Last Friday, we had the pleasure of hosting our first Friends of Bloxham event for parents of Old Bloxhamists in The White Lion Sixth Form Centre at school. It was an evening filled with laughter, good company and a wonderful sense of Bloxham community.
School Archivist and founder of the Bloxham Wine Society, Simon Batten, curated a selection of fascinating wines, sharing his knowledge and inspiring the audience with his enthusiasm. White wines from Spain and Australia and reds from New Zealand, Chile and France challenged our preconceptions of preferred wines. Even the most knowledgeable amongst us were taken on a journey of discovery; grapes we hadn’t tried before, experiencing the different ways wine taste before and after food, and some brilliant wine trivia made for a very enjoyable and informative evening. With heckling positively encouraged, a lot of fun was had by all!
We were also treated to the expertise of the BTEC Hospitality students, led by teachers Peter Harvey and Emma Danby. As part of their course, the students are required to evidence the planning of events from start to finish, including logistics, table settings, greeting guests, food and drink. It was evident that a great deal of hard work had gone into the planning and preparation of the beautiful and delicious food which was paired with each of the wines. The students also served the wine with explanations of why each dish had been chosen. Their calm and professional manner was impressive, particularly as many were at the start of their Sixth Form course.
Bloxham parents have always been a vital part of our school community and we hope that after your children leave Bloxham, you still feel that Bloxham is part of your lives. The Friends of Bloxham has been established to ensure that past parents continue to be included in our very special community alongside Old Bloxhamists, former staff and other supporters of the School.
We would like to extend our thanks to everyone who attended the evening and made it such a special event. Our particular thanks go to Simon Batten, Peter Harvey, Emma Danby and the BTEC Hospitality students.