Queen leads commemoration of much-loved headmaster

A poignant reminder of a much loved headmaster was formally opened by the Queen on Thursday, when she visited St John's Beaumont School in Old Windsor.

She visited the school in Priest Hill to open the new sports centre which is named after former head Dermot Gogarty, whose dream it was before he sadly died in a car crash.

Mr Gogarty's widow Katherine joined current headmaster Giles Delaney and local dignitaries to welcome the Queen.

Also there to greet her was the Queen's personal piper Pipe Major James Motherwell. He provided a full bagpipe welcome accompanied by pupils on the chanter, a small 'mouthpiece' instrument used by children who are planning to learn the instrument.

St John's Beaumont School is a Roman Catholic preparatory school for boys aged three to 13, founded in 1888. The Queen last visited in 1961 when the school was in its earlier premises a few hundred yards away. During her visit last week she admired a painting that recreated that last visit before signing the school visitor book.