Speech Day, 1960

Vote of Thanks, proposed by David Ramwell, Form V, at the Speech Day of July 1960

Below is a typed transcript of David’s handwritten speech.

My Lord Bishop, My Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, Very Reverend Monsignori, Reverend Fathers, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It gives me great pleasure to propose this vote of thanks on behalf of the school.

We are deeply aware of your interest in St Gregory’s, my Lord Bishop, and know how many calls are made on your time, so may we express our gratitude to you, to the Lord Mayor, to Alderman Lever and to all the other distinguished guests who have helped to give us our fine new buildings and who have honoured us with their presence tonight.

Now, at last, we have seen the promises of yesteryear evolve into something tangible and we can assure his Lordship that we all realise exactly how much he has done, on his part, in contributing to these improvements.

When I first set foot in St Gregory’s almost five years ago, I remember thinking that the gym-cum-hall was a classroom. Now we have a gymnasium and a hall – both twice the size of the first – well equipped, ventilated and entirely free from boiler fumes.

In the new classrooms, the idiosyncrasies of the windows need not be understood in order to be opened; all the doors open and close, whatever the weather, and the temperature is nicely graduated between freezing and boiling points.

In many other respects St Gregory’s has vastly changed from the old brick building that we used to know. In one respect, however, there has been no change. The spirit of the school, that intangible asset, remains unaffected by builders and architects alike.

We are all exceedingly proud of our new school and may we take this opportunity of thanking all here present who have, in any way whatsoever, helped in its erection. You may rest assured that the interest and confidence that has been shown in St Gregory’s in such a generous manner will be completely justified in the full tradition of the school.

Previous  Next