Radley Then & Now

Recently, we celebrated the opening of the new Music School at Radley College – a project that has taken over 18 months and 65,000 bricks. It’s a testament to the enduring centrality of music to Radley life - from organ and choir to jazz and big band. In this episode, we delve into the rich history of Music at Radley College, led by Archivist Clare Sargent and with contributions from current and f...

For a Radleian, there are nearly five hours of hunger between breakfast and lunch, and another five from lunch to supper. The only remedy? Shop. Join us as we journey through over 170 years of Shop, one of Radley’s best-known and most-loved institutions. ‘Jam Money’ could be spent on all sorts of treats, from Wagon Wheels and Cola, to ice cream and egg mayo sarnies. The iconic chicken roll had boy...

This episode of Radley Then & Now looks at life at Radley College in the 1960s. The sixties are remembered as an era of rebellion and transformation: in society, science and the arts. But did these revolutions cause ripples on College Pond? Were Radleians taking giant leaps, twisting and shouting, or boldly going where no Radleian had gone before? Hear from College Archivist Clare Sargent and...

ORs and members of the Radley College community join College Archivist, Clare Sargent, to discuss the history of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF). From its beginnings at the turn of the 20th Century, the Officer Training Corps (OTC, later CCF) has been a central part of the Radley College experience. We've been gathering memories of the CCF for the last few months. Lots of square-bashing, mud, campi...

Radley College has been involved in the Olympics since the inauguration of the modern games by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894. Theodore Cook, OR, was an enthusiastic supporter of the movement and served on the IOC from 1909 until 1915. He used his influence as a classicist, journalist and sportsman to promote the ideas of sport for all and peaceful international cooperation. He encouraged many boys f...

With its roots in the 1940s, the Marionette Society produced more famous ORs than any other aspect of Radley life - from Oscar winners to professional puppeteers, theatre directors to senior civil servants. It is the only society which encompassed all the creative and performance arts - sculpture, costumes, lighting, woodworking, sound, orchestra. The only society to perform complete Mozart operas...

In 1823, Webb Ellis picked up the ball at Rugby School, and ran with it. This controversial action is being celebrated throughout the world in this bicentenary year of the game of rugby. Radley had developed its own game – 12 good men, engaging in puddings and squashes. How different would the world be if Radley Football had triumphed in place of Rugby Football? It sacrificed its own football game...

This Radley Then & Now event celebrates 100 years since the very first Dons' Play at Radley College. You can't keep a good don down. In 1923, the Dons’ Plays became a Radley institution, and so began 100 years of truly bad puns and jolly dodgy costumes. The most popular performances were written in-house. There were pantomimes in the 1940s by Theo Cocks with music composed by Ceddie Borgnis; i...

In this virtual event 'A Glimpse into the Archives - 1940s', we look at this eventful decade: the impact of war on the College, royal visits, and life as a student. Hosted by Radley College Archivist, Clare Sargent, and compered by Radleian Society Manager, Caroline Monaghan. Recorded on Wednesday 11th November 2020.

On 1st November, 23 members of the Radleian Society community joined Radley Archivist, Clare Sargent, for an online oral history event looking at the rich history of Covered Passage. We charted the early history of Covered Passage as a route between Big School and Chapel, and some of the early escapades that were staged there, through to the Amnesty Cage of the 2000s. Clare shared an array of hist...

This Radley Then & Now event focused on the grounds and landscape of the College. A Beautiful Place: Radley’s Changing Landscape took place via Zoom on 2nd March 2023. The talk was led by Archivist, Clare Sargent, with contributions for the College’s Estates Bursar, David Anderson, and the Director of the Countryside Centre, Charlie Herbert, and plenty of valuable input from members of the com...