The OL Club Review

Message from the Chairman

Over the last couple of months, it has been fantastic to see such a hive of activity in The OL Club.

It is enormously to the credit of the Foundation Office and Alec Rickard on the committee that, as the impact of COVID-19 on our social lives gradually recedes, so many OL events have been arranged and with the customary efficiency and aplomb that we have gratefully come to enjoy. Late Summer drinks at the Royal Yacht Club in Knightsbridge; an Over 60s lunch at the Athenaeum Club; an OL Club Sports Dinner at the Oval Cricket Ground; and a Young OLs drinks on the Thames – all took place with great support from across the OL community.

Not qualifying for the latter, I cannot comment on the evening’s success, but the other occasions were all splendid. I am therefore very grateful to Alec, Catherine and all of her team for their hard work in putting these events on.

In September we saw a pleasing mixture of young and old OLs gathered at the Royal Thames Yacht Club for the first live OL event, hosted by The OL Club, since 2019. The evidence of a fine time being had can be seen in the pictures adorning these pages.

The Over 60s lunch at the Athenaeum Club was absolutely delicious and the

guest speaker (my good self!) was given a very generous reception. The fact that most of the assembled company were still awake at the end of my speech suggests that it cannot have been all bad!

At The OL Club Sports Dinner we were delighted to welcome several members of staff from the College as well as five current students. President of the LOBFC, Nick Bell, in an excellent address, spoke for us all when he encouraged OLs to back, as far as individually possible, the College’s Foundationers Campaign. He also hoped that this dinner would continue

to attract more participants from OL sports other than football, which continues to dominate the event, and especially more OL sportswomen. A special thank you to Felix Aylett for all his hard work in making the evening such a great success.

It would be remiss of me not to congratulate Felix Haxby and his LOBFC first eleven for a stunning 8-1 win in the first round of the Arthur Dunn Cup against Malvern. Those of us who were there on the day witnessed a remarkably good and entertaining performance.

Lastly, at the second attempt (the first having fallen victim to COVID-19), the Shearwood Pavilion was officially opened in November with The OL Club, alongside the College and the Lancing Foundation Council, having contributed to the refurbishment of this fine building.

Given the difficulties of the past 18 months or so, it has been a good finish to the year for The Club and I look forward to an equally exciting 12 months in 2022.

NIGEL BENNETT Chairman, The OL Club Olds 1972–1977