In 2023, Bader College celebrates thirty years since Herstmonceux Castle was gifted to Queen’s University by our benefactors, the late Drs. Alfred and Isabel Bader. This summer, this landmark anniversary was marked by a grand celebration at the Castle, where Bader College and Queen’s alumni were invited to visit over the Canada Day Weekend (Friday 30 June to Sunday 2 July.) The highlight of our celebrations was a special banquet for invited guests on the Friday evening, as we had secured a special guest speaker for the occasion, and arguably the world's greatest living explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, OBE.
This auspicious occasion also saw the return of Sir Ranulph to his ancestral home. Sir Ranulph is a descendant of Sir Roger Fiennes, knight of the shire, High Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex, and the man responsible for the construction of Herstmonceux Castle in 1441.
We expected rapid ticket sales and were not disappointed! Over a hundred tickets were sold and the Castle’s Ballroom was looking splendid as guests arrived in black-ties and evening gowns. In his opening remarks, Principal Patrick Deane said, “It’s truly wonderful to spend an evening together as part of a community, with each of us having a different story to tell about our history and connection with the Castle, but I’m sure a shared appreciation of the work that goes on here.”
Alfred and Isabel Bader were remembered fondly in a toast in their honour, a poignant moment to reflect on the Bader family’s extraordinary gift and their remarkable commitment to offering students a challenging global education infused with social justice, a thirst for knowledge, and civic responsibility. Dinner was served, and guests were treated to a delicious fine-dining experience courtesy of our sponsors for the evening, Aramark UK. Then, once dessert had been cleared away by our attentive waiting staff, it was the Vice-Provost and Executive Director of Bader College, Janine Griffiths-Baker’s task to introduce the very special guest speaker for the evening.
“Sir Ranulph’s indomitable spirit, relentless pursuit of adventure, and remarkable accomplishments have solidified his place as one of the most respected and admired explorers of our time. It is truly an honour to host him here at Bader College this evening.”, she said.
Sir Ranulph proceeded to regale our guests with stories and accompanying photography of just two of more than forty of his expeditions to Antarctica. To listen to his wonderful stories of adventure, egged on it has to be said by an absolute powerhouse of a wife behind the scenes, was humbling, and then there was the added thrill of being able to queue to receive a signed copy of his most recent book, ‘Climb your mountain’, pose for a selfie and share a few moments with the man himself. Wonderful! Responses to our guest feedback survey were full of comments from guests that wanted to express how delighted they were to have met such an inspirational, entertaining, and yet modest person.