“When the first thing the King of England thinks of when he hears the word ‘Prague’ is the English College, we must be doing something right.”
So said Jan Brunner, 1999 ECP graduate and Deputy Czech Ambassador to Austria. He was speaking on behalf of the graduates at a reception at the British Embassy, held to mark the 30th anniversary of the English College in Prague.
We also heard speeches from the British Ambassador, Matt Field, who called the English College ‘this wonderful institution’ and praised it as a ‘beacon of excellence in education’, from Denis Keefe, ECP’s Chairman of Governors, who thanked Prague 9 Mayor, Tomáš Portlík, for his support and from Dr Brown, our sixth and longest serving Headmaster.
But it was Jan Brunner’s account of when he was introduced to HRH The Prince of Wales, as he was then, which caused the most excitement.
HM King Charles III – Our ‘Proud Patron’
It was at the annual Diplomatic Reception in London, when the capital’s diplomats from all over the world gather in the splendid surroundings of Buckingham Palace. Jan had the honour of being introduced to Prince Charles who, when he heard that Jan was from Prague, said, “Prague? The English College in Prague, of which I am a proud Patron!” To which a quick-thinking Jan replied, “And of which I am a proud graduate!”
There was pride in abundance at the British Embassy that evening. Jan was not the only one to be proud of his association with the English College. Joining him were fellow graduates, parents, staff, Governors and long-standing friends and supporters of the ECP for a magical evening in the beautiful Embassy garden, to mark the end of our 30th anniversary year.
Early Visionaries
We remembered the visionaries without whom there would be no ECP. In particular, Founder Governors Ann Lewis and Martyn Bond, who with our first Chairman of Governors, Lord Holme, raised the money and overcame innumerable hurdles along the way to open a school that taught in English, and that would prepare young Czechs for the International Baccalaureate to enable them to study around the world.
We also remembered our first Headmaster, Hubert Ward, who died last year, and were delighted to welcome our second Headmaster, Albert Hudspeth, and his wife Valerie. Albert was Headmaster to many of our older graduates.
But although the evening was primarily an event to thank everyone who had played a role in the success of the ECP, Dr Brown also wanted to look to the future. It was therefore fitting that our Year 3 student, Ariya Man, brought along his amazing working model of the reconstructed Sokolovská building. It demonstrates in great detail what is waiting for everyone when we move back in November.
Here is Ariya with his model, in the entrance hall at the Embassy. With him were Dr Brown and Tomáš Med, of Med Pavlík Architekti who designed our new building, together with Anna Švarc (2005), Martin Čeněk (2000) and Michel Zapletal (2018), all ECP graduates who are all now also qualified architects.
A toast to the next 30 years!
Dr Brown, looking back on the evening, said, “It was such a great pleasure to be able to bring together so many people with a shared affection for the English College and to not only look back at its past with gratitude, but also forward to its future with a sense of excitement and anticipation. We are grateful for the wise stewardship of our Governors, which has enabled us to buy the freehold of our building on Sokolovská, and to develop and extend the site. And now we are all looking forward to many more years in Prague 9. We will have the security of owning our own building with its improved facilities, and, by expanding our scholarship fund, we will enable many more young people from less well-off backgrounds to benefit from an ECP education, which for some will be a life-changing opportunity.
You can see all the photos of the evening here and watch the videos of the speeches here.