The Annual Reunion Dinner, 2005 | Home | Index | Guestbook | | Home (Aston) | Index (Aston) |

Bob Simpson, Master of Ceremonies

This year's dinner had been billed as 'the end of an era' because it was to be the last at which Bob Simpson would officiate as Master of Ceremonies. More of this anon.

Gradually the room, and the bar, filled up as the 66 diners arrived from the four corners. It was my great pleasure to accompany Malcolm Walton (School Captain 1956/7 and Master 1961/2), over from his home just north of Rome, and attending the dinner for the first time. As we emerged from my car we saw two stalwarts of the immediate past doing the same: Peter Christopher and J G Smith. At the bar I met for a second time the AOE who drives down from North Wales for the occasion - and afterwards drives back! This year he had decided to act his age, and stay locally overnight. He would have had a very pleasant return journey the following morning in beautiful autumn sunshine. To my great shame I still don't know his name!

As my fellow diners on Table 1 arrived it was particularly good to meet Colin Payne, one of Malcolm Walton's contemporaries, and Peter Smewin from the 'Class of 1955'. But it was a pleasant surprise to see for the first time in 50+ years David Sinclair who has had a successful career as an architect. Peter Clay, from the 'Class of 1951', completed the 'new boys' and was to play an important part later in the proceedings.

In due course we were summoned to our tables (near the front again - 'Studders' obviously thinks we are hard of hearing!) and the 'top' table were applauded in. The usual suspects were present as well as some new faces: a new President (Brian Roberts); Tom Smith (the oldest AOE present, who had come to Aston 77 years ago!) and - always a special delight - the representatives of the present generation of Astonians: Liam Gasior (School Captain); Rajiv Nathwani and Tom Curry (Vice Captains) and, later to get a specially enthusiastic round of applause, Michael Bennett (Captain of Rugby). Apparently, Liam and Michael hope to read history at university while Rajiv wants to study English at Lancaster or Warwick. I never did find out what Tom plans to do - but good luck to them all! They displayed social skills of a much higher order than we did at the same age. I was pleased to see that, at every break during the evening, someone would go up and talk to them. They certainly shouldn't have felt left out of the proceedings.

The evening started with the first of two raffles and, later, an auction - all in aid of either the Association or the 'Sid' Brown Memorial Trust, each a worthy cause within the Aston school community. The indefatigable Harold Jessop (one of Aston's many 'Mr. Chips') had once again engraved some glassware which formed one of the prizes.

After a thoughtful Grace said by Bill Clarkson the intellectual challenge of 'Simpson's anagram' was again placed before us: what can you do with 'parmesan cheese and herb croutons' that is significantly different from last year!

Undaunted by this we got down to the serious business of eating, autographing one another's programmes and reminiscing. At one point it looked as if someone had nicked Malcolm Walton's biro, but it surfaced eventually so he might be persuaded to come again in the future!

Table 1 L. to R.: Ken Smith, Colin Payne, Peter Clay, Malcolm Walton, Peter Smewin, Peter Band, Peter Cross. (David Sinclair had gone for a ....!)

Only three days before this year's dinner I had learnt that one of my contemporaries had been killed on active service in Cyprus, so the Immortal Memory (pronounced by Aston stalwart Colin Hadley) which followed the Loyal Toast (proposed by Blake Bennett) was a particularly poignant moment. At some point following the research needed to confirm this, perhaps his name can be added to those of the 193 AOEs who died in the two World Wars.

During one of the breaks I got the chance to meet and say hello to two AOEs with whom I had previously corresponded only by email: Tim Watson and Malcolm Perrott - both enthusiastic supporters of this web site!

And then we came to the speeches. First up was Vince Darby, teacher at Aston for 24 years before moving to Camp Hill as Head. Was this intended to redress the reverse 'insult', when Joe Manton came to Aston from there in 1913? Vince's thumbnail sketch of all the Foundation schools in Birmingham was extremely witty but not for publication here (or anywhere else for that matter!) My, how Headmasters have changed since my day!!

Colin Parker's response showed that he has his feet firmly under Aston's table now that he has been Head for just over a year. Some of his asides showed me that he has fully absorbed the school's ethos, probably gained first during a spell 'below decks' as Head of History from 1992-99.

Quite rightly Brian Roberts expected to respond to, rather than propose, the toast 'The Association' (scope for a small change here?) but quickly gave way to his son David to make what proved to be the highlight of the evening: a presentation entitled 'Bob Simpson This is Your Life'!

Bob's distinguished parentage was revealed, along with convincing photographs recording the exalted circles in which he has moved throughout his 77 years. But all good things must come to an end, and Bob was presented with an engraved plaque commemorating his years as M.C. for the dinner. He claimed to have been in post for only 15 years, but I can remember attending in 1988 when he proposed the toast to 'The Association'. A long and happy retirement, Bob.

So Brian returned to the lectern and made his inaugural speech as AEA President. As was to be expected of him it was a carefully crafted blend of nostalgia, history and anticipation.

Which is more than can be said of his respondent! Described in the programme as a 'follicly challenged magician' Chris Jenkins produced jokes, ropes, bouquets and a three of clubs with equal abandon. This despite Peter Smewin's folorn attempt to interest him in the ace of spades!

Ever since he left school in 1956 Peter Clay has been a professional musician. He nobly stepped forward as soon as he learnt that a new pianist was being sought to play the school song at the end of the evening. Over dinner Peter and I were discussing my long held view that it is pitched too high for adult voices. His comment was 'it needs to be in A flat rather than A'. At this point I changed the subject!

Nonetheless it was sung with greater vigour (third verse notwithstanding) than I have heard for many years. Peter Clay commented later "I thought everyone sang the school song so well I would have liked them to have sung it twice ! It was a pleasure to play for that event." It had rounded off another fascinating evening of solemnity, ribaldry and wit.

Again, many thanks to Martin Studholme for his considerable efforts to make it so.