Nearly 300 Old Moretonians, former staff, staff and Friends of Moreton returned to school on Saturday to celebrate the Moreton Centenary at the historic Grand Centenary Reunion.
The day began with a moving Service of Celebration at St Oswald’s Church with the address given by Rev. Evelyn Davies MBE, former staff member 1970s-1990s. Moreton First performed “I the Lord of Sea and Sky” and the Chamber Choir sang the beautiful “Waters of Babylon” by Tim Mills, specially commissioned for the Moreton Hall Centenary.
During the Service, OM and Actress Sheila Reid (1954) gave a wonderful reading from the very apt ‘The Four Quartets’ by T S Eliot while present day Moreton was represented admirably by Emma Tilley (L6), Morgan Darcy Rees Deacon (U4), Lara Tapp (U4) and Grace Samuel (L5).
Back at Moreton, the OMs enjoyed a high-volume drinks reception and a superb lunch. Speeches from Jonathan Forster and Amanda Arthur, President of the OMA followed and Matthew Dennison read from ‘A Centenary Portrait of Moreton Hall’.
The Lower 6 showed the OMs around the school and the day culminated with tea and scones on the pitches viewing a fiercely contested lacrosse match between the 1st XI and the OMs. Luckily school prevailed 7 – 3!
Throughout the day, one of the recurring sentiments uttered by many Old Moretonians was “how proud they were and still are to be Moretonians.”
‘We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.’
‘The Four Quartets’ – T S Eliot