Saturday 10 November 2012

Remembrance

Tomorrow is Remembrance Sunday and this week has seen our Prep and Senior School's acts of remembrance.  Set in the Cathedral they centre around calling to mind those who have given their lives in the service of their country and in particular former pupils of King's; a central act being the reading aloud of all of their names before wreaths are laid.  For the Prep School this took place in their cathedral service on Tuesday and for the Senior School there was a special service on Friday morning when we were joined by parents and Old Roffensians.  On Thursday, the Headmaster of the Senior gave a poignant address focussing on one name in particular who was killed during the battle for Arnhem in the Second World War.  Hearing the list of names read out is poignant in itself, not least because of how many ORs died in the First and Second World Wars, but to hold in mind one person in particular and his career at the school reinforced the reality of the people behind the names on our school memorials.


At the end of the service on Friday, the whole school processed through the Lady Chapel where our memorial is sited and wreaths laid.  One by one, the took their own poppy and laid them alongside the wreaths as a personal act of remembrance.  It was an incredibly moving experience and one which has a great impact on our pupils.  The cold clouds at the start of the day were later replaced with autumn sunshine on the cathedral and castle, lending a positive feeling to this important day in the life of our school.