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:
“In Haydn’s oratorios, the notes present to the imagination not only motions, as, of the snake, the stag, and the elephant, but colors also; as the green grass.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The present is never our end. The past and present are our means; the future alone is our end. So we never live, but hope to live; and, as we are always preparing to be happy, it is inevitable that we should never be so.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)
“The flags are natures newly found.
Rifles grow sharper on the sight.
There is a rumble of autumnal marching,
From which no soft sleeve relieves us.
Fate is the present desperado.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)