The Annual Reunion Dinner, 2003 | Home | Index | Guestbook | | Home (Aston) | Index (Aston) |

The above event was held on Saturday 8th November in the Trinity Suite at Aston Villa Football Club, and was attended by Jim Parker, John Donnelly, Peter Band and myself from the 'Class of 1950'.

It was preceded by an invitation from the Headmaster, Peter Christopher, to look round the school to see the improvements made during his 12 year term of office, which is due to end next July when he retires.

On arrival at the school John and I were greeted by two young men. Not wishing to repeat my mistake of 20 years ago at the centenary celebrations I asked 'Are you pupils or teachers?'. After a glass of wine with the newly appointed Deputy Head, Frank Hedley, the 20 old boys who had accepted the Head's invitation were divided into groups of four and dispatched at intervals in the company of obviously well briefed guides. We four were assigned to one of the 'lads' who had met John and I at the door - David ..... , one of the two School Vice-Captains.

We were amused by two things: his spiky hair (the current, universal fashion) and a burgeoning black eye borne with evident satisfaction and sustained in that morning's encounter with Queen Mary G S, Walsall, whom Aston had 'thrashed' (his word not mine!).

David led us first through the modern sports centre and out across what used to be Frederick Road to the 'old' building - the only building in our day! - via the arches where 6th formers used to park their bikes. What then followed was a tour of the building in which our guide told us what a room was used for - followed by a lengthier explanation from us of what it had been used for fifty years ago! He had clearly been briefed to expect this, and bore it with great good humour.

Len's office (minus its 'traffic lights' - as Jim was quick to point out) is now the Deputy Head's office, the chemistry lab is the drama section, the physics lab is the economics dept. (!), the gym is the 6th form centre. Here Jim and John left their now empty wine glasses - with the declared intent of dropping two 6th formers 'in it' on Monday morning! The art room is now a private study area for 6th formers. The only place where David had the advantage of us was the new 'bridge' which closes the quadrangle on the previously open, Albert Road, side where that awful toilet block used to be. The rooms at first floor level (only) here are dedicated language labs.

Finally, we came to 'Big School' - now the Library. I'm not sure whether it was nostalgia, but the lighting here seemed less harsh and the colours less garish. Everywhere we had seen was freshly painted in colours that were far, far brighter than in our day - and to my eyes very welcome too. The famous three headmasters' portraits that we remember so well are now joined by a poor one of 'Len' (which I helped pay for!) and good ones of his two successors: Dennis Hawley and Neil Gamble. Len had been portrayed without academic dress, unlike his successors and predecessors. Dennis was painted against a black background to which the school arms were added. Neil is the first head to be photographed reflecting, no doubt, the cost of portraiture by his time.

The honours boards are still there. We noticed that John appeared on them twice, the rest of us appearing not at all! He was characteristically self-effacing about this but we, of course, gave him some quite undeserved stick!

We re-crossed Frederick Road to the 'new' building (1963 vintage). In its entrance foyer we spotted another familiar landmark: the Head's 'throne'. It doesn't seem to play the same role now as it did in our time. The first floor gives the building its modern name: the Science Block. We found the physics lab. firmly locked (shame!) but the newly refurbished chemistry lab. open and brilliantly lit. The cellars of this block contain the art and design department - as untidy as such places always seem to be. Adjacent to the huge assembly hall was the dining area containing all the old 'whole school' photos. And there one little mystery was cleared up for me. There had been a school photo taken in March 1954 while I was at Longdon. Modern whole school photos are only taken every 4 years, but they have the advantage of improvements in photography (wide angle lenses, colour photography) thus denying today's generation the opportunity to appear twice by running round the back!

And so, an hour after we had set out, we arrived in the newest facility: the music room. How Francis Mace and Tony Cooke would have loved it! There we were welcomed once more by Peter Christopher who recounted with understandable pride what he had been able to do during his time at Aston. He ended by saying ' You should have seen the place when I arrived', to which Jim Parker made the immortal rejoinder 'You should have seen it when we arrived!'

We then all piled into our cars and, still accompanied by the long suffering David, drove out into Albert Road, down Bevington Road to Witton Road then into Witton Lane and onto the Villa car park. A short, brisk walk across to the Trinity Suite where we found the rest of the evening's guests propping up the bar.

After getting a round in at the bar, where I recognised - and chatted briefly to - Mike Dugmore from the class of '51, it was time to have a look at the table plan. There were no table numbers! Somebody had had the inspired idea of giving them names instead. Yes, you've guessed: Temperley, Floyd, Manton, Brandon, Hawley, Gamble, Tyson, Jessop, J G Smith and our table - Christopher. I knew more of the tables than I did people there! The plan showed the numbers attending to be in excess of 100.

Behind the easel carrying the plan was a table with items for sale. I sauntered over for a look - and came away with two (updated) copies of the Centenary book (2nd edition 1883 - 1998), two Rugby Club centenary books (1889 - 1989), an AOE tie and a ski hat (rather smart - black with the AOE badge on the front). One of the Rugby Club books is a spare, so first to ask ....

Centenary Book, 2nd edition, 1998

Eventually we drifted over to the tables and found ours to be right at the front - next to the VIPs. Whoever did the seating plan obviously thought that, being 1950 vintage, we wouldn't be able to hear if we weren't near the front. Wait 'til I find out who it was! The tables sat ten, so we were joined by six AOEs from an even earlier period: 1934 through to 1942. Several of them remembered the transition from Manton to Brandon - and Mrs Brandon having twins!

