South Shields Annual Lecture
2012 - Guest Speaker - Jo Brand2008 | 2009| 2011
20th January 2012
After successfully hosting the South Shields Annual Lecture for the last three years at Harton Technology College, we were delighted to be asked by the Rt Hon David Miliband to host it once again this year. The guest speaker for the 10th Annual Lecture was Jo Brand.
Josephine Grace "Jo" Brand is the ever funny comedienne who made her name on the alternative comedy scene appearing in such programmes as Saturday Live, The Brain Drain and in her own series ‘Jo Brand Through the Cakehole’. She can be regularly seen on Mock the Week, QI, has had a role in the ‘Dictionary Corner’ on Countdown and will never be forgotten for her dance routine in Lets Dance for Comic Relief!
As a Bafta winning comedian, famous for her fast, cutting wit, she thrills audiences across the country with her observational comedy. She is also an actress, comedy writer and novelist.
View all photos here.
Jo was educated at Tunbridge Wells Grammar School, Bexhill College and Brunel University. She started her career as a nurse, specialising in Psychiatric nursing and worked in hospitals in South London and Swansea where she collected a number of valuable life experiences that have helped shape her views.
She is a staunch supporter of the Labour Party and is a patron of a number of charities. She married in 1997 and has 2 children.
This was another event where tickets were hard to come by! Everyone wanted to see this wonderful comedienne as she talked us through her life and her links with the political scene whilst creating laughter across the audience with her humorous reflections.
Jo was inspiring, amusing and thought provoking on issues prevalent in our society, but above all, she was a really nice person and we were glad to welcome her into our school.
Ken Gibson (Executive Headteacher)
2011 - Guest Speaker - Bill Bryson
14th January 2011
The school was once again very proud to host the recent South Shields Annual Lecture on behalf of the Rt Honourable David Miliband MP. The guest speaker at the 9th annual lecture was Bill Bryson.
William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, (born in Iowa December 8, 1951) is, of course, best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on science. Born an American, he was a resident of North Yorkshire, UK, for most of his professional life before moving back to the US in 1995. In 2003 Bryson moved back to the UK, living in Norfolk, and was appointed Chancellor of Durham University. Apparently, Bill had called Durham the perfect little city in what is certainly one of my favourites of his many books ‘Notes from a Small Island’. In 2003, in conjunction with World Book Day, voters in the United Kingdom chose Bill’s book Notes from a Small Island as that which best sums up British identity and the state of the nation.
I know that this event was completely full very soon after the tickets became available and it was clear to see why. It was yet another memorable evening and it was a privilege and honour to meet and listen to Mr Bryson.
I have included some photographs of the event.
Ken Gibson (Executive Headteacher)
2009 - Guest Speaker - Lord Peter MandelsonLatest
23rd October 2009
The school was, once again, extremely proud to host the 8th South Shields Annual Lecture on behalf of the Right Honourable David Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
This year’s guest speaker was Lord Peter Mandelson, First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Lord President of the Council and President of Hartlepool Football Club.
The evening was a huge success with Lord Mandelson delivering a very interesting and thought provoking speech. This was followed by an opportunity for the audience to pose questions, which Lord Mandelson handled with his usual calm equanimity.
Many thanks to this year’s sponsors, Universal Systems Solutions, Sony and Impetus. Thanks also to the staff and students at Harton who put on a fabulous show, making me very proud to be the headteacher. Finally, massive thanks to Richard Ord and staff who provided a fantastic meal for guests at his world famous restaurant, Colman’s!
I look forward to next year’s event where the suggestions for the guest speaker have already flooded in. The most popular requests are Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Justice Secretary Jack Straw and former Harton pupil and famous film director, Ridley Scott.
I have included some photographs of the event.
Ken Gibson (Headteacher)
2008 - Guest Speaker - Sir Patrick Stewart OBELatest
7th November 2008
The school was very proud to host the 7th South Shields Annual Lecture (sponsored by Northern Film and Media) on behalf of the Right Honourable David Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
The guest speaker was Sir Patrick Stewart OBE, a world renowned actor, famous for his roles in Star Trek – The Next Generation, The X Men, and as Captain Ahab in a 1998 version of the film Moby Dick. In addition, Mr Stewart is one of the finest Shakespearean actors this country has ever known and appeared soon after the lecture at the Newcastle Theatre Royal in the play Waiting for Godot, alongside Sir Ian McKellen.
They first worked together in Tom Stoppard’s Every Good Boy Deserves Favour for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1977 and more recently in the X-Men film trilogy, as Magneto and Professor X. Each of them has established their own iconic screen persona, as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and as Star Trek’s Jean-Luc Picard.
Other special guests at the lecture included Mr Miliband’s wife Louise who is a member of the London Symphony Orchestra, the Turkish Foreign Minister, His Excellency Ali Babacan and wife, Brendan Forster and The Mayor and Mayoress of South Tyneside.
The evening was a resounding success, Patrick Stewart was an absolutely superb guest speaker and, as usual, Mr Miliband our Member of Parliament and Foreign Secretary was in fine form!
I have included some photographs of the evening.
Ken Gibson (Headteacher)
