La Favorita, a restaurant much favoured by EU diplomats and opera lovers and tucked away in a corner of Chamberí, provided the setting last Thursday for the first Old Runnymedian gathering in Madrid for some years.

Sixty former pupils spanning several generations came together for the evening. Among them were two of our most recent leavers, who graduated only in June and have now gone on to the London School of Economics, as well as five members of the Class of 1976 — a pleasing reminder of the friendships and sense of community that endure long after pupils have left Runnymede.

Drinks and tapas were followed by a move to La Favorita’s piano bar, where the evening ended, appropriately enough, with plenty of singing.

Two aspiring journalists from Year 12 were also on hand for The Runnymede Times, interviewing Old Runnymedians about their memories of the School, what they have done since leaving and what Runnymede has meant to them over the years.

You can enjoy highlights from their interviews below, together with photographs and a video capturing what proved to be a memorable evening — and, we hope, the first of many more Old Runnymedian gatherings in Madrid.

From each of the Old Runnymedians we interviewed, we saw how their careers and lives had taken them through remarkably different paths: from teaching history at Oxford and film production to engineering, aviation, finance, technology, music and entrepreneurship.

Listening to each one recall the paths which led them to where they are now and their experience at Runnymede, certain themes appeared again and again: curiosity, friendship, internationality, independence, and above all, the bonding sense of belonging that has endured well beyond their graduations.

“You become part of a big family”

For Yousaf Bokhari, one of the oldest Runnymedians at the reunion, the bonding experience he felt was strongly emphasised when asked to define Runnymede in one sentence. How Runnymede strengthened his friendship and bonded him with classmates – bonds which would remain close 50 years later.

Yousaf, who graduated 50 years ago, recalled fondly the many opportunities Runnymede provided for students to get involved. Participating in various school plays such as Oliver and Fiddler on the Roof was amongst his fondest memories. After graduating, he went to university briefly before taking a gap year — a decision which prevented him from making the mistake of straying from his true passion: film production. Now, Yousaf holds several GOYA’s.

His memories also underline how much Runnymede has grown. Classes back then were smaller, with only four or five students per class. To him, this created a deeper sense of familiarity and camaraderie.

For Luis de Avedaño, who was also celebrating his 50th reunion, his ties to Runnymede were even more personal. To him, Runnymede had become a part of his family: his wife, sister, and son had attended the school too.

Before arriving at Runnymede at the age of 10, he was in a Spanish school and before that, in a french school in the UK. In a much different society than today, during Franco’s Spain, Luis de Avedaño found in Runnymede,

“A breath of fresh air.”

He no longer had to learn things by heart; teachers thoroughly explained the content, and encouraged students to genuinely understand it. Fondly, he recalled what for him was “the best teacher at Runnymede”, Mr Frank Murphy. Not only was Mr Murphy deputy head and his physics teacher, but also a wonderful person and the best teacher he’d ever had. So, when asked how runnymede had prepared him to get to where he was now, Luis de avedaño responded in a heartbeat: better than any other place in Madrid could do at the time.

A school that teaches you to find your own path

Perhaps the most consistent piece of advice from the Old Runnymedians was also one of the simplest: you do not need to have your entire life figured out at 16 or 18.

Charles Powell, a professional historian who studied at Oxford and taught contemporary European history there for around twenty years, remembers being just as uncertain about his future as many students are today.

“No, I was very confused, like most people at a certain age. All I knew was the things that I liked.”

His interests were literature, history, reading and writing. He followed those interests without knowing exactly where they would lead — and decades later, he is still doing many of the things he enjoyed at twenty: reading, writing, teaching, publishing and travelling.

His advice to today’s students is therefore remarkably direct: “Don’t worry about the future. You have a lot of time.”

For students choosing subjects or considering university, his message is to pursue something that genuinely interests them rather than choosing a path simply because it appears to lead to a particular career.

He also encouraged students to make the most of the people and cultures around them.

Having lectured and taught in around 50 countries, he highlighted the value of learning languages.

“It broadens your mind.”

