Present
In 2002, the purpose-built theatre at Homewood School, Ashford Road, Tenterden, Kent was named the Sinden Theatre.
On 12 July 2005, he was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of Leicester and on 20 July 2011, the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Arts by the University of Canterbury.
Sinden is a patron of ME Solutions, a charity dedicated to finding a breakthrough in the treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis through targeted and comprehensive biomedical research, focusing on the physical causes of M.E.
Sinden is Honorary President of the Garden Suburb Theatre, an amateur theatre group based in the Hampstead Garden Suburb where he was resident for many years.
On 9 October 2012, Sir Donald celebrated his 89th birthday and his retirement after 30 years as the longest-standing President of the Royal Theatrical Fund (founded by Charles Dickens in 1839) with a celebration lunch for 350 guests at the Park Lane Hotel, London which was compered by Russ Abbott and the charity auction was conducted by Lord Jeffrey Archer. Leading the tributes was movie legend Jean Kent, 91, who co-starred with Sir Donald in Bernard Delfont’s 1951 stage production of Frou-Frou and letters from HRH Queen Elizabeth 11 and HSH Prince Albert of Monaco were read out, with speeches from Downton Abbey writer Lord Julian Fellowes, Ray Cooney and Gyles Brandreth.
Read more about this topic: Donald Sinden
Famous quotes containing the word present:
“I have defeated them all.... I was left with some money to battle with the world when quite young, and at the present time have much to feel proud of.... The Lord gave me talent, and I know I have done good with it.... For my brains have made me quite independent and without the help of any man.”
—Harriet A. Brown, U.S. inventor and educator. As quoted in Feminine Ingenuity, ch. 8, by Anne L. MacDonald (1992)
“What if this present were the world’s last night?
Mark in my heart, O Soul, where thou dost dwell,
The picture of Christ crucified, and tell
Whether that countenance can thee affright,”
—John Donne (1572–1631)
“the future is simply nothing at all. Nothing has happened to the present by becoming past except that fresh slices of existence have been added to the total history of the world. The past is thus as real as the present.”
—Charlie Dunbar Broad (1887–1971)