Family Day and Summer Dinner
Alumni and their families enjoying picnicking on Liddon Quad.
Listening to valuable feedback from our alumni about how much they missed Keble’s family-friendly events of old, we decided to trial a special event for families on the day of our annual Summer Dinner. Over 100 alumni and their families gathered together, spreading out blankets and enjoying reconnecting with former classmates over a picnic in Liddon Quad.
The highlight of the afternoon was a storytelling session with the amazing children’s author, scriptwriter and, not least, Keble alumnus Frank Cottrell-Boyce (1979 English). He captivated his audience, young and old alike, reading excerpts from his books and bringing the characters to life. There was even audience participation with a Dalek making an appearance on stage! Liddon Quad was filled with a lot of laughter, and a resounding round of applause at the end.
A young participant impersonating a Dalek at the storytelling session with Frank Cottrell-Boyce (1979 English)
Alumni of all ages went on to enjoy an Afternoon Tea in the Hall with their families. While the Great Hall in Harry Potter might be based on another college, nothing can compare to the truly magical experience of sharing Keble Hall with family and friends. Tea was followed by a talk from Graduate student Alex Zagajewski (2018 DPhil Biomedical Imaging) about his work with the International Space School Educational Trust (ISSET). Rounding off the day was our traditional sung Evensong. With families joined by guests arriving for the Summer Dinner, the Keble Choir was singing to a packed Chapel – a most heart-warming sight.
As we transitioned to the Summer Dinner with drinks in the Quad, it was apparent that the reimagined Family Day was very well received, and that, hopefully, a new tradition has been formed. The dinner itself saw over 200 alumni and their guest enjoying good food and wine.
Keble Vagabond & Old Vagabond cricketers from the mid-70’s to the mid-80’ special invitation group at the Summer Dinner
There was a friendly competition for the number of attendees between the ‘special invitation’ groups (cricketers from the 1970s and those celebrating 25, 30 and 40 years since matriculation), narrowly won by the 1998s! Rehana Azib’s (1998 Jurisprudence) after dinner poem was the perfect ending to a fantastic evening, bringing a lot of laughter, cheers, and even some tears.
We hope to see many of you next year: save the date for Saturday 29 June 2024. We would be delighted to help any group of friends organise a table.
