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Guthrie and Percival Commemoration

The first Guthrie Commemoration was held on May 22nd 1868. It consisted of a dinner at the Clifton Down Hotel with Canon Moseley, President of the Council, being in the chair. Several of the Council, the Masters and Old Cliftonians, and a few members of the Sixth Form were present Ñ about fifty in all.

It is a commemoration of the building of the Chapel and of John Guthrie and Caroline his wife, its founders and of all other "founders and benefactors, by whose benefit this whole school is brought up to Godliness and good learning". It was the custom to invite someone from outside the College to preach the Commemoration Sermon, and the first was the Rev. Dr Jex Blake.

Commemoration was also celebrated by cricket matches between several teams of Old Cliftonians and the School, and by shooting matches. In 1871 the supper moved to the Gymnasium and in 1877 to Big School.

In 1937 necessity dictated a change in arrangements. In that year the floor of Big School had to be repaired and the Friday evening prize-giving ceremony could not take place there. A large marquee was set up on The Close, so large that the entire school, with parents and OCs, could be accommodated. It was know as the 'Loch Ness Monster', which was then much in the news.

13 June 2008

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