The 2nd Parent's Assembly

From the Master
Friday, 9th September 2011

Dear Parents,

The highlight of the past week was undoubtedly the second Parents’ Assembly on Friday, and the official opening and naming of the Seldon Theatre by Dr Anthony Seldon, the current Master of Wellington College UK. Dr Seldon has done as much as anybody in bringing Wellington to Tianjin and it was only fitting that the theatre should be named after somebody so passionate about the performing arts. The unveiling ceremony brought a tear to his eye, and, fittingly, the inscription was taken from his favourite playwright, William Shakespeare: “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.”

The assembly was dedicated to Dr Seldon and we learned a great deal about his life and interests: his passion for W.B. Yeats and Mozart, what makes him laugh, with the comic genius of John Cleese prominent in this direction, and his admiration for Sir Winston Churchill. As a child, he had enjoyed reading ‘Beano’, the British comic which gave to the English-speaking world the exploits of Dennis the Menace and his dog, or sidekick, Gnasher.

The staff ensemble’s rendition of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’, Dr Seldon’s favourite rock song, was a fitting precursor to his own reply. As only Dr Seldon can, he produced a riveting performance, all the more remarkable for having just flown in from London and a meeting with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, at Downing Street. We were all welcomed to the Wellington community, before he admitted that, before today, he had only had three things named after him - his children! Developing the theme of ‘we make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give’, Dr Seldon talked about great Englishmen who had made a difference, asking the audience for some names. The Wellington pupils were not found wanting and back came the names of Churchill and William Shakespeare, to which he added Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, the inspiration for our school. Sadly, Dr Seldon had to leave later that evening for commitments back at Wellington College in the UK, but will visit us again later in the year. Fortunately, the Seldon Theatre is with us forever, and is undoubtedly one of the best school performing arts facilities in China. We all now look forward to welcoming you to the widest possible range of concerts, drama productions, lectures and debates to be held there in the weeks and months ahead.

Best wishes,

David Cook