The Wallace Watson Achievement Cup
The Wallace Watson Achievement Cup is in memory of Wallace Watson (Hopkins’ Social 1995 – 2000), who died in his first year at St Catherine’s College, Oxford, where he was reading Chemistry.
The purpose behind the cup, which is presented each year at Gaudy to a boy in E Social, Radley College, is best described by the short speech Ruthie, his mother, gave when presenting it to the first winner in July 2001:
If I look back through the hundreds of letters we’ve received since Wallace died, one theme comes out, time and time again. Wallace was a one-off and, quite simply, larger than life.
His enthusiasm for life was infectious. So many people said, when they think of Wallace they smile. They tell us – particularly the young – what an inspiration knowing Wallace has been to them. That makes us proud and reminds us how special he was.
Someone said ‘One of the best things about Wallace was his openness – the fact that he was comfortable and confident enough in himself to go through life without excluding anyone’.
That was because he was what he was. He never tried to be anyone different – he believed in himself and knew, with a quiet certainty what he could achieve. He had no trouble sticking up for what he believed in and people respected him for that.
He made friends wherever he went. Beneath that incredible sense of fun was a steadfast loyalty that shone through those wonderful brown eyes.
This Cup, in Wallace’s name, has to go to someone special. Someone who can carry on that torch, someone with that inner belief in themselves that will get them through difficult times, someone steadfast and loyal, kind and true.
The cup is inscribed
through industry to the stars
Holders
2001 Angus Brooksby
2002 William Goldsmith
2003 Harry Chamberlayne
2004 Bertie Russell
2005 James Chiswell
2006 Dunluce Eccles
2007 James Fryer
2008
2009 Henry Mills
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016