Several generations of the family, including the first and second Lord and Lady Darwen attended the School. 

The lectures have been established as a contribution to the continuing debate on the future of education and wider society, and in particular the role of schools such as ours.  Each year, we aim to invite someone prominent in public life, possibly with a Sidcot connection, to offer a personal view in this lecture.

This year, we were delighted to be joined by the one of our Old Scholars, Professor Peter Openshaw CBE, who left Sidcot in 1970.    Professor Openshaw is a British clinician and scientist specialising in lung immunology, particularly defence against viral infections. He trained in lung diseases and undertook a PhD in immunology before establishing a laboratory at St Mary's Hospital Medical School (later part of Imperial College London). He created the academic department of Respiratory Medicine and the Centre for Respiratory Infection at Imperial College and was elected President of the British Society for Immunology in 2014.

Professor Openshaw has been a leading voice during the COVID-19 pandemic, advising government policy-making and appearing regularly on the BBC (including the Andrew Marr Show, Question Time and the Today programme).  His visionary approach has delivered life-changing research programmes and his strong leadership has inspired researchers in their endeavours as well as provided reassurance to the public. 

The audience, both live in the Drama Studio and streamed across campus, were treated to a truly remarkable and inspiring lecture that lived up to the finest traditions of the Darwen. Peter deftly led us through the history of immunology and the impact it had on managing the recent pandemic.  He spoke of how his experience at Sidcot and values as a Quaker have informed and supported the ethics around his professional practice.  He also shared that his route into medical school relied not just on his academic qualifications, but also on his ability to tie knots!

Peter spoke movingly about his family connections to Sidcot, including the Morland and Clark families, sharing letters (transcribed by his aunt Charity) from his Grandmother Molly Morland to her father during her time at School.]

We are greatly indebted to Peter, who gave very generously of his time, not only to deliver the Darwen Lecture, but also meet students and staff afterwards to chat over coffee. Of those students, one was overheard to say that it was their “favourite lecture at Sidcot to date”, because of its mix of autobiographical detail and informative scientific fact, pertinent to all of our lives.