Richard Moore, Chairman of the Rye Old Scholars Association writes about the Reunion event to take place at Rye College on Saturday September 21:
I have had the absolute pleasure of co-coordinating this event since 1985 when a close school friend was tragically killed and the virtually the whole class of 1970 got together at the Mermaid Inn to celebrate the life of Tim Docksey and raised money for a sports presentation board at the time.
Since then we have got together at Rye College at five- yearly intervals, however this time it is a four-year interval as the class who were 11 in 1970 have all reached that enchanting age of 60 this year so it seemed a good excuse for more celebrations.
Events have varied over the years where we have had live entertainment during the course of the evening or a two-day event including a cricket match, a morning after breakfast and a Leasam/Saltcote reunion.
This year it is nice and simple, just one event. There will be tours of the college between 7-8pm, a splendid two-course buffet, bar, room raffle, a celebration cake and a jar of my home-made jam/marmalade or chutney for all those attending. The entertainment will be conversation and reminiscing on a grand scale that negates the point of having any background music of the decade as after 20 minutes it can’t be heard anyway.
Teaching staff will be in attendance and I am delighted to report that subject to health and the M25 behaving itself on the day Mr Ray Fooks MBE will be attending the event plus of course several other staff who are still with us. If the students have reached 60 you can imagine how old the teachers are as they seemed very old at the time whilst we were there!
Over the years it has got easier to arrange as it has become a social tradition and people come from all over the country, and on this occasion overseas, specially to be there and meet up. More recently social media has greatly assisted so since we arranged the date a year ago I have been busy contacting contemporaries through this medium.
However, I am not resting on my laurels and being complacent about spreading the word and if this article is seen by someone I have forgotten or did not know who attended during the 1970s they are of course more than welcome to join us, providing they buy a ticket.
Money can be exchanged on the night to save posting out tickets etc, but for catering purposes and knowing how many jars of goodies I have to make it would be nice to have a rough idea of who is attending by Wednesday September 17.
Thanks to Rye News for the opportunity of publicising this event and for all their support for Rye College. For more information please ring (evenings) or better still, email me.
Please spread the word to anyone who may be interested in what I hope will be a very memorable occasion as the other seven reunions have been, let’s make number eight even better.
For further information, telephone 01424 444058 or email r.fm@btopenworld.com
Tickets: £10 per person available from the Mermaid Inn.
Image Credits: Tim Rothwell , Richard Moore, ROSA .