Page 12 - The Old Ratcliffian 2010

The Old Ratcliffan 2010 | events The Ratcliffian Association Biennial Yorkshire Dinner Friday 19th November 2010, Monk Fryston Hall, Monk Fryston, Yorkshire This year’s dinner was held in the historic manor house Thank you to all who attended and please spread the word known as Monk Fryston Hall. We had exclusive use of a to other ORs about how enjoyable evenings with the Old panelled dining room with a blazing fire from the inglenook Ratcliffian Association in Yorkshire can be. fireplace. A real Yorkshire welcome was given to 29 of Pierre Bouvet (71), Yorkshire Secretary us including Frs Tobin and Giles (Presidents both of the School and Association respectively) and the Headmaster and his wife Gareth and Katherine Lloyd. The food and service were excellent and the wine and conversation flowed all night. After dinner Gareth gave us a passionate and enthusiastic report about the School and his hopes and aspirations for the future. The writer believes Ratcliffe is in good hands. Simon Giles brought us all up to date with Association affairs and it was good to see him revelling in his role as our President. The evening was concluded by Gareth and Katharine, upon request, serenading us with a duet from Mozart’s Don Fr David Tobin (59), Peter Meredith (60), Fr Simon Giles Giovanni. A simply sensational and a fitting way to end a (60), John Kelly (62) and Paul Radd (60) convivial evening in the country’s premier county! LOURDES 2010 23rd-30th July 2010 This year for the first time we formed our own Ratcliffe College and Rosminian Parish Family Group. The group has been named as Hosanna House Group 512 and was approved by the HCPT Trustees last year. The Trustees have encouraged me to continue recruiting Pilgrims from Ratcliffe College and Grace Dieu and to expand to include all the surrounding Rosminian Parishes. I was delighted that we were a good 46 in number and we of confidence in his caring skills and is very much part of were able to fill St Bernadette’s side of Hosanna House. the team. St Bernadette’s had just been refurbished and we were one of the first groups to make use of the excellent new Fr Philip Sainter IC went as the Group Chaplain. I was refurbishment. delighted that Fr Philip Sainter brought with him 5 of his parishioners from St Marie’s, Rugby. This was an added A total of 7 ORs joined the Pilgrimage and hopefully this bonus for the group as a whole and it was good to include number will increase as year on year more students want more of the Rosminian Family! It was wonderful for him to come back and relive the wonderful experience of their to lead the group spiritually once again and to benefit week in Lourdes. from his compassionate care for the sick and disabled. The theme of this year’s Pilgrimage was ‘Come to me you Miss Danielle Fairbrother (02) is now in her ninth year with who are thirsty’ and during a very beautiful healing service the group and for the first time she was my Deputy Group he invited the entire group to come and be blessed with Leader. She proved herself to be an excellent deputy and Lourdes water. we worked well together. She is now in her fourth year as a Secondary School PE teacher. Mr Peter Tetlow (78) has been coming to Lourdes ever since his visits when he was a boy at Ratcliffe. He was Mr Tom Foulds (07) came for the first time as a helper. He HCPT Chief Brancardier for many years, so we were very worked as a Night Carer to a boy with learning difficulties privileged to have Peter spend two days with us at the and as a Day Carer to a disabled gentleman. In both these beginning of the week. He writes ‘Thank you very much for roles Tom worked with great empathy. He is just completing letting me join the Hosanna House Group in July. It was a a Gap Year between school and university. great experience. I enjoyed it a lot and had a ‘new’ Lourdes Mr Richard Gamble (64) went for his fifth time with the experience – even with my years!’ group. His support with driving minibuses and running the Mr Bernard Sherratt (52) and Mrs Pat Sherratt were also bar was invaluable! able to join us during the week in Lourdes. They are now Fr Anthony Meredith IC (57) was able to join the group and living in Orthez near to Lourdes and called in for lunch at assist Fr Philip Sainter in his role as Chaplain. We were very Hosanna House. In their letter they write ‘Many thanks for honoured that he was able to join us and take time out of the warm (could have been alcoholic!) welcome extended his busy schedule in Rome. to us yesterday. It was great to meet old friends and acquaintances. We both admire the work you are doing and Mr James Morley (08) is now in his third year with the the experience you offer to the young helpers.’ group. James looked after a young boy at night and looked after a disabled lady in the day. He has gained a great deal I would like to thank the Ratcliffian Association for its 12