The first meeting of the Roberts Club on 31 May was a triumph for two people in particular: the eponymous Andrew Roberts (East, 1981) and Will Graham-Rack (Loveday, 2010).
Two OC interns were chosen at interview to work at the school for the first nine months of the school year (they now work in The Cranleighan Room in the quad cloisters, which will soon be housing the Archives). Each is now credited with an idea for a new OC gathering; we hope that both will feature large in years to come.
Will’s inspiration was the OCs’ first academic Club, planned to feature a speaker of special note and interest. It was his idea to call it the Roberts Club and to ask the renowned historian if he would accept the name and deliver its first lecture.
Nick Meyer (2&3 South, 1962) generously arranged and sponsored the Andrew Roberts evening at the Athenaeum Club in Pall Mall. Will duly awarded him his academic tie, and then introduced Andrew with an entertaining mix of respect and humour.
Andrew than spoke masterfully for 40 minutes, discussing why Hitler lost World War Two – a subject he explored in his outstanding book ‘The Storm of War’. Readers, you would be well rewarded if you researched www.andrew-roberts.net
Andrew’s delivery, knowledge and explanation kept his audience enthralled, and at the end questions followed apace until we circulated and reminisced with wine and canapés. With over 130 present, a packed room and a great atmosphere the success of the evening was in no doubt. The bar has been set high for 2012.