Old Bostonian Association Annual Dinner

The Old Bostonian Association Annual Dinner is the flagship event each year for the Association. It has been held in a variety of locations.

Along with the meal itself, the programme typically includes the following:

• Toast to The Monarch - by the President of the Old Bostonian Association.
• Toast to The School - by the Guest of Honour.
• Reply from The School - by a representative of Boston Grammar School, often the Head Teacher.
• The School Song.

Year	Date	Location	Guest of Honour	Representative of The School
1900	20 April	Anderton's Hotel, Fleet Street		William White, Headmaster and OBA President
1900	02 August (luncheon)	Boston Guildhall	Prof A J Grant, former pupil, and professor of History at Yorkshire College, Leeds	William White, Headmaster and OBA President
1901	01 August	Peacock and Royal Hotel	George S W Jebb, former pupil, and president of the Cambridge Union in 1883	William White, Headmaster and OBA President
...
1910	28 July	White Hart Hotel	George S W Jebb, former pupil, and Mayor of Boston	William White, Headmaster
...
1914-1921			Old Bostonian Club inactive during and immediately after the First World War
1922	No dinner
1923	No dinner
1924	8 or 15 February	White Hart Hotel	W I Cooke	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1925	January	White Hart Hotel	C H Adcock	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1926	February	Scala Cafe	Arthur Day	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1927	January	Scala Cafe	Joseph Langley Burchnall, Parry Gold Medallist 1908	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1928	February	White Hart Hotel	Captain W G West, MBE, TD.	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1929	February	White Hart Hotel	Councillor Edward Arthur Bailey, Mayor of Boston and BGS alumnus	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1930	February	White Hart Hotel	W C Burnett, former pupil. Started at BGS circa 1890. Retirement tributes and a presentation were made to Arthur Hill.	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1931	February	White Hart Hotel	Councillor Albert Charles Rysdale	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1932	March	White Hart Hotel	Sam Marjason	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1933	March	White Hart Hotel	Councillor Albert Charles Rysdale	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1934	March	White Hart Hotel	Joseph Langley Burchnall, Parry Gold Medallist 1908	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1935	March	White Hart Hotel	E K Abraham	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1936	March	White Hart Hotel	W H Mason	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1937	19 March	White Hart Hotel	Arthur Watson Grocock	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1938	31 March	White Hart Hotel	Joseph Langley Burchnall, Parry Gold Medallist 1908	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1939	17 February	White Hart Hotel	Councillor Edward Arthur Bailey	Herbert Morris, Headmaster
1940	-	-	No annual dinner held, due to World War II. A significant proportion of OBA members served in HM Forces
1941	-	-	No annual dinner held, due to World War II.
1942	-	-	No annual dinner held, due to World War II.
1943	-	-	No annual dinner held, due to World War II.
1944	-	-	No annual dinner held, due to World War II.
1945	-	-	No annual dinner held, due to World War II.
1946	April	-	Roy Tryner	-
1947	April	Assembly Rooms	William Lawson Alexander	Leslie Thomas Waddams
...
1949	March	White Hart Hotel	Roy Tryner	Leslie Thomas Waddams
...
1951	March	White Hart Hotel	W H Mason	Leslie Thomas Waddams
...
1953	March	Peacock and Royal Hotel	E V Abraham	Leslie Thomas Waddams
1954	March	Peacock and Royal Hotel	Alec E Davis	Leslie Thomas Waddams
1955	March	Peacock and Royal Hotel	William Lawson Alexander	William John Ricketts
...
1957	April	Peacock and Royal Hotel	John Lewis Dickson, Parry Gold Medallist 1942	William John Ricketts
1958	March	Peacock and Royal Hotel	Frank T Ryan	William John Ricketts
...
1960			Joseph Langley Burchnall, Parry Gold Medallist 1908
...
1966	18th February	Boston Grammar School, Assembly Hall	T W Royal	William John Ricketts, Head Teacher
...
