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Reunions
Toronto Spring Reunion, 29/30 May, 2010
This year's reunion began, as usual, on the Friday evening with the arrival of Peter and Janet Jackson from New Brunswick. The Jacksons have attended almost all the reunions held in Toronto since inception in 2002, enduring not only the 2 hour flight, but the hassle of getting to and from St. John Airport, another hour's journey by car from their home in Grand Bay/Westfield. Their return journey this year also entailed a change of planes in Montreal with a two hour wait for the connecting flight. Such devotion to the cause is an inspiration to us all!
Another enjoyable Saturday evening was had at the Queens Arms & Maharani restaurant, and we were very pleased to welcome new Canadian member, Mike Horsfield who came along with Jonathan Sutcliffe. The two have been best friends since they were 13!
Congratulations are due to Brian Cousins and Renee who are to be married on Canada Day, 1st July, in the Caribbean.
Professor Emeritus David Harris has now been in his own private psychiatry practice for a year, and is finding the new life quite hectic but very fulfilling.
We missed the presence of actor, Chris Kelk, who is appearing in a Toronto production of Duet for One, which received a very favourable account of the standard of acting in a Globe & Mail review.
On the Sunday, we had a long and entertaining brunch at the Muddy Duck restaurant, before winding up the weekend.
Attendees included: Peter & Janet Jackson, Miles & Carolyn Atkinson, Brian Cousins and fiancee, Renee Cannon, Mike Horsfield, Jonathan Sutcliffe, David Harris, Harry Pullan and John & Helen Thwaite. Click here to see more photos.
At this time, I would like to remind members that the Annual North American Old Bradfordian Reunion will be held in Toronto on 16th to 18th October. Headmaster, Stephen Davidson will be there with his wife, Carol and their son Jamie. Full details will be sent out soon.
To be added to the mailing list and for more information on the reunion please contact John Thwaite at johnthwaite@hotmail.com.
1940s Reunion - Saturday 24 April 2010
Click Here to view the photographs
Our principal speaker , Leslie 'Legs' Bentley, was unsure as to what to call the event, Was a 'reunion' the correct way to go? Perhaps a 'pride of lions' (plus one lioness!) or a school of whales? Who knows! All I know is that we had a terrific day with the best ever turnout for this event. 84 people attended which is great. Of particular note is that a good number travelled a long distance to be with us so a special 'thanks' to all of you for making the long journey.
Thanks to the number of people attending, the format of the evening had to be changed slightly. This year we had pre-lunch drinks in the Douglas Hamilton (DH) room and lunch was served in the school's dining room. the dining room has changed a lot since I attended BGS and i can only imagine the change for you guys who had lunch in it decades ago. All for the better i think.
As mentioned and read out during the event, Michael Ludgate was unable to attend but he sent me a terrific letter. Michael started in class 3c in September 1945 and lunch was not similar in any was to the food we enjoyed on Saturday April 24th :
"...dinner was a gruesome mix of mince of indeterminate origin, grey boiled on mashed potatoes, cooked to death cabbage, followed usually by 'concrete' - armour plated pastry defending a sparse layer of strawberry jam with a watery, synthetic custard against which the armour was waterproof..."
Our lunch on the 24th was considerably better than that and it's safe to say that the jam sponge and custard bore no resemblance to the dessert Michael described and was served 65 years ago. Thankfully the word 'progress' can be used positively in the context of the food in the dining room today. Too often now, 'progress' actually means less of something or the changing of something that worked perfectly to save but a few pennies.
As we all had opportunity to see, the facilities available to pupils today are amazing and BGS does not standstill at all. The school today is an absolute credit to the Headmaster, his whole team and the Governors.
Our meeting next year will be at the school on Saturday 30th April 2011 and before this there is an OBA Annual Dinner on Saturday January 15th and it would be great to seeing you then as well.
Going forward I hope that our numbers mean lunch has to continue to be served in the dining room and until next time, I wish you all the best and have a decent summer. Cheerio for now
James Williams (BGS 1980-1990) Chairman of the BGS OBA Entertainments Committee.
Click here for a printable version of the report
Australia Reunion - Saturday 16 January 2010
OB John Slater ( 1942-50)
On January 16th, I brought together six old Bradfordians and partners to meet David and Ann Moore, who had graciously agreed to stay with us in Sydney during their Australian trip.
In-fact, one OB travelled fair distances from Adelaide and another from Melbourne. The rest were from New South Wales. We had a very happy and informative lunch in our home with much talk and Bradfordian momento presentation over a period of four hours. From start to finish there was a barrage of conversation, which was difficult to stop to hear a great update on the school and the OBA from David.
I believe he gained valuable and new information for his book on the School.
Names of attendees: (left to right on the group shots) Simon Wilson (1973-83), Denis Foster (1945-53), David Dibb (1946-51), David Moore (1952-62), Graham Holmes-Walker (1944-52), Ian Wilson (1947-56)
Jean Foster, Anne Moore, Ailsa Holmes-Walker, Pat Slater.
