The start of the academic year marked the centenary year of York House! To kick off the celebrations, the OWA hosted an evening of cricket on Friday 6th September. It was wonderful to see current and former York pupils come together to celebrate 100 years of York House. The president of the OWA and proud Yorkie, Peter Buckley, opened the ceremony with a wonderful speech, encouraging current pupils to cherish their memories of Wrekin, and reminisced about his time at Wrekin as a young boy.

As part of the celebration, all current York pupils were presented with a special centenary tie. The weather was glorious over the Pavilion, and the pizza and drinks made for a special evening for all!

Jonathan Mather summarised the cricket for us:

The OWA York XI won the toss, chose to bat, and set a competitive 134-2 from the 12 8-ball overs, with Ed Udale scoring 40 not out, the key run scorer and anchor. In reply, Will and Arthur set the pace. Arthur finished undefeated on 41. A quickfire 20 from Jack set up a close finish, handing over for the last three overs. Needing 5 of 4 balls, the York player went 'big' down the ground, clearing a 'leaping' Neil Griffiths on the boundary edge to win the game. The York XI finished 135-2 with three balls remaining.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us in the celebrations, and a special congratulations to all the players for a fantastic match. Neil Griffiths, the OWA Chairman and Old York's Captain, commented, "What a wonderful evening to start off the 100 years of York. It was great for the current York’s to win in such a stunning setting."

OW’s Centenary celebrations will take place on Saturday 1st March, 2025. Please save the date!