1968	April	Boston Grammar School, Assembly Hall	Major Brian J Halliday, former OBA Secretary	William John Ricketts, Head Teacher
1969			Stanley James Paton Abbott, former Head Boy	William John Ricketts, Head Teacher
...
1972		Boston Grammar School, Library	Ray Tinkler, international soccer referee
...
1976	15 October		Canon F P Sargeant
1977	28 October	Boston Grammar School, Library	Jack Sydney Sheppard, CBE, Parry Gold Medallist 1932	PF Johnston, Head Teacher
...
1980	29 March	Boston Grammar School, Library
1981	11 April	Boston Grammar School Library
1982	3 April		Peter Jordan, Managing Director of Norprint
1983	26 March		Roy Ashton LLB, Barrister and Recorder, working in the Northampton and Oxford Areas	Arthur Shrimpton, Head Teacher
1984	14 April	Boston Grammar School, Assembly Hall	Dr David B Sattelle, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Unit of Invertebrate Chemistry and Physiology, University of Cambridge
...
1992	23 March	Boston Grammar School	Nigel Hudson, former British Council representative in Addis Ababa
1993			Richard Cammack
...
1995			Philip M Walmsley MA, MLitt, Parry Gold Medallist 1943	John E Neal, Head Teacher
1996	30 March
1997	Planned 22 March but cancelled
1998		Boston Grammar School, Dining Hall	Bob Allan who served in the Arctic Convoys	John E Neal, Head Teacher
1999	27 March	Boston Grammar School, Dining Hall	Peter Luff MA Cantab, MOD retired	John E Neal, Head Teacher
2000	15 April	Boston Grammar School, Dining Hall	Barry Spikings, Hollywood Producer	John E Neal, Head Teacher
2001	7 April	Boston Grammar School, Dining Hall	George Danby, Farmer and Mayor of Boston	John E Neal, Head Teacher
2002	23 March	Boston Grammar School, Dining Hall	Colonel Mark (Bill) Dunham Royal Marines	John E Neal, Head Teacher
2003	12 April	Boston Grammar School, Dining Hall	Revd Dick Westland, retired priest, Church of England	John E Neal, Head Teacher
2004	3 April	Boston Grammar School, Dining Hall	Alan Kemp	John E Neal, Head Teacher
2005	28 March	Boston Grammar School, Dining Hall	Peter Lawson	John E Neal, Head Teacher
2006	8 April	Boston Grammar School, Dining Hall	The Venerable Terry Gibson, former Archdeacon of Ipswich	John E Neal, Head Teacher
2007	31 March	Boston Grammar School, Dining Hall	Professor P A Young, MA, Ph D, FIMM, MAus.IMM, M Can.IMM, C Eng, professor of mining and mineral sciences University of Leeds	Nigel Wainwright, Boston Grammar School staff
2008	15 March	Boston and County Club	Geoff Brooks, BT retired	Helen McEvoy, Head Teacher
2009	16 May	Boston and County Club	Will Wearden, former President of the Cambridge Union	Helen McEvoy, Head Teacher
2010	17 April	Boston and County Club	Philip Priestley, former British High Comissioner to Belize	Nigel Wainwright, Boston Grammar School staff
2011	9 April	Boston and County Club	John Cridland CBE, Director General of the CBI and The Rt Revd Frank Sargeant, Assistant Bishop, Diocese of Manchester	Nigel Wainwright, Boston Grammar School staff
2012	31 March	Boston and County Club	Edward Hackford, Parry Gold Medallist 1957	Nigel Wainwright, Boston Grammar School staff
2013	20 April	Boston and County Club	Nick Fitton, former Boston Grammar School staff	Stephen Woodliffe, Deputy Chairman of Boston Grammar School Governors
2014	22 March	Boston and County Club	Richard O Smith, writer	Ellis Potter, Head of School
2015	28 March	Boston Grammar School, Assembly Hall	Richard Anderson, former Boston Grammar School staff	John McHenry, Head Teacher
2016	19 March	Boston and County Club	Brig Mark (Bill) Dunham CBE	John McHenry, Head Teacher
2017	25 March	Boston and County Club	Daryl Upsall FInstF	John McHenry, Head Teacher
2018	24 March	Boston and County Club	Danny Butterfield	-
2019	23 March	Boston and County Club	Mark Watson, "Man of Mischief" - Magician, Juggler, Actor, Comic	John McHenry, Head Teacher
2020	21 March	-	Cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic	-
2021	16 October	-	Cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic	-
2022	26 March	Boston and County Club	Chris Blakey	John Lyon, Head of Sixth Form
2023	25 March	Jakemans Stadium	Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam	John McHenry, Head Teacher
2024	23 March	Jakemans Stadium	Brian Bolland in conversation with Harry Parkhill	John McHenry, Head Teacher

See Also

• Ty Dalby
• Dan Elkington
• Albert Harold Cawood
• Harvey Potter