The Last Charing Cross and Westminster Dinner

The ‘Last Charing Cross and Westminster Medical Dinner’, took place at the Savoy Hotel on 3 October 2003.

The Last Charing Cross and Westminster Medical Dinner, took place at the Savoy Hotel on 3 October 2003. The Lancaster Room was filled to capacity with 492 alumni of the three former medical schools Charing Cross; Westminster; and Charing Cross and Westminster and their guests.

Dr Bob Phillips (Westminster 1972) chaired the dinner. After almost 40 years of working, teaching and, most importantly, playing and supporting both international and student rugby at the Westminster, Charing Cross and Westminster and then Imperial, he had many memories to impart. The toast to the Chairman was given by Mr Meirion Thomas (Westminster 1969), who used all the splendours of modern technology to present a pictorial panorama of Dr Phillips life in medicine and rugby.

A marvellous souvenir programme with a history of the event and the Schools was prepared by Mr Humphrey Roberts (Westminster 1957), assisted by the Medical Illustration Unit at Chelsea and Westminster and the Alumni Office at Imperial. The dinner was preceded by the Old Students Day at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, with the support and encouragement of the Hospital Trust. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Mr Thomas and his dedicated team for devising and organising a spectacular event, which was hugely enjoyable. It remains to be seen, of course, whether there will sometime be a Very Last Dinner

The Society's Alumnus Appeal raised over 55,000 and the Committee recently decided to give a grant of 5,000 from the Fund towards the cost of an air-conditioning system in the students bar and social area in the Reynolds Building at the Charing Cross campus. Over the past two years, the College has spent 750,000 to refurbish and upgrade the student amenities in the building, not least to help compensate for the loss of student recreational space at the St Mary's campus.

The Committee is also reviewing the support for prizes from the Alumnus Fund in the light of the graduation of the final cohort of Charing Cross and Westminster entrants from the School. They are keen for new Prizes to be given, possibly on the results of Finals, which will continue to sustain links with the former medical schools.

Limited memorabilia for all three former schools are available through Urmila Weller in the Office of Alumni and Development at +44 (0)20 7594 6129; u.weller@imperial.ac.uk