Old Brightonians

Let Right Prevail

More than 3,000 men and women across the World belong to the Association of Old Brightonians, all with one thing in common - we have all attended Brighton College. Among our members you will find an amazingly diverse range of people. They include people in television, radio and theatre musicians, sportsmen and sportswomen, authors, explorers, artists and even a Druid. Of course, there are doctors, lawyers, bankers, business people and teachers, but also countless students and people taking gap years.

Some of our members are old, many live abroad, and the majority are men because the College did not go fully co-educational until the 1980s, but in the OBA all members are treated with the same respect and all are equal. This is not the Old Boys Association, whatever you may have heard!

The Aims of the Association

• To enable former pupils to keep in touch with one another the College and their former teachers
• To provide regular social occasions, both formal and informal, and to help members who wish to organise their own events when possible
• To support a wide range of clubs and societies, sports teams and activities which can be enjoyed by Old Brightonians
• To help Old Brightonians to share their experiences and opportunities with one another
• To strengthen the links between Brighton College and former pupils

Activities and Social Events

The Association has a variety of sports clubs, including Rugby, Cricket, Netball, Football and Golf. Our varied social calendar includes regular informal drinks in London, Commemoration Day, which is part of the College Graduation weekend when we welcome our newest Old Brightonians into the fold, year group reunions and the Annual Dinner, which is held every year on the last Saturday of November. OBs are also welcome to attend College events such as those organised by the Family Society and are well represented at the Service of Remembrance and Midnight Mass held annually in the Chapel. In addition to helping organise year group reunions, we also put people in touch with OBs when travelling abroad.

All OBA events are open to College parents, staff and their friends and families.

Other activities

• The Association works in liaison with the school to maintain a database of Old Brightonians who can offer current pupils and recent leavers work experience or advice on how to get their careers established.
• The Old Brightonian Directory of Businesses and Services is available on our website. Listings are free to OBA members.
• The Old Brightonian Lodge is open to all OB Masons, and they are always pleased to hear from anyone interested in becoming Freemasons. Those interested should contact Peter Cockburn at pfcockburn@aol.com
• The Old Brightonian magazine, The Pelican and the College Review, is sent free to all members twice a year.
• The OBA now conducts a significant portion of its correspondence - and posts the majority of its notices - via the website at www.oldbrightonians.com. In addition we have an established Old Brightonian group on Facebook which enables us to maintain regular contact with the younger generation. We are constantly developing the site and have an online shopping facility which enables us to send merchandise and event tickets across the world. The online calendar and notices from OBs are updated regularly. The site also helps us locate "missing" OBs, as well as reuniting long-lost friends. Reports of all our events, marriages, births, obituaries and matches are promptly added online.

To find out more about the Association of Old Brightonians, purchase tickets or OB merchandise, log on to our website or contact Fiona Aiken by e-mail (faiken@brightoncollege.net) or through the Association Office on 01273 704250.

The OBA Website

Tony Whitestone

Message from the President

Tony Whitestone (ex staff, 1971-2006), OBA President
"I feel honoured to have been elected the President of the Association of Old Brightonians, although when David Gold asked me to put my name forward last June, my initial reaction was that I surely could not be eligible for the post, not having been to the College..."
More on the OBA Website.