I have many memories of Emanuel in the ’60s and some passed down to me from my father who was School Lieutenant and Captain of both Boats and Rugby in the ’20s. In those days it was possible to do both sports. He remembered being part of the team of boys who excavated the area in the ‘Wilderness’ where the Rowing tank was built.
1994 was a special year for the school – its 400th anniversary, two Royal visits, a highly successful ‘Fete and Flannels Day’, the school rugby tour to Canada and the first 7 girls joined Emanuel’s sixth form in September.
I had the honour of chairing the Emanuel Parents’ Association from 1991-94. I was privileged to be one of the six people introduced to Queen Elizabeth II by the Head, Peter Thomson, on Her Majesty’s visit to open the Sixth Form Centre on 17 March, 1994. My son Eric, who was Captain of Rugby, and the School Captain, Travers Symons, were also introduced to Her Majesty at the entrance to the newly built Sixth Form Centre. On the day, Her Majesty inspected the CCF Guard of Honour, visited the chapel and planted a cherry tree outside the centre. She commented that ‘this was a very popular school’ and the boys were delighted as she awarded the school a half-day holiday.
Later that year, Princess Anne also visited Emanuel to watch her son, Peter Phillips, play for Gordonstoun against the school’s 1st XV. Gordonstoun were in a confident mood as they had just beaten old rivals Fettes but they came up against a defiant Emanuel team. I have a video of the Gordonstoun game which was won by Emanuel in the last minute when Ramsey M’Rabet charged down a kick to score in the corner.
After the match, the two captains exchanged ties and Eric’s tie is on display in a showcase at the school. Princess Anne didn’t want any fuss and enjoyed a hot dog and a cup of tea with the other parents in the dining room after the game. The two teams were photographed together in a group and that photo has pride of place in our hallway at home.
The culmination of a very special summer term was ‘Fete and Flannels Day’, traditionally held on the last weekend in June. We were blessed with fine weather and the actress Leslie Joseph opened the event. A superb team of sixty enthusiastic parents had been preparing for the day assisting and manning over forty stalls. Needless to say, the glider got off the ground, The Old Boys won the hotly contested Tug of War competition and over three thousand people enjoyed a very special day.
The event raised over £11,000 which the Headmaster gratefully distributed to various worthy causes in the school. Part of the funds had already been pledged to pay for the kit for the school rugby team flying off to Canada on their three week tour. Led by master in charge of rugby, Alan Friell, and supported by other masters and parents, the twenty seven boys met up at Heathrow to embark on an unforgettable visit to the east coast of Canada. Two of the boys had never flown before and all of them will always remember their visit to the CN Tower in Toronto and Niagara Falls. The team returned victorious, winning all six of their matches.
The boys going on to university said their sad farewells during the tour reunion barbeque. After speeches, Eric handed over the captaincy to Simon Dillsworth who would then captain the school side in the new season. 1994 was both a memorable and milestone year.
John Monkhouse (OE1959-67)