Annual Dinner in Honour of Forbes Wastie, House of Commons

Some one hundred members of the Eastbournian Society gathered for our annual dinnner and the House of Commons provided the perfect backdrop. The evening was dedicated to the memory ot Forbes Wastie (see news items here and here.) and we were delighted, for this celebratory evening, to welcome his and Diana's three sons. Main picture from left: Jonathan (Powell 1978-83), John Ryley (speaker) (Blackwater 1975-80), Jeremy (Powell 1976-81) and William (Powell 1983-88).

We began with a champagne reception on the Commons terrace pavilion when Eastbourne MP Josh Babarinde OBE, our sponsor for the evening, spoke about the College's work as a founding member of the Coastal Schools Partnership which provides an excellent model for how schools can work together for the mutual benefit of all pupils and staff. Headmaster the Hon Tom Lawson replied and toasted the College.

The three-course dinner was a veritable banquet and allowed for brief addresses from Development Director Emma Garrett (née Le Brocq) (Nugent 1984-86) and ES Committee Chairman Ian Henley (Gonville 1970-75) who said grace. John Ryley remembered his time in Blackwater House when Forbes was his housemaster. William Wastie replied on behalf of the family recalling how dedicated his father was to the College and how much the family appreciate the recognition of his father's lifetime work.

We are grateful to Charles Fairweather (Blackwater 1963-66) who donated the raffle prize for the evening (the use of a box at the Royal Albert Hall for a performance by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) which Colin Farrant (Gonville 1969-74) was delighted to win.

Photographs are by Alex Vanotti (née Cullis) (Watt 1994-96). Attendees can download them, free of charge, from here where you will need the access code (available from es@eastbourne-college.co.uk).