70 Years On
The year of ’58 men once again rose to the occasion and attended in force their 60 Year On reunion. From our year unfortunately some 26 have passed away – 19 since our last reunion. However a very respectable 42% attended the various functions making up the weekend. The Friday evening, in keeping with the very warm summer, proved to be no exception and the attendees at the cocktail party flowed out from the Miles Warren Building on to Upper. It was great to witness old friends and those united in their shared experiences of the past warmly greet each other after a period of 10 or even 20 years. There were a few initial furtive glances at name tags on occasions, but in no time there was a continual buzz of laughter and obvious pleasure as they reminisced, joked and brought each other up to date with the past few years. Saturday morning, and the promise of another warm day, all reconvened for a tour of the school by House. Those who had not visited since the earthquakes seemed impressed, especially with the new buildings and how they blended so well with the existing. Favourable comments were also made about improvements to their old Houses. After our year group photograph and pre-lunch drinks, we joined the other year reunions for an enjoyable meal in the Dining Hall. The roast beef and Yorkshire pudding were cordon bleu compared to our day. Here Justine Nicholl should be thanked, not only for her efforts at the luncheon, but her considerable involvement in the organisation of our reunion. On Saturday evening, 70 in total, including wives and partners, gathered at the Christchurch Club for drinks and dinner. Executive Principal Garth Wynne and his wife Annie joined us for drinks. Garth gave an entertaining address before our meal commenced. After dinner a number of anecdotes were recounted of various characters and events from our school days. Some of the stories had not been heard by all before, while others had long been forgotten. A well-received interlude of fun and great memories. Those still able to summon the energy met on the patio of the Polo Bar at Hotel Montreal for lunch on Sunday. At the conclusion of the weekend there was a consensus of opinion that another gathering be organised for five years' time. Body and mind willing.
This year’s octogenarians had the best reunion of any reunion we have held in the past. We had 25 Collegians who started school in 1948, along with 20 of their wives and partners. Our reunion began with a cocktail party on Friday night at the home of Tom and Rosemary Tothill. It was a perfect venue with the indoor–outdoor aspect allowing everyone to enjoy each other’s company without the intrusion of noise! It was an honour to be hosted by the Association for lunch at College on the Saturday, and it was a splendid lunch, with a number of our wives enjoying this occasion as well. In the evening we had a most beautiful dinner in the Camelot Room at Chateau on the Park. There were good speeches, including that of Executive Principal Garth Wynne, and the evening finished on a high note. The reunion continued on Sunday with a very pleasant lunch at the Christchurch Golf Club at Shirley where the food was excellent and the most beautiful new clubhouse gave a lovely relaxed experience for those who attended. Most of those who were there attended the Chapel service in the evening. Sincere thanks must be recorded for George Lowry (5688), Jill McKellar and Rosemary Tothill for organising such a wonderful event and making sure that everybody was very content. We wish to register our sincere thanks to Christ’s College and to Justine Nicholl who hosted our reunion on the Saturday and ensured we had a wonderful time. Back row: John Wright, John Clayton, Alf Bell, John Laidlaw, Rob Thomson, Rob Pears Middle row: Richard Walker, Tom Tothill, Ronald Rivers, Chris Carl, Bob Hill, James Baker, Donald Scales, George Lowry, Stuart Williams Front row: John Hawkes, Stuart Raphael, Mike Fish, Bay de Lautour, Howard MacMillan, Lanktree Davies, John Dunlop, Anthony Chaytor
Tommy Tothill (5712)
Richard Armitage (6714)
Christ’s College Canterbury
112
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker