Thomas Cowley High School marks 300 hundred years of history with anniversary celebration night
Donington’s Thomas Cowley High School (TCHS) has good cause to celebrate a history that features navigating, nursing and NHS pioneers, as well as two footballing landmarks.
At least 500 past students, teachers and governors joined current staff and young people proudly wearing the midnight blue uniform for an evening of special memories on Wednesday.
Dame Sarah Swift, founder of the Royal College of Nursing, Donald Bruce (Lord Bruce of Donington), partly responsible for creating the nation’s health system, and TCHS’s most famous son, Captain Matthew Flinders, would have all looked down in admiration as some of the future generations who followed them through the doors of 18th century landowner Thomas Cowley’s lasting legacy to Donington met at the School Lane site.
Artefacts, memorabilia, photographs, records and tales from 1719, when the school first opened, up to the present day filled the main hall named after Flinders, a fitting tribute to the naval seaman widely acknowledged for (literally) putting Australia on the map.
Darragh O’Callaghan, art teacher at TCHS and its official tricentenary photographer, said: “The planning for our 300th anniversary really began about two years ago so it’s been long in the making.
“There was a lot to do in organising the celebrations, with our Junior Leadership Team working with the teachers to put together the events.
“Everyone had a role, such as sorting out the school records, and because I used to do photography before I came to the school five years ago, I was asked to take the photographs of Wednesday’s celebrations.
“Meanwhile, another of our members of staff, colleague Paula Williams, sorted out the archives and ex-teacher Margaret Wright put a call out on social media for old photographs and souvenirs.
“We all expected it just to be a minor thing, but it really charged people’s interest so that Wednesday event became an informal reunion for a lot of those who had been at the school before.”
Alongside original school registers, class portraits, past editions of The Doningtonian magazine and a tour of the current site was the original headmaster’s chair, a student’s desk from the 1700s and a replica model of Flinders, along with his faithful cat Trim, based on the lifesize statue outside London’s Euston Rail Station.
David Brotherton, a former head of PE at TCHS for 29 years, said: “Even though my grandsons are here at the school, I was thinking a few weeks ago that I’d like to see the old place again.
“The anniversary event was a wonderful night and it was good to see members of the school’s football team who won the Lincolnshire County Cup in 1992.”
Among the collection records on display at the anniversary event was a report on TCHS’s role in the very first FA Cup in 1871-72, without kicking a ball.
Mr Brotherton said: “One of the big projects in my time at the school was to replay the match between Cowley Old Boys and Queens Park, of Scotland.
“For different reasons, the original match never happened so an ex-pupil of the school, Jack Allen, and myself organised an exhibition match against Queen’s Park in 1972 which they won 6–0.”
A more recent connection to the FA Cup for the school came in 1957 when another "old boy" Eric Houghton led Aston Villa to their seventh, and most recent, triumph in the final over much-fancied Manchester United.
However, pride of place was reserved for a commemorative plate and anniversary visitor’s book, both made by school site manager Dave Cox.
“When I left TCHS in 1965, I thought ‘That’s it’.
“But things have gone full circle and I’ve been worked here for five years.
“It’s a fantastic school to work in, alongside some very nice people.”
A former student who relived her time at TCHS on Wednesday was Amy Holmes (32), a TCHS student between 1998-2003.
She said: “I have some amazingly fond memories of my school days, memories of fun times with my friends, the teachers who helped me and of all the good times I had at Thomas Cowley.
“Not many people can honestly say they would relive their school days, but I can say that I would.
“Thomas Cowley was very much like a ‘small family’ and I can’t say that my opinion has changed, so it was lovely to go back to the school and relive some of the memories with my friends.
“We could take a look at all the photographs and have a tour around the school once again, led by two lovely students who showed us around.
“It was great to be at the event and to play a part in the school’s 300-year history.”