Today, Wednesday 17 January 2024, the school returned from its summer holidays.

At College there was much anticipation as students and staff began Bishops' 175th year. 

No less than 781 students and the staff packed into the Memorial Chapel for the first Eucharistic service of the year, followed by Bishops' fifteenth Principal, Tony Reeler's welcome address, preceded by his walking down the aisle.

He was wearing his academic gown.

He took up his position at the podium, in the sanctuary which has been re-furbished according to the Memorial Chapel's original plans.   

175 years ago (1849), the school opened with six students.  Bishop Gray was away on an official Visitation to St Helena at the time.  The first Principal, Mr White, of the "pale piercing eye" wearing his cassock, inaugurated that occasion.  Mrs Gray entered the event in her diary.

The senior pupil was WH Ross subsequently to be Dr Ross, the medical Supervisor on Robben Island.

The students were Harry and John Breaks, Richard Daniells, Charles Hope, Benjamin Musgrave, and William Henry Ross already mentioned.  

Soon, applications to come to Bishops began streaming in, and Bishop Gray had to search for new premises to accommodate the growing numbers, which resulted in the purchase of, in the same year as Bishops was founded, Woodlands where the school has remained ever since.

It is recorded that had Bishop Gray not gone through with the purchase of the property on that day, "Woodlands" would have passed into other hands. (Donald McIntyre, A Century of Bishops, Juta, 1950, p. 11).  

Today is a special day in the history of this great school. 

All who were present were truly honoured to be part of the occasion.