The Oxford University Officers’ Training Corps Annual Dinner

Last night’s Annual Dinner of the Oxford University Officers’ Training Corps was one of those occasions that manages to feel both timeless and thoroughly contemporary.

Held in the magnificent surroundings of Balliol College, the dinner brought together more than one hundred officer cadets and their guests, filling the hall with that distinctive mix of ceremonial formality, quiet pride and good-humoured camaraderie that marks the very best of military social occasions.

Mark and I were honoured to join the Honorary Colonel, the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Dominic Ruck-Keene, and distinguished guests on high table – a real privilege, and a reminder of the esteem in which the OUOTC is held within the University and across the county.

We were also wonderfully looked after throughout the evening by a number of truly impressive cadets, who hosted with a level of confidence, courtesy and attentiveness well beyond their years. From the moment we arrived, nothing was too much trouble, and during the drinks reception I particularly enjoyed the chance to talk with – and, just as importantly, to listen to – such a thoughtful, articulate and engaging group of young people. Hearing directly about their studies, motivations and aspirations was a quiet reminder of how much insight, care and leadership potential already exists among the next generation, when we take the time to listen.

The evening was preceded by the Annual Lecture at the Oxford Union, given this year by Owain Mulligan, a former Oxford OTC cadet and author of The Accidental Soldier. His reflections on leadership, service and the often unexpected paths that shape our lives struck exactly the right note – thoughtful, honest and quietly compelling.

Music played a central role in the evening. Superb accompaniment throughout the meal was provided by members of the Band of the Royal Army Medical Corps, with a particularly stirring moment as cadets were called to dinner in the quad to the unmistakable strains of The Post Horn Gallop. Earlier, a lone piper led the walk from the Union to the College, and later played again in the dining hall itself, lending the whole occasion a sense of pageantry and shared purpose.

The dinner itself was a formal and elegant affair: a reception, a three-course meal, speeches and the shared rituals that help build confidence and cohesion among cadets. For many, it will have been their first experience of a black-tie military dinner; for others, a familiar and reassuring marker of belonging. Either way, it was a powerful reminder that the OUOTC is about far more than training alone. It is about responsibility, self-discipline, friendship and learning how to carry oneself with assurance – qualities that will endure long after university life.

And a small, human footnote to the evening: the Commanding Officer and the piper shared a final toast at the end of the night not in Scotch, but in apple juice – a sensible choice, as both were driving home. A quiet reminder that tradition and good judgement can, and should, sit comfortably side by side.

Founded in 1908, the Oxford University Officers’ Training Corps has long played a distinctive role in developing leadership among students across Oxfordshire and beyond. Today it draws cadets from a rich mix of institutions including the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, University of Reading, University of Buckingham, Royal Agricultural University, University of Gloucestershire and Cranfield University. That breadth gives the OUOTC its particular character, bringing together students from very different academic traditions and life paths, united by a shared commitment to challenge, service and leadership. In many ways, it mirrors the reality of modern leadership beyond the military, where progress depends on people with different perspectives learning to lead, listen and work well together.

I left Balliol genuinely heartened. In a world that too often underestimates young people, the confidence, courtesy and commitment shown by the cadets last night told a very different story. An evening to savour – and one I was truly chuffed to have been part of.