window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'AW-617005090');
FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeLinkedin
+44 (0)1764 653112 | Calendar | News |office@ardvreckschool.co.uk

Alumni2021-11-01T10:40:58+01:00

ARDVRECK ALUMNI
OUR CHERISHED OLD ARDVRECKIAN COMMUNITY

Since 1883, Ardvreck has been preparing boys, and later girls, for further education and life beyond. For over 135 years the school on the hill has inspired each child to develop their full potential through a spirit of achievement and educational adventure, in the process making friends for life. Every pupil at Ardvreck becomes an Old Ardvreckian and is warmly welcomed into the wider family community.

Our aim is to maintain strong links with our Old Ardvreckians and we encourage you to ensure that we have your current contact details so that we can keep in touch with you about upcoming events and OA news. If you have lost touch with the school, or know anyone else who has, we would love to hear from you.

In time, we hope to expand our alumni services to provide regular newsletters and invitations to OA events, as well as putting pupils back in touch with each other. Old Ardvreckians are always most welcome to return and visit the school, and can be assured of a warm welcome. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter where we enjoy sharing Old Ardvreckian news, photographs and memories of Barvicks, dams and dens and the Crabbie Hall to name but a few!

If you have not heard from us recently or if you think we may not have your current contact details, we strongly encourage you to email our Alumni Secretary, Annie Le Roy-Lewis, at alumni@ardvreckschool.co.uk. If you do not have access to email then please call Annie on 01764 653112 so that she can update your postal address.

Ardvreck School history

WELCOME FROM THE HEADMISTRESS

Welcome to our family of Ardvreckians. We hope to entice you back to Ardvreck through our new Alumni campaign. We want to reconnect you to friends and memories of your time here, whilst keeping you up to date with today’s Ardvreck through news and events. Perhaps we can even persuade you to attend a Barvick?

I am delighted to introduce you to our Alumni Secretary, Annie Le Roy-Lewis, who knows the school very well and has a passion for helping maintain links between the school and its Alumni.

I very much look forward to meeting you in person one day, either at an Alumni event or when you visit the school. We guarantee our Alumni a very warm welcome.

ARDVRECK SCHOOL TIMELINE
OLD ARDVRECKIAN INSTAGRAM

OLD ARDVRECKIANS ON INSTAGRAM

To mark the 100th anniversary of the death of ...

View
Open
To mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Ardvreck's founder, W E Frost, we are holding a Founder's Day for all past and present pupils, staff and parents. We would love to invite as many Old Ardvreckians as possible, so please let us know your contact details so we can send you an invitation. Please pass this date on to anyone you think might like to be invited. Full details of the day to follow.

This year’s Annual Old Ardvreckian Clay Pigeon ...

View
Open
This year’s Annual Old Ardvreckian Clay Pigeon Shoot took place at Gleneagles during the Summer where the Greeks once again proved too strong for the Trojans! The Shoot was set up in 2012 after a group of OAs (at Ardvreck during and after WW2) rekindled their friendship at a Founder’s Day celebration. Amelia Murray Lindsay (OA91) recently took the time to reflect on the day. It makes for a wonderful read ..... https://www.ardvreckschool.co.uk/oashoot2021/

We are thrilled to see that Jake Spurway (OA16) is...

View
Open
We are thrilled to see that Jake Spurway (OA16) is number 6 in the starting line up for the Glasgow Warriors U20s match tomorrow against Edinburgh U20s for the Junior 1872 Cup. We are also thrilled to see that Andy Stirrart (OA16) is on the bench. Jake is Captain of the Durham University Freshers 1st XV and also on the bench for Durham BUCS Super Rugby 1st XV. Andy Stirrat plays for Glasgow Hutchesons’ Aloysians Rugby Football team. Good Luck boys!

The year is 1901. George Bruce Gilroy was playing...

View
Open
The year is 1901. George Bruce Gilroy was playing for the 1st XI cricket team having started boarding at Ardvreck at the age of 7. He was an outstanding wicket keeper and when he wasn’t playing cricket could be found reading and writing to his family as well as taking part in Barvicks. George was also academically gifted and was awarded an academic scholarship to Winchester College. After studying at Magdalen College, Oxford, he became an officer in the Black Watch, touring Europe and the British Empire. As World War One broke out he led his men well and was awarded the Military Cross. Despite the death of his brother, Kenneth (OA1902-1905) in battle, George kept going, his Ardvreck resilience spurring him on. It was at the Battle of the Somme that he was fatally wounded and he died in 1916 aged just 22. Today, in assembly, Form 6B reminded us of George’s story through a moving re-enactment. His name lives on in the Roll of Honour that sits in the School’s dining hall. We wonder what became of George’s family and of John Gilroy (OA1908-1912), the only brother to survive the war. If anyone knows we would love to invite them to remember George with us. #winchestercollege #magdalencollegeoxford #blackwatchregiment

We are delighted to confirm that the 25th Ardvreck...

View
Open
We are delighted to confirm that the 25th Ardvreck 7s tournament is going ahead this Sunday 7th November from 11am onwards. We have a number of Old Ardvreckian pipers coming back to pipe. If you would like to come and pipe at the start of the tournament then we would be delighted to have you. Please DM us or email alumni@ardvreckschool.co.uk so that we can let you know the tunes.

Once upon a time, all these young Ardvreckians ...

