April 2012 Reunion
Conrad Roe's account, with pictures:

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The 2012 Reunion was held on Saturday 28th April. It was organised by George Cooper - the venue, Photographer and Dinner; Nigel Dodds the Sherborne visit. The day was split up into 3 parts: the visit to Sherborne House and grounds, Lunch at the Fox and the Reunion Dinner at Lea Marston.

Visit to Sherborne Church, House and grounds:
A number of people stayed overnight at Lea Marston, Nigel Dodds, Jorma Kuntsi, Jimmy Younessi, Farhud Bamanglitch, and Andrew Tillett, who together with Trevor Richards and myself went down to Sherborne on Saturday morning; Bob Curtis and Jim Knight remaining.

First we visited Sherborne church, where we met up with John Carter, Nick Sweet, Roy Limbrick and Peter Brown We were fortunate to be able to talk with Rev. David Ackerman, who told us about the coat of arms below the organ, newly painted and gilded. We also went into the bell ringing room, where he pointed out interesting features. We noticed the unused front door had become a board where over the years bell ringers had added their names – dating back at least to 1896. We noted a new plaque for an Astronomer Royal of 3 centuries past who had been born in Sherborne.

Reunion 2012 - Coat of Arms in church Reunion 2012 - Bellringers names Reunion 2012 - Door to Belfry Reunion 2012 - Vaulted ceiling
Pic. 1 Rev. David Ackerman (out of shot) talking about the gilded coat of arms.
Pic. 2 Part of the rear of the West front door, with names of bell ringers going back many generations.
Pic. 3 Narrow door leading to stairs to the belfry.
Pic. 4 Vaulted ceiling with some bell rope tubes empty, suggesting that not all bells are used or some had been replaced.

Next we went with Stewart into Sherborne House; stopping to comment on the changes as we entered at the West Front to the area where once stood the school bell. We met with James Bright and Mike Carey residents, both who have apartments there.

James showed two parties of people his Great Hall apartment and asked and answered their questions.


We made our way to see the Ship’s Hall staircase. Then up to the ‘Quarter Deck’ staircase to the Library, the room that was JHM’s study. Here we met Moira who showed us round her apartment.
Reunion 2012 - Study L of fireplace Reunion 2012 - Study R of fireplace Reunion 2012 - Door to Dining Hall Reunion 2012 - Door to Ballroom
Pic. 5 Corner to left of fireplace, showing 'secret' door. Nick Sweet on left.
Pic. 6 Corner to right of fireplace. Roy Limbrick on left.
Pic. 7 Door to Dining Hall. Now a separate apartment.
Pic. 8 Door to The Ballroom/Dorm 54. John Carter talking to Mike Carey.

Then down the connecting staircase to Moira's Dining Room, a room with a vaulted ceiling which is believed to be in the oldest part of the House. This was an area ‘out of bounds’ to students of our era and which used to be a store room opposite the Forms and Staff Room corridor. The room was originally accessed down a step from the corridor.

Reunion 2012 - View to Cloisters Reunion 2012 - View to Cloisters Reunion 2012 - View to Cloisters Reunion 2012 - View to Cloisters Reunion 2012 - Vaulted room Reunion 2012 - View to Cloisters)
Pics. 9-12 from the Kitchen opening on to the Cloister and buildings on the other side of the Quadrangle.
Pic. 13 The Dining Room/store.
Pic. 14 View into Cloister from side of Dining Room opposite from the corridor.

Next we went up the stairs from the Cloisters which used to be the Lift Stairs to the junior dormitories. The rope operated luggage lift is no longer in evidence.
Reunion 2012 - Service stairs Reunion 2012 - Window on stairs
Pics. 15 & 16 Past what were the first two dorms 103 and 102, to 100 and 101 – now opened up into the large Living Room and Study of Mike Carey and his wife.

Reunion 2012 - Dorm 100-101 area Reunion 2012 - Dorm 100-101 area Reunion 2012 - Dorm 100-101 area
Pic. 17 Talking about the rooms as dormitories: L to R: Mike Carey, Nigel Dodds, Farhud Batmanglich, Trevor Richards, John Carter, Jikmmy Younessi and Nick Sweet. Pics. 18 & 19 views out to the grounds on the West Front.

Reunion 2012 - Top floor to Quadrangle Reunion 2012 - Top floor to Quadrangle Reunion 2012 - Top floor to Quadrangle
Pics. 20-22 From the Kitchen window I was able to take some pictures across the quadrangle.


We then went out to the back yard and passed Meat Safe area and along to The Orangery where Stewart and his wife Caroline served tea and coffee. I felt that both ourselves and the residents would have liked us to have stayed longer, but we were already late for our table at the Fox.


Visit to The Fox for luunch:
At the Fox we met up with a group of ‘older old boys’ – Chris King, Patrick Delaney, Bob Gabaldoni, Peter Stern, Richard Statham, Colin Fry, Alwyn Hawkes. We swapped stories over a meal before returning to the hotel. We had invited James Bright along as our guest for lunch.

Reunion 2012 - Lunch at The Fox at Barrington Reunion 2012 - Lunch at The Fox at Barrington Reunion 2012 - Lunch at The Fox at Barrington Reunion 2012 - Lunch at The Fox at Barrington Reunion 2012 - Lunch at The Fox at Barrington Reunion 2012 - Lunch at The Fox at Barrington
Pic. 23 Mrs King, Richard Statham & Chris King.
Pic. 24 Peter Stern, Colin Fry, John Carter, Mrs King & Richard Statham.
Pic. 25 Patrick Delaney & Bob Gabaldoni.                                                            Patrick Delaney has a few more pictures
Pic. 26 Andrew Tillett & Jorma Kuntsi.
Pic. 27 Roy Limbrick, Trevor Richards & Nigel Dodds.
Pic. 28 Foreground Jimmy Younessi & Farhud Batmanglich.


Photographs and Reunion Dinner:
We met up in the bar and had our photograph taken indoors; after which Grace was said by Roger Fowler(?) We enjoyed our Reunion dinner and exchanged memorable stories of our time at school and looked at memorabilia. Speeches were brief this year. Nick Sweet spoke about his stay with John Haymes in Australia. He also brought some memorabilia that Keith Lewis no longer wanted - including Prefect's scarf and badges. A toast was made to me for all my work on the school website.

Reunion 2012 - Lea Marston Reunion 2012 - Lea Marston Reunion 2012 - Lea Marston Reunion 2012 - Lea Marston Reunion 2012 - Lea Marston Reunion 2012 - Lea Marston Reunion 2012 - Lea Marston
Pic. 29 Jim Knight, Roger Emmett, George Cooper & Nick Sweet.
Pic. 30 John Cooper, Roger Fowler, Jim Knight, Roger Emmett & George Cooper.
Pic. 31 Jim Rowe, Jorma Kuntsi (standing) & Tony Hanks.
Pic. 32 Jim Rowe and Tony Hanks who is talking about the book he has had published "Bitten By a Quarry Mouse"
Pic. 33 Alwyn Hawkes & Philip Allen.
Pic. 34 Farhud Batmanglich and Richard Hole.
Pic. 35 Trevor Richards, John Knight, John Cooper & Andrew Tillett.


Sunday morning at breakfast:
Our final sharings took place over Breakfast. Where we wished each other a safe journey home, there being a gale raging outside and over the previous night of which few of us were aware.


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