectedly reuniting with peers, the strong community spirit of Badminton School flowed throughout the evening as guests and staff mingled. Many of the Old Badmintonians were delighted to see the staff members, past and present, who joined us and enjoyed reminiscing together about their collective Badminton experiences. It was especially lovely to see so many different peer groups engaging; OBs from the 1950s deep in conversation with OBs from the 2010s – over 50 years between their school experiences!

Guests enjoyed browsing displays of Whole School Photographs and School Magazines from the archives alongside a slide show of photographs from events at Badminton over the years - not forgetting the sweet treats of Badminton cupcakes and bespoke sticks of rock! Mrs Tear gave a short speech to welcome all and gave thanks to our alumnae for staying connected and supporting Badminton in so many meaningful ways, followed by Mrs Brown announcing our new ‘facial tagging system’ (very nearly in place and soon to be launched!); we will need your help filling in the gaps and identifying as many ‘Old Girls’ as possible!

Thank you to each and every OB that attended this event, you helped make it the success it was and we are so pleased the evening was so well received. Our OB community is as strong as ever despite the disruption to the last two years and we are very fortunate to have such support and strength behind us. Our alumnae are a highly  valued and integral part of Badminton; the chance to reconnect at these events is such a positive experience for everyone involved. Our special thanks goes to Mrs Griffith, Mrs MacKay and Mrs Walton for joining us on our trip to London.

As one OB from the class of 2020 put it; ‘Due to Covid-19, we didn’t have the end we wanted to our time at Badminton .…this evening has felt like the closure we needed.’

We must say a heartfelt thank you for the offers of support we received from our alumnae  in support of our Badminton School Bursary Fund; we are extremely grateful. Your support and generosity is greatly appreciated and allows current and future pupils to benefit from a Badminton education which may not have been possible without your help. Our Bursary Fund enables the School to ensure that Badminton is accessible to pupils from a wide range of demographics and we can nurture and encourage them to fulfil their greatest potential.  A huge ‘thank you’ to those who expressed interest in supporting us in this way and also in offering to support our Inspiring Evenings programme!

If you are local to Bristol or visiting the South West this weekend, do pop in and visit us at our ‘Christmas Bazaar’, Saturday 4th December, 10.30 – 1.30pm! We’d love to see you again!

Best wishes, Badminton School Development Department

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