View
Open
Once upon a time, all these young Ardvreckians wanted to be were witches and wizards and not many of them thought that one day they might become a policeman. But that is exactly what happened to Jemma Stewart (OA2012, pictured) who is now a serving Metropolitan Police Officer. However, Jemma very much fell into policing. She was having a pint after playing a rugby game at university when she first heard about the Police Now Leadership Program (from someone who was on the graduate scheme) and she thought it sounded quite fun. Her application was successful and she started in July 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, with six weeks training in a classroom and then around two months training actually out on the streets. Once Jemma had finished her training she was placed on a Safer Neighbourhood Team in London and has now been the Dedicated Ward Officer for this community for over a year. The role consists of community engagement, solving long-term issues as well as the general day to day business of being a police officer. Jemma tells us that she definitely feels lucky to have stumbled into what so far has been her dream job. We are very proud of you Jemma!

'Teddy at Teddy Hall' sounds like a book...

View
Open
'Teddy at Teddy Hall' sounds like a book the children at Ardvreck would read. Instead we were very pleased to receive news that Teddy Thomson has just arrived at St Edmund's Hall, Oxford University (affectionately known as Teddy Hall) where he will be reading Economics and Management. What a great achievement for an Ardvreck Head Boy. Good luck to 'Teddy at Teddy Hall'! #teddyhall #oxforduniversity #alumni

ARDVRECK – A BRIEF CHRONICLE

Here you will find a timeline of some key events that make up significant dates in Ardvreck School’s history and evolution.
It is by no means an exhaustive list!

1883

W E Frost leaves Glenalmond and sets up school at Dalmhor in Crieff

1884

School moves to Springbank

1885

School moves into its own new premises at Dalvreck

1905

Rifle Club founded. First Rugby Blue – J. Burt-Marshall for Cambridge

1908

Semi Jubilee celebrations. Purchase of surrounding ground.

1909

First O.A. Dinner – North British Hotel (now the Balmoral), Edinburgh.

1915

Ardvreck beds on Ambulance barges

1917

First Ardvreck Scouts – not attached to the Baden-Powell movement.

1920

Unveiling of the St Michael’s War Memorial

1921

Joan English born. 1st girl pupil at Ardvreck. (Margaret English born 1925).

1922

Bill Frost dies. Buried at Ochtertyre.

1925

The Usher Pavilion erected. First ‘Founder’s Days’, July 5th.

1927

Electricity replaces gas at the school.

1929

First general O.A. Dinner – Grosvenor Restaurant, Glasgow.

1930

Formation of 43rd Perthshire Scout Troop.

1931

Building of Crabbie Hall, Open Fives Court rebuilt beside the covered one.

1933

Jubilee Celebrations. Access Tunnel to the games field built under the Comrie Road.

1939

Acquisition of The Heugh

1942

Ardvreck boys provide ‘comforts’ for the troops.

1955

First O.A. Rugby Cap for Scotland – W S Glen.

1956

Start of Ivor Ramsay Essays

1960

School becomes an Educational Trust

1962

Ardlarach built. The San becomes ‘Brae of Ardvreck’. Launch of the new House system: Barrie and Scott formed from the Greeks, Buchan and Burns from the Trojans.

1964

Construction of the classroom block. Demise of the Five Courts.

1968

First Day Pupils

1970

Appeal: Classroom Block extended. Modernisation in Heugh and Main School.

1973

Present Swimming Pool completed replacing one by R Turret.

1975

Appeal: levelling and draining of the top pitch.

1976

Admission of girls.

1979

First edition of The ‘Ard Times. Launching of Friends of Ardvreck. Start of Pre-Prep.

1982

Launching of the Centenary Appeal. First School Ski holiday – Zell am Ziller in Austria.

1983

Centenary Celebrations. Opening of the Centenary Building.

1984

Opening of MacLellan House, The Heugh having been sold.

1985

Opening of Erskine House.

1987

Ardvreck’s first visit to Rua Fiola.

1989

Opening of the Music School. First Ardvreck Prep Schools’ Netball Tournament.

1990

Levelling, widening, lengthening and draining of lower games pitches.

1991

New Pavilion opened, replacing the Usher pavilion.

1992

Swimming Pool covered. New Classroom Block completed.

1993

First Hosting of the Triangular Athletics at Ardvreck. 50th issue of ‘Ard Times. Pre-prep and Form 2 move to new premises.

1994

Victorian Era Celebrations of the Centenary of the change in the school’s name. Opening of Ardvreck Nursery Department.

1995

National V.E. Day holiday. Friends Reels Party in the Crabbie on a V.E. Day theme.

1996

Inaugural Ardvreck Invitation Rugby Sevens Tournament.

1998

Francis Finlay, O.A., cuts the first turf for the Finlay Hall. First school visit to Chateau de la Baudonniere.

2000

Millennial Match at Culdees Castle between Ardvreck 1st XI and a Gentleman’s XI, Centenary of one played there in July 1900. Opening of the Finlay Hall. Demise of the old Carpentry Hut. Andrew Foster Assault Course constructed. Advent of Ardvreck Pipe Band.

2003

Participation for the first time in Scottish Schools’s Clay Pigeon Championships

2004

New record set in St. Patrick’s Shield, British Prep Schools’ Trophy 798/800.

2005

Ardvreck boys British Prep Schools’ Ski Champions.

2006

Canadian Delegation collects Piper James Richardson V.C.’s pipes after 75 years in the school museum.

2008

125 Celebrations.

Ardvreck's approach to COVID-19 
This website uses cookies and third party services. Please review our Privacy Policy. I AGREE