2005 REUNION
It was one of those brilliant October mornings and my vintage had assembled for coffee in Old Big School. Had we improved, like good claret, with age? Alas, the inability to remember the names of familiar faces (some bewhiskered) was surpassed by being unable to read their names - writ large - on their lapel badges.
They were there. David Kemp, John Gibbs (we won’t mention again that he has been voted schoolmaster of the year by Tatler) and a cheerful Mike Bushby.
Rumour had it that the Air Marshal (Sandy Wilson) had already summoned the troops to an earlier meeting at Hill Side in an attempt to persuade Old Hillsiders to dig deep into their purses for funds towards the new sports centre.
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As we made our way to Chapel, the early morning mist lifted to reveal its walls covered in the resplendent autumn red of the Virginia creeper. The service was simple but poignant. The choir was splendid but it would have beggared belief for those that know my somewhat corpulent figure to have recalled that I was once one of those tiny trebles.
An excellent lunch followed in Big School. I found myself next to the engaging Professor Colin Seymour-Ure, but I so bored the poor man that by the time of the main course he had sought refuge in the OT on his other side. I then had an interesting discussion with Michael Holman, an ex-Professor of Russian at Leeds.
Anthony Hudson welcomed Tim Haynes and made an amusing speech about how he had once been frightened of girls (hard to believe) unlike, so he said, Connell and Gracey (much easier to believe).
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Tim Haynes made an excellent no-nonsense speech (I feel sure he will prove to be a first class Headmaster), concluding that afterwards he wished to see Holman A - Anthony and Lizzie had flown in specially that morning from New York.
Then it was off to the Fifty to watch the rugby. I walked over with Paul Thompson, who looked exactly the same at school as he does today…… one had the sneaking suspicion that he might at any moment break into a rendition of ‘a policeman’s lot is not a happy one’.
In an excellent, hard-fought game, the school was victorious over Haileybury by 24-6. It might have been my imagination but the boys on both sides looked even bigger than in my day. I was interested to hear one O.T. comment: ‘good to see the headmaster’s wife on the touchline’.
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Tea was served in our Houses. School House has moved to Martins but I consider this cannot replace the advantage of being an intrinsic part of the main school building. However, the House is in the very capable hands of Andrew Edwards and his charming German wife, Philippa.
OT sport abounds. Richard Stocks reported on another Halford Hewitt victory in the golf and Richard Dalzell is a vibrant champion of Real Tennis and, in fact, we have just had our inaugural ‘friendly’ weekend. This started with a win at Canford, but not too much should be written about the second day’s play, following some copious whiskies at Chester Nobbs’ the night before.
In a momentary lapse, Peter Morris asked me to write this article. I hope it has conveyed my pleasure both in attending the Reunion and being able to report so favourably on the future of the school.
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Long after everybody had gone, I sat on a park bench above the Fifty thinking about those OTs who would not be with us again and remembering the lines sung earlier from the school hymn:
For those who unrecorded
To better Tonbridge strove
And felt themselves rewarded
As long as Tonbridge throve.
My abiding memory of the day was watching the sun set between the goalposts, standing like sentinels guarding the school’s heritage.
Anthony Osmond-Evans (Sc 1956-61)
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