Old Elizabethans get a chance to look around Perrot Court

The building, previously RBC’s offices, was named in honour of the late former student Roger Perrot whose legacy gift contributed to its purchase, while the bulk of it was used to establish the college’s foundation bursary fund.

Among those in what has become the college’s main reception, welcoming a steady stream of guests, was principal Jenny Palmer, who said that parents of students had already had the chance to look around.

‘There’s been quite a lot of interest on social media and we thought it would be lovely to open more widely,’ she said.

Even though facilities had moved from rooms in the main school building into the new one, the historic building still had its place, she said, and the vacated rooms had already been pressed into service.

Saturday was an opportunity for anyone to look around, but a lot of those attending were Old Elizabethans who were impressed with what their modern-day counterparts had been given.

‘It’s just fantastic,’ said John Hardie, who was at the school between about 1959 and 1966.

‘I was a boarder and things were expanding then, but nothing like on the scale of this,’ he said.

‘And it was fantastic that Roger was so generous with his money to make it all happen.’

Oliver Brock was at the school from 1986 to 1994.

‘I think it’s incredible to be honest,’ he said after looking around.

‘It’s so open and airy and a relaxing environment which is so contrary to what I remember at school.’

He could remember something of the old RBC building and said that while there had been dramatic changes, there was still something of a corporate feeling to the classrooms and offices and that could help students move on from school to work.

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq was another OE who was looking around.

‘I enjoyed my school days, but it has to go with the times,’ he said.

‘It’s great what they’ve done with the building and I think Roger would have been very proud.’