Oxbridge Reunion Dinner - Saturday 21 November 2009
Please click here to read the report
To see the slide show of photographs click here
Toronto Reunion - Held over the weekend of May 29 2009
This was one of our most successful weekends, with a total of 16 participants.
On Saturday, we were pleased to include a retirement celebration for David Harris, Professor of Geriatric Psychiatry at the University of Western Ontario. David has been honoured with the title of Professor Emeritus, and will be embarking on a new venture with his own psychiatric practice. We wish him all the best for the future and look forwarded to monitoring his progress at our Old Bradfordian gatherings for many years to come.
Other attendees were David's wife, Ceri, Brian Cousins and Renee, John & Helen Thwaite, John Scott, Peter & Janet Jackson and Jonathan Sutcliffe. We especially enjoyed having Jonathan back in the fold, and hope that he will urge his two Toronto-resident brothers to join us at the next reunion.
The evening passed all too quickly (as usual), with great food and the exchange of much news and memories of life at BGS going back as far as the 1940's in the old building on Manor Row, and the days of Thornville.
The next morning, we met at the Muddy Duck restaurant where we had booked a table for 10 people: Chris Kelk, David & Ceri Harris, John & Helen Thwaite, Harry & Fay Pullan, Peter & Janet Jackson and Miles Atkinson (Miles had to cancel at the last minute owing to business commitments in Vermont). The remaining party of 9 quickly turned into a party of 14 when John Scott arrived unexpectedly, followed closely by Jonathan Sutcliffe and his wife, Melinda with their 2 young sons, Matthew, 6 and Owen, 2, - a lovely family and a great addition to our numbers. Again we enjoyed chatting and good food, and were eventually politely asked to leave after 3 hours, to help make room for the large number of people lined up outside in the cold.
Next weekend, Helen & I will be going to Ottawa where we have arranged to meet David Addy (1949 to 1955) for dinner. Dave and I were classmates for about 4 years and our meetings have become something of an annual event.
As the coordinator, I am very gratified to see that the enthusiasm for our reunions remains as strong as ever amongst the regular attendees, and am confident that our numbers will continue to increase in the future as more of us realise how enjoyable it is to share the feeling of camaraderie with others of our unique background.
Thanks to all who participated.
John Thwaite (1951-1957)
London Club Ladies' Night
In the stylish and eloquent dining room at the Carlton Club, which our London Club is privileged to use annually, the President Christopher Parkin welcomed members and their guests, especially Old Bradfordian Professor Dr John Dainton FRS, Chief Guest, Stephen Davidson Headmaster and John Hammond, President Old Bradfordians’ Association, and their wives Josephine, Carol and Sally.
After an excellent meal, the President invited the Dr Dainton, Chief Scientist and Founding Director of the Cockcroft Institute for Accelerator Science and Technology and Sir James Chadwick Professor of Physics at the University of Liverpool, to propose the Toast to the School. In a much appreciated speech John Dainton felt that he should make an admission straightaway, that while he was at the School he played cricket but would never have been able to play for Yorkshire as he had been born in Lancashire. With self-deprecating humour he reminisced about his time at the School which he remembered well and of how the formation of the third XI finally secured him a team place. On one occasion he had taken eight wickets for thirty two runs in a match against Silcoates School but alas, no mention of it was ever made. His progression in Latin was, he said, due more to a fellow pupil’s convenient seating and visible handwriting than to his own classical prowess. In English he learned the value of commas which were, he found, to be used when one ran out of breath. It was at Bradford Grammar School however, that he remembered a ”critical moment” in one particular class that brought about his awakening to and understanding of physics. Having been introduced in the lab. to something called a scoo-doofer, he asked what it was and was told by the master “It does not matter what you call it, if you understand what it can do and do better than you”. He had discovered that in physics what is important is to know how it works and what it does for you. In time he realized that what exemplified Bradford Grammar School was, in his words, “it gives you excellence for life”
In his response Excellence for Life was echoed by the Headmaster who paid tribute to the School Governors, the staff and the many donors who provided the scholarships to support pupils at the School and beyond. He brought to our attention that Mr. Alan Jerome, Chairman of the governors for many years, would soon be retiring. He mentioned the impressively high intake making a total of 1100 pupils in the School, of parents who believed in making sacrifices for “something special” and of how the School’s resources and staff helped to make their dreams a reality - “at BGS, excellence is a habit”. Stephen Davidson went on to say BGS is not only the place that you once attended; it is a path that you always keep walking. He concluded by reading a letter from a sixth former which encapsulated what he and Professor Dainton maintained. This sixth former wrote that BGS was a place that gave its pupils the opportunity to pursue interests and to excel in them, promoting the resolve “if you desire something, Hoc Age”.
In conclusion in thanking the speakers the President remarked that, through the opportunity of several visits during the last year, he appreciated how the School continued both to move forward in the 21st century and to value and build on traditions. He referred to the tribute paid at the recent School Speech Day to Stephen Davidson’s leadership.
Where are you?
Mark Richer (BGS 1974-81) is looking to get in touch with Chris Dougherty who was at school at the same time. If Chris, or anyone who is still in contact with him, could contact Charity in the OBA office, she will pass his details on.
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