Page 163 - Herioter 2020

William

Ringham,

Vice-Captain

The first time I encountered William William simply is – he does not need a encouraging pupils to carefully balance
Ringham was on the final night of the label to prove those credentials. ‘I’ve their workloads. When I send a draft
Aviemore residential experience during learned,’ he admits, as his predecessor of this tribute for William to check, he
S2 Activities Week. He was dancing David Cowan also came to realise, ‘that announces he is delivering pizza for Papa
– a boy in S2, spontaneously and if you want something done, then do it John’s.
unashamedly dancing. That, for almost yourself.’ It is ironic perhaps that someone who
four years, despite teaching him English Like his dancing, William is unashamed is so real is also so talented as an actor
for two of those years, was my enduring of his affection for Heriot’s. ‘I love the and technician. William’s credits include
image of William. school,’ he says simply. ‘This place has Peter Pan, The Picture of Dorian Gray,
And then that dancing boy walked into given me so much.’ William has given Pinocchio, and perhaps most significantly
my classroom on March 20 – the very much, too. During his six years in the for him, Animal Farm(ish), when he was
strangest of days – a man. Events do Senior School, he has undoubtedly made part of the technical crew for Kelda
that to a person. the very most of the opportunities Henderson’s final production. He will
He was here to talk about this tribute afforded to him at Heriot’s: he played also be remembered for his shrewd and
– but he also wanted to help. ‘What rugby in S1 to S3 and was a tennis sensible direction of the last ever S6
can I do?’ he implored. At that moment, regular throughout his school career; Panto, which – despite the necessary
his year group were massed in the he reached the 4,167-metre summit satire – came with William’s stamp of
playground: they signed one another’s of Jebl Toubkal in Morocco during S3 responsibility. It seems inevitable then
shirts, re-told old stories, and gazed Activities Week; in S6, he had the honour that even as he heads to St Andrews
around, noticing that everything of attending the Hunter Foundation to study philosophy and economics, his
suddenly seemed sharper than it ever Dinner with Sir David Attenborough. future will be on or around the stage,
had before. While William was disappointed that his working in theatre.
A shrug was my response to year group’s ‘rite of passage’ events – he I can see it now, perhaps debuting at
William’s question. What could any lists them: ‘scrolls, the ball, prizegiving, the Edinburgh Fringe in 2025, The
of us do? But – yet again – here names being called out while that organ Tumultuous Summer of 2020 (I am
was Will demonstrating the trait that music is played’ – would not happen in sure he will come up with a better
characterised his time at Heriot’s, from the way he had hoped, ever-resourceful, title), produced and directed by William
a new-to-the-school S1 to his session he was already looking forward. Ringham. It will be shrewd but fun,
as Vice-Captain: responsibility. Yet being Lo and behold, the next time I see fantastical but real – just like the man
appointed a Captain or Vice-Captain William it is on a school social media himself.
does not make a person responsible; channel, along with Captain Bruno Steel, Mr Jonny Muir

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