JUST PUBLISHED – Edwin Atkinson: The Radley College Beagles: a history, 1941-2016. This book was written to celebrate the 75th anniversary of RC Beagles. The story covers the Masters and hunt officials, the Kennel huntsmen, and traces the heredity of the hounds back to the pack’s foundation.

Much material has been gathered for the school archives for this project, most notably the Hunting Diary of Nat Sherwood (B Social, 1937). Nat started the diary in 1937 when he first arrived at the school. It includes some of the earliest runs by RC Beagles in 1942. The fragile diary has been digitised for us by Archie Clifton-Brown, current Master of the Beagles, so that he and the other Beaglers can read it more easily.

NOW PUBLISHED

We are very pleased to announce the publication of the diary of Rev. William Wood, DD. The diary covers the years 1855-1861, a period in which Wood served as Sub-Warden to the notoriously volatile and erratic Founder of Radley, William Sewell:…a long and anxious yet happy time of struggle at Radley, where we tried to check Sewell’s eccentricities and carry out for the best his original and excellent ideas of what a school should be; while he (alas!) … was plunging deeper and deeper into financial difficulties…

The diary has been edited for us by Old Radleian Mark Spurrell and is published by subscription by the Oxfordshire Record Society

A few excerpts are presented here as an occasional blog

Commemorating WW2 – D-Day 6th June 1944. A photo essay compiled from material in the Archives and from projects written by year 9 (Shells) in advance of their annual trip to the Normandy Beaches.

D-Day photo essay

The Butterworth Festival. The composer, George Butterworth, taught at Radley in 1909-10. Whilst here he composed part of the Shropshire Lad Suite, founded the choral society and introduced the school to morris dancing. He died in the First Battle of the Somme in 1916. Our commemoration for all those who fell on the Somme was a two-day, whole-school festival of art, poetry and music during which all Butterworth’s works, including his final unfinished ‘Fantasia’, was performed by musicians from the school in collaboration with The English Music Festival, on 26-27 May 2016.

Read about the history of music at Radley.

Choir Reunion on 19th November 2016 brought together Old Radleians, current choir members and choristers in a celebration of choral music to mark the end of Stephen Clarke’s 14 years as Precentor of Radley College. Evensong in Chapel featured music performed on a recent visit to Salisbury Cathedral.

A choral gallery

Glass to Digital – An exhibition of historic and contemporary photographs of Radley College by Henry Taunt, Sebastian Aldous & Sam Shepherd in the Art Gallery, 27 February – 19 March 2016. In aid of Winston’s Wish

Sebastian Aldous and Sam Shepherd (two Sixth-formers at the school) recreated a selection of Henry Taunt’s 1880s views of Radley, seeking out the exact location and angle of shot. Prints, postcards and a book to accompany the exhibition are all on sale to support Winston’s Wish.  Please contact the Archivist archives@radley.org.uk for further details

Henry Taunt’s photographs of Radley College

Christoph Wallendahl has been awarded a prize for his independent research into the History of Fencing at Radley. Christoph undertook the work out of his own interest in Fencing. He is one of 7 boys from the school who have been selected to compete at junior level in the Nationals.

Photo source: The Fencing Museum

Update on the Fencing. Christoph and the team competed in the 2017 Public Schools Fencing Championships. The account can be read on the school website