Hewading 1Winners of the Sands Cox CHAAY pRIZE

1964 – 42.5 Year Reunion

 

At our 40th year Reunion in October 2004 we had decided to meet more frequently than the 5 yearly cycle we had been following up to now and so we, 1964 Birmingham Medical Graduates, held our 42.5 year graduation reunion over the week-end of 25th-27th May 2007. On this occasion, at the invitation of Ian Buchan and for the first time, we held it in Scotland at the Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club at the foot of the Pentland Hills looking out across a thousand acres of woodland countryside and river estuary; giving a peaceful and secluded atmosphere, and being only 7 miles from the City of Edinburgh. Ian had negotiated an excellent week-end deal at this Country Club with superb dining, conference and leisure facilities, championship golf courses, access to excellent country walks and traditional Scottish outdoor sports. This provided an ideal environment for the reminiscent reunion attendees to relax, renew friendship and generally enjoy themselves; which they certainly did and justified the Organising Committee’s (Ian Buchan, Suru Chande and Kishore Shah) decision of the venue away from Birmingham. Fortunately the weather over the week-end was kind to us – generally dry, sunny and relatively warm.

 

Most arrived on Friday midday onwards and soon settled down, perhaps with the help of a jar or two, plenty of chatter and in the evening an informal relaxed dinner with wines. As expected after the dinner beer flowed and drinking continued late in the night with still plenty of laughter, chatter and ‘unbelievable’ stories being repeated again and again!! On Saturday morning we held our customary Graduates Meeting and stood in silence in the fond memories of those in our year who had passed away (R.I.P.) – Tony Sears (2007), Austin Tate (2006), Alex Eneli (2005), Lewis Coulton (2004), John Woodman (2001) and previously David Owen, Derek Hoddy and Leon Winslow.

 

On this occasion David Williams took up the pen and kept records of the proceedings as:

 

David South continues in part time radiological practise in Worcester. He recalled his meetings with Tony Sears shortly before he died and with Bruce Roscoe who is now fully recovered after surgery. His activities are many and varied including sailing, flying with a pilot’s licence and car rallying. He recalled an incident when Bob Allen and Austin Tate were the nervous navigators in the car he was rallying but found the pace too hot, preferring to keep their lunch in situ!!

 

Nola Webster is now working in Jersey and told us that she is totally happy and unstressed in her work. She is able to give as much time as is necessary to her patients and is not confined to the clock. Patients pay as they leave so tend not to come in for trivia. She felt this to be a good model for the NHS. She is an enthusiastic dinghy sailor in her spare time.

 

Graham Housam started by saying that he was doing very little having retired three years ago. However, he then went on to outline an impressive list of activities, including travelling to Cyprus to sort out some military medical administrative problems and a recent trip to Normandy when he visited the graveyard of a celebrated army dog. He is now back to full health having been through an alarming illness culminating in surgery which he characteristically described in graphic detail!

 

Liz Heitzman (née Bingham) has been retired for 3 to 4 years. Having promised herself that after finals she would take no more exams, she is now nearly through an embroidery course with finals in June. This involves soldering irons, heat guns, dismantling machinery, etc and not just cushions and crochet work. Perhaps this is a substitute for her earlier aspirations to do orthopaedics. She passed round a demonstration piece which was a beautifully detailed example of her work.

 

Chris Stretton told us that he had been out to Nicaragua three times since the last reunion. This is the poorest country in the Americas with virtually no medical facilities. The work is funded by a mission charity and staffed during 3 weekly visits. The workers are multidisciplinary and he outlined exciting further development with the charity arm of the Nuffield organisation to provide hovercraft and mobile facilities to deliver care to at present inaccessible regions.

 

Charles George (Sir Charles) continues to be active in the higher echelons of administrative medicine and has chaired boards on Science and Education producing important documents on domestic violence, and alcohol and pregnancy. He acts as non-executive director of the BMJ publishing group responsible for 21 successful journals and is chairman of a number of charitable organisations.

 

Judith Brown, OBE, proudly announced that she now has nothing to do with medicine at all!! She enjoys her relaxing life in North Yorkshire, reassured by the Ripon horn blower trumpeting at 9.00 each evening that all is well. Her diary is full with such activities as tennis (watching and playing), cricket (watching), archaeology, bridge and the delights of the countryside generally. Last year she spent an enjoyable period touring Canada.

 

Tim Crawshaw promised not to speak for 30 minutes as he had been reported as doing last time. He is nominally retired but still finds himself working. However, with his office closed and no need to find locums, he is now enjoying the freedom and travelling is easier. Everyone was delighted to learn that he has recently successfully completed the 3 various surgical procedures required for his retinal detachment and can now see the grass grow!

 

Roger Rose remains in active family practise in a prosperous wine growing area in Ontario producing sweet and desert wines (the vineyards not Roger!). Since many doctors are approaching retirement, an earlier reduction in medical school intake has resulted in a relative paucity of doctors. As a result, those in practise are both appreciated and better paid. He represents colleagues on family doctor councils.

