Celebrating lifelong friendships
Written by
Pete Walton (LGS 1947-55) & Bas Hardy (LGS 1948-55)
The Class of ’48, (boys who entered LGS Form 3 (Year 7) in September 1948), have met regularly over the years, and their activities have even featured from time to time in the Magazine!
We had been fortunate to celebrate our 50th, 60th and 70th anniversaries as luncheon guests of the School, and it was great to be back again on 17 October 2023 to celebrate our 75 reunion.
In 1998, about 30 of us plus partners joined the reunion celebrations but, over the years, time has taken its toll, particularly in very recent years. On this occasion we were further depleted as five members were saddened to be physically unable to make the journey and, unfortunately, because of date clashes, John King and Neil Wilkinson were unable to make their usual journeys from Australia & France respectively. Nevertheless, with friends travelling from Devon, Shropshire & Kent, 9 of us made the reunion and we were joined by our wives and also two constant supporters – both partners of past members who are sadly no longer with us but also LHS alumni – Wendy Saley (nee de Ville, LHS 1955), and Jenny Foster (nee Potts, LHS 1961).
Our hosts, John Weitzel, Laura Woodhouse, Emma Fraser and Chloe Anderson welcomed us with hot drinks and nibbles in the Weitzel Room at Buckland, and circulated amongst us adding to the joy of the occasion. Of course, we remember Buckland not as school offices, but as the shared home of the families of Bill Redden (Maths) and Harry Bowen (Science). John also provided a mine of information about changes at the School.
Time seemed to pass too quickly as friendships were renewed, and the room buzzed with life-time updates, memories of school day escapades and the viewing of old photographs of previous get-togethers at School, various hostelries and on canal narrow boats!
School was in session so our hosts had arranged for us to have lunch in Hodson Hall extension where we could continue our conversations. The catering staff pulled out all the stops for us and all present thought the meal was excellent, provoking thoughts of Miss Benskins valiant efforts in those long ago days of late 1940s rationing.
Peter Walton proposed a toast to Absent Friends, and heartily thanked everyone for making it a very enjoyable day. John responded, concluding with the remark that our impressive group (his words!) of Old Boys would be even more welcome in 5 years time. Some challenge!
