Oct 1980

PRESENTATION OF PRIZES 6th October, 1979 The Chair was taken by the Dean of York, the Chairman of the Board of Governors, and the prizes were distributed by Professor S. B. Saul, Vice Chancellor of the University of York.

Mr. D. G. Cummin, the Acting Headmaster, started his speech by welcoming the Lord Mayor of York, the Lady Mayoress and the Vice Chancellor. He then continued: There can be no better way of keeping strong the links between the School and the City than to have here together the First Citizen, the ViceChancellor of the University and you Mr. Dean as our Chairman, reminding us of our close ties with the Minster.

In echoing the words of welcome to our visitors that you have made Mr. Dean, may I add how very gratified we are that one of our Clifton Councillors is this year's Lord Mayor, making this a peculiarly local as well as a Civic occasion.

In considering the past year I must first sadly refer to the deaths of three people closely connected with our community: In April, in the fullness of his years, Leslie Creer died: a distinguished citizen and a distinguished Old Peterite; President of the Club for many years, Clerk to the Governors and later a Governor himself — truly a man of whom both the City and the School are justly proud.

I said that Leslie Creer died in the fullness of his years, and as though to remind us of the mystery of life, we lost two very young members of our community.

The gentle Jillian Harness died in April. She had had to give up her school life knowing that she had not long, but she often came to see us and at every visit she made us all feel happier.

Then in July, Paul Green was drowned in a canoeing accident. As a Sub-Lieutenant on the threshold of his career, he had just gained his Engineering degree in the Royal Navy and the future looked bright.

We extend our sympathy to those who mourn their loss and we assure them that we remember them with pride and joy.

As one having the responsibility to try to keep in good order the bridge between two Headmasterships, I am able both to look back to the past few years and forward to the future.

It is with affection and admiration that I look back to Peter Gardiner's twelve years with us here. He brought us intellectual refreshment, and with his quiet and often subtle ways, effected changes in the life of the School that showed his determination to seek to fulfil the vision that he had.

But as a practical schoolmaster he took an unstinting part in the day to day life of the School — in games, drama and all kinds of activities — and he was always accessible to masters and pupils alike.

Peter Gardiner frequently reminded us that education is a process that has no proper connection with politics or social differences, and it is entirely characteristic of his honesty of purpose that, in seeking change for himself, he should find it in a school where the aim is exactly the same as in any other school and where only the environment is different.

We who have worked with Peter Gardiner know that he will enrich those with whom he now works. We thank him for what he has done here and we wish him happiness and success.

And now we look to the future, and we are ready to welcome Mr. Peter Hughes from Shrewsbury School. My contacts with Mr. Hughes make it dear that you and the Governors, Mr. Dean, have made a wise choice and that 3