Forty year reunion
Class of 1984
When returning to school after a forty year absence, you can never be sure how you'll feel as you walk into those once familiar corridors and catch a glimpse, in your mind's eye, of your former teachers and school age friends. Is it with excitement that you antipicate the nostalgia, or is it trepidation?
And so it was, on Saturday 9th June, the Class of 1984 returned; many of whom were visiting school for the first time in years and some of whom had travelled great distances from the USA, Singapore, Hong Kong and even New Zealand. They were clearly excited to see each other again and around every corner was a funny tale or moment of clarity from their younger selves. Members of the JCR escorted the OMTs on tours of school. We hoped that they approved of the improvements to the school buildings and grounds and were equally pleased to see that many things remain as they were!
After tours, the OMTs were able to enjoy a drink or two on the hallowed turf of the Inner Quad before photographs and short speeches from Director of Development, Nick Latham, and Class of 1984 organiser, Stephen Davis. Stephen talked a little bit about the impact his school experiences had on him and his career and about the "Spirit of the Manor award", recently reintroduced with the support of Hamesh Mehta (1998) and Aashish Mehta (2000). This award is given to a truly exceptional member of the Lower Sixth who embodies the "Spirit of the Manor" and included in the prize is a travel bursary to be awarded every year for the next ten years. Stephen appealed to gathered members to consider offering opportunities to these young men to help give them connections through the OMT network.
The group then walked over to the OMT Clubhouse to spend the rest of the evening enjoying a delicious barbecue courtesy of Dolce Passione and catching up with each other's news.