Once we were at our tables the guests were clapped in (as opposed to clapped out!). They included, as always, the School Captain, Vice Captains, Cricket Captain and, this year, Vince Darby - a former teacher with 24 years' service at Aston - who has recently been appointed Headmaster at Camp Hill. Boy, did he suffer for that during the evening!

Before the formal proceedings started we had our own private moment and toasted dear John Clarke who had died last July of cancer. The other three had been friends of John outside school, and had attended his funeral. Then the evening got going, following a pattern that I don't think has ever changed: Grace, the Loyal Toast, the Immortal Memory. Indeed, I think the Annual Reunion has its origins in the last named because it is always held on Remembrance weekend, whereas so many schools 'reunite' in the summer.

After the meal there followed an interval for emptying and re-stocking in readiness for the speeches.

These were preceded by the prize giving, raffle and auction. For the first time for some years the AOEs had beaten the School in the annual cricket match, so the poor School cricket captain was made to come up and present the 'Sid' Brown trophy - to 'familiarise himself with defeat' he was told! Les Harvey (AOE Golf Club President), sitting next to me, won a bottle of whisky for the best anagram of the menu item 'Steamed Treacle Pudding'. Apparently, Floyd table's submission could not be read out and so was disqualified! Interest in this competition had appeared to be low, despite the best efforts of the Master of Ceremonies - the irrepressible Bob Simpson. So one of the guests - Aston Villa Chairman Doug Ellis - donated two tickets (in the Director's box) for the game against Southampton on 29th November. It was felt that these were too prestigious to be wasted in this way so they were auctioned instead - and raised £200 for the Association's funds.

It appears that, in retirement, former deputy head Harold Jessop (1956-88) has become an accomplished glass engraver. He had sent some of his work to be auctioned and that raised £85. The raffle was for a DVD player and we were invited to bung £5 into envelopes left on the tables for that purpose. None of us came near!

The 'School and Foundation' is the first toast, proposed by a member of the Association. The Headmaster responds and, from what I remember, uses the same speech as that given 24 hours earlier at the School's Speech Day. But, this year being his last, Peter Christopher 'went on'. The poor guy got ragged about this by later speakers!

He had rummaged in the archives and found a copy of the School rules, issued in 1962 (by Len of course), to coincide with the opening of the new building. He was scornful of these and read excerpts from what he considered to be their worst sections. It just goes to show how headmasters have changed in 40 years!

The Association presented him with a set of suitcases as a retirement present. He told us of his plans to travel and look up people and places for which he had had no time during his 12 years as Head. He was also able to announce the name of his successor next September. This is to be Colin Parker, currently deputy head at Lawrence Sherriff School, Rugby and head of History at Aston 1992-9.

The President then proposed the toast to 'The Association'' . During his speech he referred to the death only the previous week of Dennis Hawley (Len's successor 1970-84). For the last two years of his life he had been very frail and in a nursing home following a stroke. By this point in the evening my attention span was beginning to sag, but I think it was the President who mentioned that the new leader of the Conservative party had attended the same school as Watcyn Thomas!

The response to this toast was made by an 'outsider'. In 1988 that had been my brother Tim, which was the last time I had been to a Reunion. At that time they were still being held at the school. They then moved to Penns Hall (Sutton Coldfield) until this year, the first time at the Villa. Because it had been a match day there had been problems for the organisers.

I am not sure of the wisdom of inviting an outsider to what is essentially an introverted occasion, but it has been so for some years. The guy was basically a stand up comic after-dinner speaker and by this time everybody had had a few so they'd laugh at anything!

As the laughter subsided we came to the final, never changing, item of the programme: the annual Alzheimer's test. The familiar chords were sounded and we struggled to our feet to sing the School Song. Pitched a bit too high for adult voices (Francis Mace or Tony Cooke would have transposed on sight) at least there was one AOE who could play the keyboard. Although the words are always printed on the back of the programme it becomes a matter of honour to take only surreptitious glances at them! Certain phrases and their associations came readily to mind: 'sweet voices silent now' (David White, Tony Powick, John Clarke) .... 'seas may soon divide' (many of you who have contacted me from so far away) ... and the one that covers the rest of us: 'either rogue or fool'!

The final chorus sung the Master of Ceremonies declared the formal proceedings at an end. By this time it was after midnight and those with journeys to make were ready for the off. One of the older guys on our table had driven down from North Wales and was faced with a two and a quarter hour return journey!

We, too, decided to head for home but not before confirming something first voiced by Peter earlier in the evening: to work towards organising a similar event, but for the 'Class of 1950' only. After all, there are 90+ of us still around (we believe) so it should be possible to interest worthwhile numbers in the idea. We are not going to 'rush' it but - with my 65th coming up next May - I don't think we should leave it too long!!

It was a very enjoyable evening. I intend going again next year - even if the table names are the only people I know!

It is a great pleasure to thank the Headmaster for his hospitality at the School, Martin Studholme for organising the Dinner and Martin's wife Sharon and sister-in-law Dianne for manning the sales table (despite fierce opposition from the 'men only' tendency!).