Hewading 1Winners of the Sands Cox CHAAY pRIZE

1954 Reunion Dinner

 

It was fifty years since qualifying and time for a Reunion Dinner. This took place at the University Conference Centre and was an agreeable and enlivening affair, the time passing too quickly.

 

From the seventy invitations sent there were fifty five replies. Len Cotterill wished to travel from Canada and John Reckless from North Carolina, U.S.A., but illness prevented this. Similarly Brian and Joan Freeman, after some heartsearching, were unable to travel from Australia this time. Trevor Iskander was prevented by a last minute domestic building crisis from travelling from New York and David Learmont from Essex.

 

Unhappily Christine Davidson now requires to have full time care in a Nursing Home. News came of the decease of John Bullock and Richard Gillan, since the last meeting.

 

John Pearson wrote from Canada; Ella Harris (Holt) and Marion Hommers, both living in Wales; David Robinson and Ian Leck all wrote letters of encouragement and good wishes to former acquaintances. Michael Toseland still works part-time and hoped for feedback from the event. Malcolm Elliott was in touch and remains active and well. Olga Toseland (Harbron) could not come but wrote amusingly of the trials of a Fresher fifty years ago.

 

Brij Sood still works part-time. He wrote with the excellent news that at a ceremony last October, he was invested by the Governor General in the Order of Canada, which equates to a knighthood here. There are already a number of civil awards scattered through the year, from Knighthood to O.B.E.s but modesty prevails and the recipients wish to remain anonymous.

 

Sybil and Syd Giddy and Peter Hadley and his wife made the journey from Australia to the Dinner.

 

After a leisurely breakfast a party of thirty made a visit to the Medical School. The Sub Dean outlined the many changes taking place in Medical Education, with greatly increased numbers of undergraduates and consequent extensive enlarging and rebuilding of the Medical School. There were thoughtful expressions and comments as we left. With a nod to Anno Domini, we may meet again in three years time.

 

ATTENDEES

Arthur and Jane Alvarez, Philip and Margaret Astill, John and Irene Atkins, Cynthia Bainton, Felix and Anne Beck, Alan Brittain, Biddy and Donald Chapman, John Davies, Norman Faulkes, Syd and Sybil Giddy, Peter Hadley, Ivor and Dorothy Hadley, Dick and Jean Heslop, Alan Hollingworth, Gabriel Horn, Margaret Johnson, Jim and Carolyn Lawson, David Learmont, Bryan Llywarch, Albert Martin, Townley and Gaynor McNeil, Edwin and Barbara Melley, Jim Milledge, Noel and Mary McGuinness, Frank Noon, Joy and Peter O’Flanagan, Michael and Jenny Oakland, Bruce and Sheila Parker, Tony Rigby, Jeff Sellars, Margaret Smith, Elizabeth Tilsen, John Waters, Norman White, David Whitehouse, Olwen Wilson, Derek Wright, Joan Wright.

 

By Noel McGuinness