| Heath Old Boys Association Reunion Dinner 2011 |
| On the basis that Heath GS took its first pupils in 1600, then it could be surmised that by 1611 there were enough old boys to stage a gathering. Over a mess of pottage and a stoop of ale they would have met to catch up with each others' news; to reminisce about schoolboy escapades and the eccentricities of their masters and to enjoy each others' company. |
| “No change there, then,” as the saying goes. On October 14 th some 50 Old Heathens gathered at the commodious headquarters of Heath RUFC at West Vale to do very much the same things as their predecessors may have done four centuries earlier. |
| As has become traditional, the evening began with what passes as the Annual General Meeting of the Association which involves officers and other interested parties attempting to conduct business on one side of the room while lesser mortals meet up and begin private conversations on the other side. Amidst this confusion it was established that: (i) the Association is in rude health with a comfortable cash balance and members kept in touch via the newsletter and the website (ii) useful charitable donations have been made in the past year (iii) Hamer and Hamer have again won the summer bowling competition and (iv) Michael Orlic has succeeded Michael Hynes as President. |
| After this, the feasting began, preceded, as ever, by Andrew Connell's immaculate recital of the Latin grace. This year, the fare was well up to the standard to which Heathens have become used, finished off with the usual generously stocked cheese board. Refreshment was followed by sport in the form of the again traditional “Heads and Tails Game”. Once the Secretary had again gone through the complicated rule for the slower learners in the company, all present struck a series of unusual poses while a dubiously double-sided coin was tossed, managing to come down the same way five times in succession. A collection was then taken to boost the Association's charitable work and to form the basis for a later raffle. |
| The formal proceedings then started. Helen Gaunt, who had recently stepped down as Head of Crossley Heath, gave a resume of the past year at the school, once again being able to point to very pleasing academic and sporting achievements. Your correspondent then took a little time to say something about Albert Crosby, Head from 1971 to 1985, whose death had been announced in September. |
| The evening's main speaker, Mark Baxendale (1979-86) was then introduced and embarked on a highly entertaining memoir of his time at school, recalling staff and fellow pupils; events on the rugby field and athletics track and one or two more unconventional episodes on the Art Room stairs and elsewhere, including a dog-blighted rugby pitch on Manor Heath. All Mark's listeners were thoroughly entertained by what he had to say. |
| The evening then broke up into more conversation within groups and general circulation of the room. Later, those with a love of fine choral music made their excuses and left while those remaining launched themselves into renditions of well known songs such as Ilkla Moor and Jerusalem. |
| Altogether it was another thoroughly enjoyable evening, well organised by our tireless Secretary Jon Hamer. To join in a convivial gathering of Old Heathens whose ages spanned a half century from forty-somethings to ninety-somethings was heart-warming and great testimony to the affection in which Heath GS is held by so many. |
| JT Bunch |
| [Jan 2011] |
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