The 2025 Chronicle

out. He knows that developing sound habits in the small things is a big step towards success with bigger things. Ant ony has helped our boys understand the importance of having “a sense of oc casion”, and our assemblies are distin guished occasions where the place and its people are appropriately respected. Antony himself has significant gravitas, aided only in small part by his furry hood from Cambridge University. Antony has a great sense of responsibility. He knows the benefits of thorough preparation and he leaves nothing to chance. He has been intentional in instilling these traits in his colleagues and the boys. Antony’s family have not only been a strong source of support to Antony, but Brigitte and Kath have also contribut ed much to our community. Antony and Brigitte have hosted us graciously in the Rectory, which is as homely as it is stately. On the many occasions we have enjoyed there, they have insisted on per sonally serving each and every one of us. One of Antony’s many contributions to Mi chaelhouse has been the formation of the Snell Society, where our top academics are given the opportunity to research a topic of their choosing, present it and defend their position. This gives them excellent experi ence for an application interview for many of the world’s leading universities. Brigitte is, herself, a leading academic, and the boys needed to get their facts straight and be on their toes to counter her questions and challenges. Brigitte has served as an academic lawyer in a number of leading universities locally and in the UK. She has, arguably, sacrificed some of her own ca reer aspirations in support of Antony pur suing his. Thank you, Brigitte. Kath has contributed significantly in a va riety of roles, big and small. She helped co-ordinate and host our very successful intern recruitment process and, more re cently, has helped with administration in the Old Boys’ Club. Like Antony, both Brigitte and Kath have invested significantly in our community and we will all miss them. Like Antony, they too have come to love this place which they have called home for the past seven years. It is wonderful that Andrew and Emily can be with us today in order that they too can bear witness to Antony’s contribu tion. Although it is a shame that Francie and Nico cannot be with us, it is exciting that a grandchild is on the way to further enrich Antony’s and Brigitte’s retirement.

Mary McMichael’s departure from Mi chaelhouse marks the end of an era, sig nifying the loss of an immense presence within the Michaelhouse community and, specifically, the English Department. If we could choose, we would keep her; however, we bid her and Richard farewell with gratitude and a deep appreciation for their remarkable years of dedicated teaching at Michaelhouse. Mary served as Head of the English De partment from 2008 to 2016, leading the team with strength of character and formidable presence. A fun fact: during her time at Michaelhouse, she worked under five other heads of department and outlasted six Rectors. As an English teacher she champions the fundamental principle that grammar still matters, and she takes it personally when boys in her class use the apostrophe incorrectly or misunderstand a misrelated participle. Her reputation as an outstanding teacher is well-earned, seen in the countless ma trics being armed with necessary tools, such as “simile strategies” and “meta phor musings”. She is a true “legend of the classroom”, often bringing complex poetry and prose to life, quoting Othello and Macbeth and appreciating the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy and Finuala Dowling. Although iSAMS and Moodle and Teams frustrate her, she has navigated change, from the era of overhead projectors to the modern age of smartboards and AI, successfully. In the early computer days, Pete Dennyson said that she was gracious with those who were less tech nologically gifted, and she is a lot more computer-capable than she has ever giv en herself credit. Her teaching influence spans generations – she has taught 23 Michaelhouse mat ric classes and mentored many E Block boys during their first year. She is an out standing homeroom teacher, described as fair, considered, and full of care. Stu dents consistently note her exception al ability to connect on their level while maintaining authority, often enhanced by her hallmark dry wit and sarcastic sense of humour. Richard Snowden is in awe of her formidable presence and said that a simple look could silence a ram bunctious student. However, these looks were always tempered by her generous heart and kindness. Mary is much more than a classroom teacher – her service is layered. She coached the successful third hockey team, her coaching philosophy being pragmatically precise: “It’s a simple

I mentioned RR for “retiring Rector” at the start. RR is also, of course, Rolls Royce. Antony, you are our Rolls Royce. You personify class, reliability, perfor mance and timelessness. To a man, woman and boy we feel very blessed to have been the beneficiaries of your leadership and service. We wish you everything of the best for your retirement. We hope that it will be both purposeful and restful. We hope that you will find the time to visit us oc casionally and we hope too that you will take the time to reflect, with enormous pride, on your contribution, not only to Michaelhouse, but to education at large. Thank you. Go well and God bless. Address by Win de Wet

MARY MCMICHAEL

I imagine this midnight moment’s forest:

Something else is alive Beside the clock’s loneliness And this blank page where my fingers move.

Ted Hughes was a master poet. The im agery; the movement; the mood. Simply sublime. Mary loves his poetry. Perhaps it is because she, herself, is a poet; or, perhaps, it is that she is a lover of words. “Words. Words. Words.” – Hamlet’s re sponse to Polonius when asked: “What do you read, my lord?” Mary, by the way, dislikes Hamlet – intensely. For reasons we may never fully understand, she has waged a quiet but consistent campaign against the poor Dane. Although, if I’d been forced to endure years of teenage boys dramatically quoting “to be or not to be”, I too might have turned on him.

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