‘The Brits are Coming’ World Tour of the USA
The intrepid explorers Jan van der Velde and Ben Collins have returned from their world tour of the USA to report that our Sedbergh siblings across the pond are in fine form. They send their wishes, and respects, to those of us who remain in the British Isles.
We were accompanied by Dan and Cathy Harrison who flew high the flag of Sedbergh at the Harvard Club as we entertained OS and their guests from across the USA. More on this later.
The trip was a long time in the planning. The USA is big place! Not everyone was able to come to The Big Apple and so Ben and I took it upon ourselves to take a piece of Winder to them.
We therefore travelled far and wide. I headed to the Carolinas and to Georgia, while Ben went west to Texas and Arizona. We met the most charming, hospitable, caring, wonderful souls who entertained us handsomely while we exchanged stories of Sedbergh, past and present. We have written more about our personal experiences in other articles but just to say, in every instance, we were treated like family, but without the arguments and tantrums. Thank you to the fine people who looked after us, you were so welcoming.
On Thursday 30th May, Ben and I were reunited in New York.
We hugged, Ben had copious amounts of ice cream, while I ironed my shirts and pressed my trousers. We had to put on a good show for the grand finale of our trip, dinner at the Harvard Club just off Times Square.
Not having gone to Harvard myself, (one can’t do everything I find) we are indebted to Peter Akins, a former teacher at Sedbergh School and devoted Honorary OS who has done much to support our cause in his home country. Peter is an outstanding individual, who, having gone to Harvard and subsequently taking up a post at Sedbergh, spent time in military intelligence for the US navy before returning to a career in teaching at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut. As I said when I was introducing him as a speaker, he is a man with such an impressive CV (such as Senior Briefer, Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon) that one’s own life seems quite worthless in comparison.
The Harvard Club is a magnificent place, a ‘not been? You really must go!’ kind of place, except you can’t because it is so ultra exclusive and you need an IQ exceeding the UK national debt to be allowed in. Unless you know Peter that is.
The evening started with drinks and the flurry of guests looking slightly lost and bemused. But soon, introductions completed and martini in hand, the room was abuzz with chitchat and laughter.
As the proceedings progressed Dan took his place at the lectern to deliver his address. He spoke with great confidence about the School, and I dare say a great deal of pride. It was his story to deliver and he told it well.
It was followed by an address from Peter Akins who, conscious of the fact that it was memorial week, spoke of the Sedberghians who died during the world wars and who are buried in the USA. These being DJF Watson, CF Russell, AS Jackson, and EL Overton. It was a moving tribute and, given the perils that now exist around the world, a reminder of how freedom and democracy are bought through great sacrifice and in which our two great countries have played such a prominent role.
We concluded the evening with a rendition of ‘Winder’. I hate to be critical of my fellow Sedberghians but there were one or two over enthusiastic fellows who came in far too early and who then led the rest of us astray. The recorded music lagged behind by two bars but to be honest we sung with such gusto that we couldn’t really hear it anyway. Those in the Harvard Club library didn’t get much work done, such was the cacophony of sound that resounded about the halls and down the stairs. I wish I had recorded it to play as my car alarm.
Thank you America. You were fine hosts. We came as guests but we left as friends. Good friends at that, and lifelong.
Jan van der Velde
