Dryden’s Fiftieth Birthday Reunion

In 1976 a new day House was opened, with rather less fanfare than might have been expected. The Elizabethan pointed out that ‘the changes in the edifice were quite considerable as we can see from the diagrams opposite…’ – with ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures of the door from Yard which were, of course, identical. It was commented too that ‘Mr Francis and his merry crew made their very own contribution to the population crisis by accommodating – somehow – twenty in the space provided for seventy’.

In the fifty years since, Dryden’s has grown up, and a half century seems like an anniversary worth celebrating. Old Drydenites are warmly invited to a party up School to mark our Fiftieth Birthday. Current Housemaster Tom Edlin (DD, 1993-98) will be joined by former House staff to welcome – we hope – Drydenites from across five decades as we mark this Golden Anniversary (with our very own trappings of scarlet and silver).

A specially commissioned anniversary painting will be unveiled and copies of a commemorative booklet on Dryden’s: the first fifty years will be available, with contributions from all five Housemasters and several of their charges. Above all, having hitherto had few such reunions, we hope to gather Old Drydenites from each House generation to share memories of the House and rekindle old friendships.

Tickets are available at £30 a head with Young OW tickets available at £20 for those who left School from 2022 onwards. Old Drydenites are welcome to bring a guest – perhaps an OW friend from another House who spent much time in our dayrooms?