European Dinner Paris 2016

The Merchant Taylors’ Paris Dinner took place on 14 May. It was a perfect evening when Paris bathed in the glorious sunshine of an early summer’s evening.

The dinner was held at Cercle de l’Union Interalliée, a spectacular club tucked away in the heart of Paris. The Union Interalliée was founded in 1917 as a meeting place for officers of the Allied nations during the First World War.  The interior of the club is opulent, with numerous chandeliers, paintings and rich tapestries. The club also boasts a large garden with a picturesque backdrop of The Eiffel Tour.

The evening began with a champagne reception where guests made new friends and rekindled old acquaintances. The dinner attracted 44 guests from across the various schools – 29 from MTS Crosby (both the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools) and 15 from MTS Northwood. The promise of Paris drew a wide range of alumni which ranged from a 1939 alumnus to a 2014 alumna (both MTS Crosby). And we were not disappointed when it came to food and wine. We were treated to a delightful four course dinner. Each course was delicious and washed down with excellent wine.

There was strong support from MTS Crosby and MTS Northwood. Mrs Louise Robinson, Headmistress of Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School, Crosby, set out the challenges and opportunities posed by technology in education. Mr Simon Everson, Headmaster of Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood, echoed Louise’s comments with the news that some MTS Northwood pupils have set up a drone society!

An important part of the evening unfolded after the speeches: the school songs. Despite not being planned, it only took a lone voice to sing ‘not in some sheltered nook…’ for an impromptu choir of MTS Crosby alumni to assemble. There may well be video evidence of the performance that followed…. the only disappointment was doing two verses, not five! The MTS Northwood alumni then responded with an excellent rendition of the all MTS Northwood school song – all in Latin.

After the dinner, speeches and singing had finished a group of younger members embarked on a night out exploring Paris. It was a magnificent and entertaining evening, and was the perfect finale to the fantastic dinner.

Finally I would like to extend a special thanks to Mr Peter Magill for organising the dinner. It was a wonderful evening and I’m sure that all guests will treasure memories from the evening for a long time to come. We are very fortunate to be part of the strong and close family that is Merchant Taylors’.

Michael Pinder, 2008 alumnus, Old Crosbeian