For Charles, this international and open-minded outlook is one of the defining characteristics of Runnymede. He describes the School as “liberal”, “tolerant” and “cosmopolitan”, with an emphasis on appreciating different languages, cultures and people.

And after seeing the School grow considerably since his own time as a pupil, he hopes that this founding spirit remains at its heart.

“Follow your intuitive mind”

Gonzalo de la Vega, who delivered the recent graduation speech, offered perhaps the most dramatic example of why students should not feel obliged to have a perfectly mapped-out future.

He left Runnymede without knowing exactly what he wanted to do. His career subsequently took him into technology and music, eventually leading to the creation of a San Francisco-based company that, according to Gonzalo, now operates infrastructure carrying around 30% of the world’s internet traffic.

Looking back, he says that none of this was remotely within his expectations as a teenager.

His advice is to combine rational thought with something less easily measured:

“Follow your intuitive mind as well as your rational mind.”

He also urged students not to choose a career simply because they believe it will impress others or guarantee a particular lifestyle.

“Find something that you are passionate about and stick with it.”

For him, mistakes are part of that process.

“Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.” After all, he has started numerous ventures, many of which went nowhere. The important thing, he says, is that eventually one may work.

From physics to the future of AI:

Hugo Meana’s career offers a very different perspective. After Runnymede, he studied in the United States, combining computer engineering and finance, and later founded an internet company.

He remembers Runnymede not only for the education it provided, but for something more fundamental:

“The discipline in terms of challenging and attacking hard problems, knowing that you have to persist.”

That ability to persist, he believes, has proved invaluable in difficult careers and ambitious projects.

For today’s students, his most topical advice concerns technology. He encourages students who enjoy Further Mathematics to consider taking the course even if they are worried about the difficulty of the examination.

“The experience is worth it.”

He also stressed that students should not panic if they do not yet know what they want to study.

“There’s no rush.”

In a rapidly changing world shaped by AI and technology, Hugo’s message is to identify what you are genuinely good at and to remain open to how the world — and your own interests — develop.

Learning independence:

For more recent Old Runnymedians, the transition from School to university provided a different kind of education.

Alex Shaw, who graduated in 2007 and went on to study Aeronautical Engineering at Southampton, remembers enjoying his lessons but says his strongest memories are often simpler ones: spending time with friends and having lunch together at break.

University, however, required him to become considerably more independent. “I had to go out of my comfort zone.”

He had to learn how to handle problems for himself, but found the experience rewarding and made friendships that have lasted.

His career subsequently took him into the aviation sector before bringing him back to Spain, where he worked on a solar-panel project and now works in air-traffic-control radar.

And then there are the recent leavers…

David, one of the two newest Old Runnymedians at the dinner, has only just graduated from Runnymede and is now preparing to study Finance and Economics at the London School of Economics.

His advice to current students is refreshingly immediate: do not underestimate the importance of getting into good habits early.

He also offered a reminder that perhaps applies particularly well to students who are anxious about whether they are capable of succeeding:

“Believe in yourself because if you don’t, you’ll never succeed.”

And if anyone imagines that finishing school means the work is over, David has already discovered otherwise. Even before beginning university, he has been given a substantial amount of work for the summer.

“The beginning of the rest of your lives”

Perhaps the most striking thing about the evening was the distance between the generations represented around the tables.

For some, Runnymede was a tiny school in 1970s Madrid. For others, it was the place where they met their future spouse. For others, it provided the foundations for careers in engineering, finance, aviation, film, technology or academia. And for David and the other recent leavers, their Runnymede story has only just begun.

Yet the vocabulary was remarkably consistent.

Asun Arzola y Zeger described Runnymede as combining “serious fun” with the opportunity to develop yourself. Lolita Hingorani remembered “a great small community of people” and, above all, its sense of community.

And Hugo Meana perhaps captured the whole evening most simply: “Good memories, amazing people, excellent education, really good values — the beginning of the rest of your lives.”

That may be the most fitting description of an Old Runnymedian gathering: generations separated by decades, careers and experiences, but still connected by the place where their stories began.