spaces in the Miles Warren Building for the current generation. It was a far cry from what we were used to three decades ago. At the end of the tour, we enjoyed drinks on the Quad, followed by our year group photos and a roast lunch in the Dining Hall. It was a fitting time to toast to “absent friends” – not only to acknowledge the Old Boys who were unable to travel to the reunion, but also to remember those who started with us at College and were no longer here and sadly missed. In the evening, the group grew again to about 40, with some partners joining us for drinks and nibbles at the Permit Room in Victoria Square. The conversations again turned to laughter when we were reminded of class antics, rule breaking, mischief and the generally fun times of our College years. Our 30 Years On reunion was fantastic. We are already looking forward to our 40 Years On event and aim to get an even greater number of Old Boys along in 2031. A special thanks must go to Alumni Manager Lizzie Dyer, and CCOBA President Richard Polson for organising a memorable weekend, and to Executive Principal Garth Wynne for hosting us.
to New York, and Ponsonby to Petone. Please know that we drank a toast to you all and wholeheartedly sent our thoughts and best wishes to you and your families. The weekend began on Friday evening with an enjoyable cocktail party in the Dining Hall. There were a few queries about the early closing. However, not to be deterred from enjoying a night out on the town, the gathering moved to the social centre of the city. Saturday’s agenda included a tour of College, a luncheon and photographs. Later we gathered at Mona Vale for dinner and an evening of chat over drinks. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to catch up with the boys and also fantastic to have partners along to share in the reminiscing. Can I please take this opportunity to thank Alumni Manager Lizzie Dyer for her tireless commitment to ensuring this event flowed smoothly. Finally, I would like to note that the Executive Principal’s address on Friday evening included an unreserved apology from College to those who may have suffered from abuses in the past. These events have been brought to light by the current Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. He encouraged those who had suffered to come forward, noting that College would support past students in any way possible to air grievances and address past wrongs.
Ben Huston (11298) & Hamish Fairbairn (11273)
40 Years On
Andrew Withers (9911)
41 Years On
Our 40 Years On reunion was a wonderful celebration for our class of ’81 to reflect on events gone by and revel in the opportunity to gather together. Both earthquakes and a global pandemic have conspired against us, so it was a relief to host this long-awaited event. Naturally, Covid-19 thinned the numbers considerably, preventing our classmates from Auckland and overseas from attending. Thank you so much to all those who sent in apologies and updates of their whereabouts. These arrived from far- flung regions of the globe – Hong Kong to Sydney, London Back Row: James Wright, Rodney McVicar, Mike Sleigh, Hamish Murray, Guy Flynn, Stephen Bain Middle Row: Mark Speight, Ali Grigg, Mike Chaffey, Richard Savill, David Tudehope, Justin Purser Front Row: Chris Wood, Drew Murray, George Gerard, Sandy McLachlan, Richard Bullen, Alex Beijen
The Covid situation has affected everyone, including our 40 Years On reunion planned for 2020. Our formal reunion was postponed so we had an informal practice run where 28 of our year group got together for the weekend and reminisced about our time at College. Front Row: Richard Grigg, Angus Macfarlane, Johnny Bell, David Menzies, Richard Kingsbury, Andrew Henderson, Mike Okey, Chris Thomson, David Ryan, John McQuilkin, James Murdoch Back Row: Chris Oldham, Jonny Botherway, Jono Trolove, Tony Hazlett, Jeremy Rookes, Jonathan Dunlop, Simon Macfarlane, Mark Burdon, Tim Redfern, James Stevenson Middle Row: Peter Schneideman, Nick Dunlop, Jonathan Meikle, Rob Clark, Andrew Brown, Matt Sheppard, Richard Findlay, Richard Lester, Chris Graham, Tom Gilroy
Christ’s College Canterbury
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