At midday on Saturday 16th May a bubbly group of alumni, former and current staff, Governors, current pupils and invited guests gathered for the Official Opening of The Buchan School in its new home. Attendees enjoyed a tour of the magnificent new classrooms and some delicious refreshments and harp music before Head Janet Billingsley-Evans invited alumna and longstanding Governor Elaine Higgins to cut the ribbon and declare the site ‘open’ to enthusiastic applause. You can read the text of Elaine’s speech below.
The day continued with a sumptuous lunch in the Old Masters’ Common Room. As always, the conversations continued well into the afternoon and many happy memories were shared from years gone by and more recent times. Thank you to all who attended the Official Opening and the Lady Laura Lunch, to the catering department for such magnificent food and to our Alumni Officer Joanna Thornton for organising the event.
The event was professionally photographed and those images are available by clicking the link – Buchan School Opening & Lady Laura Lunch
“Good morning honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen, pupils and everyone.
Last year I was marching with our Buchan banner and dozens of former Buchaneers, saying a last farewell to our beloved Westhill. It was a wonderful day, celebrating our past; reflecting on 150 years of the Buchan School since its foundation in 1875.
What a different world our pupils inhabited then: it was the year that the telephone was invented, the Gaiety Theatre had not been built, nobody had yet tasted Coca Cola and it was still more than 30 years before the first TT race would be run. Just 8 pupils moved into the new school in the building that is now Stanley’s restaurant, opposite the Castle. Two World Wars later, Westhill was bought for use by the boarders and in 1975, the entire school moved into the brand-new buildings there.
A year on from that march through Castletown, here we are now firmly looking forwards to the future, making our presence felt more keenly every day on the venerable site of King William’s College. Having always been thought of as the relative down the road, we have finally moved into the family home, our brilliant Buchaneers breathing new life into this august institution! What a treat I hear it is to have lunch in the Barrovian Hall and assemblies in Kings Court Theatre, never mind having a swimming pool on the spot and the beach just down the drive.
So now we have once again, in true Buchan style, stepped bravely into our future. Yes, of course there have been teething problems and challenges, slips and trips along the way, and we are still working to ever improve and benefit from the facilities and exciting opportunities afforded by the KWC campus.
But how far we have come already: our 19th century pupils who studied Physical Sciences and Mathematics, would be astonished to know that their 21st Century counterparts were studying Lego robotics and 3D printing. Wouldn’t those early pupils have loved the opportunity to join in the Triathlon or the Buchan Badge? And who knows where you will take us next, Mrs Billingsley Evans?
And what, I wonder, will be the enduring themes and values that will continue on into the future in this School? The Buchan charter, which you only have to spend 5 minutes in the School to realise is at the heart of everything we do, states “We are kind. We are honest. We are polite. We always do our best. Love your neighbour (everyone) as much as you love yourself.” And surely these themes, derived from our Christian heritage, will continue to stand the test of time. Throughout the centuries, this School has had a continuing tradition of service to others, of teamwork, forward-thinking, creativity and adaptability, all characteristics necessary to support the pioneers of the future.
The first school prospectus, in 1878, states that “Serious endeavours will be made to train the pupils for the practical business of life”. This has not changed. We are very proud that, built on our heritage and traditions, we continue to imbue our pupils with the curiosity, ambition and resilience to meet the challenges of the global future that awaits them, a world where everything is possible and in which they will be prepared, in the words of the school song: “to sail new seas alone, with ever greater work to do in channels yet unknown”.
So, with every hope and prayer in my heart that these new premises of the Buchan School will provide a happy home for new and even more successful generations of Buchaneers, I declare them well and truly open.”
