Went to a school reunion last weekend – a 40th! I’ve never been to one before, but having received a personal invitation from an old school friend, coupled with a tad of curiosity, I decided to attend.
This was not a trivial decision, as it involved flying to Tasmania and staying a few days in Hobart. My old school is Friends’, established by the Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1887. I’d attended a state (public) school in my primary years, and then attended Friends’ for high school.
Although I (or rather, we, as Marilyn went with me) went with just a little trepidation (I mean, just what do you wear?!), but overall it was great fun. The numbers were encouraging, with over a third of the 180 or so original members of the ‘Class of ’69‘ attending. Minor issue: most came without their partners, apart from myself and four others (one all the way from Japan). Is this a usual school reunion practice? I dunno!
Arriving to a sea of strange faces, some of them slowly morphed into recognizable school friends. To be honest, a few were instantly recognizable, while others, even after chatting for a while, still bore no resemblance to their youthful selves.
Thankfully it was a fairly informal affair, with opportunity to wander around and meet people you hadn’t spoken to for 40 years. Recalling the present that I’d sent to a (hospitalised) girl in first year high, she corrected me that I had not actually sent her a pack of jelly beans – rather, it was a Cadbury’s Peppermint chocolate. So, memories were stirred and stories swapped, and though the event was held at the school, the food was more than tolerable (in fact, pretty good!).
Apparently the school is going along very well, with excellent results (in both the IB and local school qualifications) and a long waiting list. It’s always been co-educational, something most of the other private schools caught on to only in recent years (and some still not).
Will there be another one and will I attend? Yes and yes, and in fact, given the success of this one, there’s talk of a 45th.