Having noticed an item about Bucks Restaurant in a previous Nostalgia, Mr A J Shepherd, from Worthing, West Sussex, sent Nostalgia a photo that was first published in the West Herts Post in 1947, of the first annual dinner of the Old Centralians Association to be held after World War Two. (See below)
It was held at Bucks Restaurant, formerly located in High Street, Watford, and the picture shows the headmaster, Mr Lilliman, sitting at the top table. He was succeeded by Mr Hart.
Can any readers recognise themselves in this photo? Was anyone a member of the Old Centralians Association? And what memories do readers have of dining at Bucks Restaurant.
The Old Centralians Association was the "old boys club" of Watford Central School and Pupil Teacher Centre, which was set up after World War One, about 1919, and based in Derby Road.
Following a question in Nostalgia about the Old Centralians Association in Watford, and the publication of this picture of the group celebrating their annual dinner at Buck's Restaurant, two former members wrote to Nostalgia with their memories.
A J Shepherd, of Worthing, West Sussex, was a member during the late 1940s.
He said: "At one time I was chairman of the association. My late brother-in-law, Geoff Hollins, was the treasurer and our friend Lionel Wright was the secretary.
"As a matter of interest my sister Ellie (who died in 2005) met Geoff Hollins at one of the association's annual dinners (held at Bucks restaurant) and romance blossomed thereafter and they married in 1950. The association was very active in those days with a cricket team and an amateur dramatics company We had a meeting room in St Albans Road - a popular place for members to gather at that time."
Coincidentally, Lionel Wright, the former association secretary mentioned by Mr Shepherd above, also contacted Nostalgia.
Mr Wright, of Colney Heath, St Albans, said: "I was the last secretary of the association from 1946 after leaving the Royal Navy, until 1954 when the association was wound up. The old school was transferred in 1951 to the new school which became Queens' School. The entire facilities of the OCA were placed at the disposal of the new headmaster Mr FJP O'Connor at the time of the move, but he, clearly, did not wish to take advantage of all the facilities that were available, such as the Club Rooms in St Albans Road and the various very successful subsections - The Old Centralians Tennis Club, the Table Tennis Club, the Cricket Club and the Centralian Players.
"All of the above sub-sections became fully independent and established themselves as 'stand alone' social clubs."
He added: "Other officers of the OCA at the time of its dissolution were the chairman, Tony Shepherd, who now lives in Worthing; and the treasurer, Geoff Hollins, who died earlier this year.
"The club rooms were kept in use for several years as focal points for the various subsections but were vacated in the end, partly due to lack of use but also because of the road widening scheme that was coming into being.
"It is clear to me, at the age of 84, that we Old Centralians are a dying breed."
The Old Centralain's annual dinner at Buck's Restaurant. Click to enlarge it.
Roy Markland has sent me these, from his father's collection.
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