Old Maidstonian Society

10/08/2026

Dear Old Maidstonians,

London Get-Together – Thursday 12th November 2026, 7.00 pm - 9.30 pm
Continuing the success of the previous London events, the Society would again like to invite all Old Maidstonians to an early evening informal gathering being held at The George Inn in Southwark, from 19:00 until 21:30. The evening will be hosted by our President, Mr Hugo van Mol. The historic 17th century George Inn is a galleried coaching inn at 77 Borough High Street, SE1 1NH, close to The Shard and London Bridge.

A private room with pay bar has been booked and there will be a buffet. The Society will meet part of the costs of the evening, but we would require a £15 contribution, slightly more than last years event, which is of course in part due to rising costs in recent times, which should be paid in advance online (reference LONDON), please email [email protected] to confirm your payment has been made and that you will be attending. We have to advise The George Inn 10 days in advance, so please respond as soon as possible, by end of November 2nd 2026.

Please note that we will be in the Wi******er Room on the first floor with its own private bar. Please also note that there is a 25% student discount for any student with a valid SU card (more for our recent leavers naturally although I am sure there are one or two mature students out there...)

You may pay either by internet bank transfer to:
The NatWest Bank
Maidstone Branch: 3 High Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XU
Account: Old Maidstonian Society
Account no: 00051802
Sort Code: 60-60-08
IBAN: GB31 NWBK 606008 00051802
BIC (Swift): NWBKGB2L
Reference: Your name/LONDON
(If you use this method, please drop me an e-mail letting me know)
Or by sending a cheque, made payable to 'Old Maidstonian Society' to:
The Old Maidstonian Society
Maidstone Grammar School
Barton Road
Maidstone
Kent
ME15 7BT
Tel: 01622 752101

Warmest Regards,

Sean Scurr on behalf of the Committee
Secretary, Old Maidstonian Society

19/06/2026

Dear Old Maidstonians,

Many thanks to all who attended this year's OMS Annual Supper - a wonderful evening with another large attendance - hosted by outgoing President, John Clayton, and Guest of Honour, Richard Ratcliffe. Please save the date for next year's Annual Supper - Saturday 20 March 2027. Further details to follow. Prices TBC and bookings open late 2026 / early 2027!!

Warmest Regards,

Sean Scurr on behalf of the Committee
Secretary, Old Maidstonian Society

17/06/2026

Dear Old Maidstonians,

London Get-Together – Thursday 12th November 2026, 7.00 pm - 9.30 pm
Continuing the success of the previous London events, the Society would again like to invite all Old Maidstonians to an early evening informal gathering being held at The George Inn in Southwark, from 19:00 until 21:30. The evening will be hosted by our President, Mr Hugo Van Mol. The historic 17th century George Inn is a galleried coaching inn at 77 Borough High Street, SE1 1NH, close to The Shard and London Bridge.

A private room with pay bar has been booked and there will be a buffet. The price of the event is to be confirmed in due course. In order that we can have an idea of the numbers wishing to attend, and therefore the amount for the buffet, we would be very grateful if you would please let us know at [email protected]. We have to advise The George Inn 10 days in advance, so please respond as soon as possible.
Warmest Regards,

Sean Scurr on behalf of the Committee
Secretary, Old Maidstonian Society

15/06/2026

Dear Old Maidstonians,

It is our pleasure to present to you the OMS Spring/Summer 2026 Newsletter No 49. Thanks go to the whole committee for the collaborative approach to putting it all together, there has been a slight delay to publication of this edition for various reasons, the priority has been to publish and so it will look different to recent editions, special thanks in particular to Liz Clayton for formatting and publishing this latest edition and thanks also, as ever, to all those who contributed articles, pictures, anecdotes etc.

Please find the Newsletter HERE:

https://www.oldmaidstonians.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/OM-Newsletter-2026-Spring_Summer-No-49.pdf

The committee continues to meet via the hybrid format (both in person and via Zoom) to make sure as many of the committee are involved as is humanly possible. Our most recent event was the Annual Supper, back in March of this year, more on that in this edition, our next event will be at The George Inn in London on Thursday 12th November, mark your calendars and diaries, be they physical or digital, and we hope to see as many of you as possible at the event, details will be confirmed shortly and information re pricing to be released imminently.

Highlights in this edition include the musings from our usual line up of contributors & committee members including words from our President, Immediate Past President & Chairman and Headteacher, along with more from the Penthouse, Memories from several OMs, Recent & Upcoming Events, Obituaries & News from around the School.

A reminder that the Newsletter largely relies on contributions from members – they do not have to be lengthy, just a few notes to let us know about what you have been up to and where you are now, and we would be pleased to hear from you. If you do have a contribution then please forward it to this address or to the new Newsletter email address,
[email protected]

To ensure you continue to receive our emails, please add [email protected] to your address book.

And finally, the Committee would like to wish you all a very happy and successful second half of 2026 and hope that you all enjoy and keep safe in these warmer months, we cannot wait to see many more of you over the coming months, again, emails and posts on Socials to alert you to these upcoming events, please keep your eyes peeled as always!!

Warmest Regards,

Sean Scurr
on behalf of the Committee

Secretary

Old Maidstonian Society

15/01/2026

As the Australian Open began this week, we’re heading back to 1998, when this photo of our Junior Tennis Team was taken.

That year, Petr Korda and Martina Hingis lifted the trophies in Melbourne. Their precision and calm under pressure are qualities we still see on our own courts and in the classroom today.

Tennis continues to be a valued part of our sporting programme, from competitive fixtures to coaching sessions to lunchtime rallies.

If you recognise yourself or a teammate, we’d love to hear your memories.

13/01/2026

13/01/2026

Our Annual Supper will be held at the school on Saturday 28 March 2026, from 7.30pm. Our President (& Chairman), John Clayton, has invited Richard Ratcliffe to be his Guest of Honour.

Richard Ratcliffe is a long-standing supporter of the school, having served as a Governor and Chair of Governors, and on the Society committee since 1985. A respected food industry professional, he held senior roles in major food PLCs and spent 25 years as a freelance food safety advisor, including serving as National President of the Chartered Institute of Food Science & Technology.

Click the link to book your place: https://www.oldmaidstonians.org.uk/annual-supper-online-booking-form/

10/10/2025

Following the success of previous London events, the Society warmly invites all Old Maidstonians to an informal evening gathering at The George Inn, Southwark, on Thursday 6th November.

Hosted by our President & Chairman, Mr John Clayton, the event will take place from 7pm to 9.30pm at this historic 17th Century galleried coaching inn, located at 77 Borough High Street, SE1 1NH, near London Bridge and The Shard.

Come along to reconnect, share stories, and enjoy a relaxed evening in great company.

Get in touch via [email protected] to book your place.

12/09/2025

Massive congratulations Jacob!

Congratulations to Jacob Safa (OM 2018-2023), who was offered a professional contract with Charlton Athletic F.C. at the end of last season. Jacob has now begun his first season as a professional footballer, fulfilling the dream he often spoke about during his time at MGS - to become a professional player. A massive congratulations Jacob, and we wish you the very best in your career.