 

David Boobyer passed on a message from Les Brown expressing his regret that he could not attend and wishing everyone well.

 

Alan Veness enjoys complete retirement, certainly not missing the work but possibly some of the people. David South’s account of rallying brought back some memories when he was navigating for Ken Edginton, an experience that he agreed was potentially emetic.

 

David Williams retired from his post as Consultant Cardiologist in Newcastle upon Tyne about 12 months ago. He extolled the virtues of the North East, both its geography and its people. His only medical involvement now is being the Senior Racecourse Medical Officer at Newcastle. To give an example of typical local humour, he concluded with a story about an idiosyncratic Geordie cuckoo clock which cannot possibly be reproduced here in print.

 

Kishore Shah concluded by recalling an international radiology meeting that he attended in Colorado when he was required to share a room with a colleague. The room was enormous with two huge double beds. A domestic knocked on the door and asked them both if he could prepare the sleeping arrangements. He turned down one bed and made to leave. Furtive and anxious glances were exchanged. He did however then return to prepare the other!

 

During the meeting some concern was raised about the welfare of John Knox Matthews; having lost the contact with him over the last few years.

 

Post script. Kishore is happy to report that Knox is still residing in Botswana enjoying retired life with grandparenting and cattle farming. He is now in his late 70s, a little infirm but generally in good health. In Nov ’07 Judith Brown, during her visit to Southern Africa, took an opportunity to meet up with Knox at the Gaborone airport (Botswana) – they had 2 hours of good chat about everyone in the year. Judith reports that all is well – what a pleasurable relief!!!

 

We had intended to show 40th year reunion photos prepared on a CD by Shirley Field and Joanne Crawshaw (neither of them could attend the Reunion on this occasion); but due to technical problems it was not possible to do so. Subsequently Kishore (following prompting and encouragement from Alan Veness) has produced a comprehensive CD of both 2007 and 2004 reunions photos supplied by above two and Jaquie Boobyer, Suru Chande, David South and Alan Veness. A copy each of this CD has been sent to all 2007 attendees and to others who have requested it and have paid the cost of the production, packing and postage!! The CD has been enjoyed and much appreciated by all. Photo albums of previous reunions, circulated at the meeting and over the week-end, were also enjoyed by all and one just wonders how each of us has managed to stay so young!!!

 

Malcolm Cockrane, as is customary of him to be always late for everything important, did not attend the meeting and turned up at the reception!! He was ‘allowed’ to address the group at the dinner in the evening. He extolled enthusiastically about his research into the aircraft diesel engines, but only to be ‘brought to ground’ by a comment from David South that in his club there are already two flying aircrafts with diesel engines!!

 

Ian Buchan reminded us that he continues to enjoy part-time GP activities in Shetland. He then gave us a brief description of the various activities that were available to the delegates during the coach trip that he had arranged to Edinburgh. He lead a walk along the Royal Mile and then a climb to the Arthur’s Seat; others pursued different activities in small groups, viz., some visited Scottish Parliament and had a guided tour (impressive building), some went to the botanical garden or churches; while a few just became tourists and the rest were contended with just shopping!!

 

On Saturday evening we held a Champagne Reception and Gala Dinner at the Hotel – a formal affair with black tie and evening dresses; but, as is usual at our gatherings, there were no guest speakers and no speeches. 31 graduates and their spouse/partners sat down to a delicious meal and very agreeable wines. After the loyal toast glasses were raised to the health of the Birmingham Medical School, absent friends and to each other. It was a very jolly and lively evening.

 

Sunday morning leisurely breakfast lead to settling of hotel bills, exchange of addresses, general agreement and promise to meet again, goodbyes and, sadly, gradual departure home or to extended holidays in Scotland.

 

By all accounts it was once again a very enjoyable relaxing reunion week-end and everyone was thankful and much appreciative of all the efforts put in by Ian Buchan to make the reunion a great success. On this occasion the numbers were down partly because of English half-term break coinciding with the Reunion week-end; and this ‘excuse’ (grand-parenting duties, holidays, etc.!!!) was put forward by some of the regular reunion attendees for their absence on this occasion. We had received numerous phone calls, emails, etc. conveying apology for non-attendance and good wishes to the Year with a promise to attend next time. While others once again did not respond to our circular of the reunion, which we always send to every graduate in the year with the hope that they may make an extra effort to stay in contact with the Year – we can only hope as that is their choice.

 

2009 will mark 50 years of start of our MBChB course (October 1959 – meeting/facing Charlie Smout for the first time!!! – Malcolm was late for that too!!) and 45 years of the graduation. Thus we have decided to hold the next Reunion in the autumn of 2009 in Birmingham – the venue and dates to be announced in due course (Kishore Shah being the convenor) – and to view many exciting recent developments taking place at the Medical School and the University and also the New University Hospital at the QEH site (currently under construction and hopefully due for completion by 2008-2009). Hope everyone in the Year will make an extra effort to attend this special Reunion.

 

Kishore Shah

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If you want to join us at our next reunion please contact us at the Sands Cox Charity for more information.