Saturday 13th September 2008
A glorious autumn afternoon in early September saw the first of what we hope will be many time-themed ON Reunions. This year was the turn of the 1970s and what a party it turned out to be….over 30 ONs and twice that number if you include wives, partners and children braved the maze of roads around West Tytherley as they desperately tried to remember how to get there, never having paid much attention before from the back of their parents’ car! Of course, the school has changed its name now and the main entrance to the front drive has been moved so it was never going to be an easy challenge but all succeeded.
Not only were we fortunate with the weather but we were also delighted to be joined by both Headmasters from the era, Billy Howard and Denis Blake. Ronwen Walker (née Barton) was also there, as was Stephen Plaister, to remind us all quite how little we listened in Latin – the worst of it is that he remembered! Chris Berthoud (1975-79) and Charles Marsden-Smedley (1967-72) both spoke bravely and amusingly about their former Headmasters – the first time either speaker had had them as a captive audience and they certainly made the most of it.
The school laid on a superb lunch (and, later, tea) for which we thank the current Head, Paddy Savage, and his team. Wine from the Vondeling Estate in South Africa was kindly provided by Julian Johnsen (1971-75) and he was warmly thanked for this by Paddy. After lunch and what was, for some, a very long walk down memory lane, we were able to watch a thoroughly enjoyable 1st XI match, though the ONs did not provide the opposition, I’m pleased to report.
The feedback from the day has been unanimously positive with many old friendships rekindled, and memories revived, even those best forgotten. The inside of the school has changed so little, right down to the boards where black and white (or red and green) marks were put up. ‘Sarge’ has been remembered in a fitting memorial in the chapel and his picture still adorns the long corridor. Of course, the woods were probably the most evocative with so many memories of messing about, constructing huts and forts - we could see from some of the current battlements that they are still integral to school life.
In closing, I should like to agree with one ON whom I quote without permission (I hope he doesn’t mind!) who summed it all up so well, thus: “I think the venue and format worked brilliantly to evoke memories that just wouldn't have come to mind if we'd met anywhere other than at Northaw. Everyone there was glad to be able to relive a very happy time for us all”.
Peter Worlledge (1975-79)