News

On 1 March 2023 the Society hosted our first Yorkshire social event for local members in a few years.

Thanks to Mike Ibbotson (H89) we were warmly welcomed to the Durham Ox, the legendary Crayke establishment which has seen hundreds of Ampleforth 18th Birthday dinners over the years. There was a brilliant mix of OAs, former parents and longstanding members of the Common Room in attendance. For some it was their first Society event and we all agreed we should get together more often and do more to encourage others to join.

There were OAs from the 1950s to 2000s there, including one of our many OA couples – Constantin de Nassau (C04) and Kathryn de Nassau (A04 – neé Mechie). Sir Paul Kennedy (E53) and Martin Appleyard (O85) swapped stories about gardening duty at school and were thrilled to hear that Fr Henry’s gardening club is going from strength-to-strength at the College. Paul Brennan, former bastion of the Geography Department and previous Housemaster of St Thomas’s, joined us with his wife Cath and the younger members were particularly keen to catch up with them. A short word of welcome was given by Emma Craig, Head of Development, who was in attendance with her husband Gavin Williams (W04). John Charnock, Former Parent and Society Trustee, rounded the evening off with a word of thanks to Lizzie Rohan, Alumni Relations Manager, for bringing us all together.

We look forward to welcoming more of our local OAs, Parents, Monks and Staff to future get togethers out and about in God’s own County.