Following the sometimes-awkward arrival phase, where nametags come into their own, the ever-reliable Sam Smart settled the rabble and didn’t miss a beat as MC whilst the evergreen Tommy Katsaros regaled the crowd with mischievous stories of school days and beyond.
On the teaching front, we were appreciative for the attendance of the delightful Mrs Viv Jenson, the irrepressible Dr Brian Webber and the energetic and visionary new headmaster, Mr David Roberts who blessed us with an impressive cameo despite only being Commissioned about ten minutes earlier. The omnipresent Mr Ken Watson was also a starter and captivated the crowd with a 45-minute-long recital of God knows what, before having the microphone abruptly reclaimed by a hilarious Paul Finnie who was anointed as roving reporter on the day.
As the afternoon progressed, the juices flowed, and the boys’ stories of school day conquests and elite sporting endeavours became increasingly embellished. The group managed to keep itself relatively tidy and it’s understood that all-bar-one of the ‘91 Reds was able to exit the establishment free from the head restraints of security staff.
Special thanks must be paid to Tim Brown whose capacity to forensically track, badger and lock-in Old Reds attendance was remarkable to witness. Ironically and regretfully, Tim was caught in Professor Nicola Spurrier’s notorious “second ring” of Covid close contacts and chose not to risk an appearance on the day despite being responsible for the presence of more than half of those in attendance. Brownie, you were missed.
In closing, it would be remiss of me not to pay special thanks to the irreplaceable Mary-Ann Standish whose patience throughout the 18-month long organisation phase was enormously appreciated. These events require substantial work in non-Covid times, and the herding of cats required over three separate attempts to get this event away would have challenged even the most unflappable of organisers. Mary-Ann, we salute you for your grace and good humour in putting it all together.
Thanks to all the boys who made it. We, the organising committee, hope you enjoyed yourselves and look forward to doing it all again in a few short years. Hopefully Brett Swain will have aged by then!
James Newton on behalf of the Class of 1991 Reunion Committee
Tim Brown, Sam Smart and Andrew Gniel
Class of 1991