Reunion, Sunday 16th August '09

I am starting to receive messages checking that all is okay for the 16th. I can confirm that everything is still very much 'on'.

I paid Stouts Hill a visit a few weeks ago to finalise a few things, the main concern being parking. So long as the ground isn't wet it will be possible to park on the grass. We will also be hoping that all the residents will have gone out for the day too leaving the car park available. If any can car-share it will make things easier.

I am thinking that an arrival time of about midday will be best. This means that those who are travelling from home on the day will not have to make too early a start.

With the help of my sister (and maybe my mother, who used to be a Matron at the school) I will be laying on a Finger Buffet around mid-afternoon with tea, coffee and squash. Up to then it will be possible to take a look around the grounds and parts of buildings or find old friends. It would be a good idea if we manage to get a group photograph of everybody before we go our separate ways later on.

In order to cover the cost of room hire and food, I am asking for a contribution of £5 each. Also, dress code for the day is informal, but I will leave that up to the individual.

I will be away for a week, commencing the 1st August so will not be able to reply to posts, messages, etc. However I can be contacted on +44-1453 756461 or +44-7866 326617 if anybody needs specific questions answered promptly.

We must try to have as many present as possible; so, if anybody still keeps in touch with old school friends, make contact and get them to come along!

Alan Davis

P.S: There is a bar available too that we can make use of. I am assuming it is cash only.

Residents may start returning around tea time and also the staff may want to do any residual cleaning so it may be wise to call things a day around 6pm-ish.

Questions

Charles Llewellyn has sent me a couple of questions that I can't immediately answer, so I'll put them up here in case any of you can manage it.

1. The motto of the school was in Greek. How is it pronounced and what does it mean?
2. What is an old boy of Stouts Hill called? “Old Kingfisher” would appear to relate to those who were members of the Old Kingfisher Society. However, after such a passage of time, are we all Old Kingfishers? Or Old Stouts Hillers/Hillites/Hillonians/Hillsides? Or doesn't it matter at all?

I think I saw a translation of the motto somewhere in recent years, but can't remember now what the translation was or where I saw it. And yes, I did study Ancient Greek at Stouts Hill, but that was 42 years ago. A little research suggests that the motto (τοις μελλουσι) may have been pronounced tois melloisi (roughly).

Stouts Hill Reunion Date 16th August '09

At last we have a date set for our reunion at Stouts Hill. It will be Sunday, 16th August 2009 and we have use of the main hall, the former music/drawing room and the former 'Blue' dining room. These rooms are all linked through.

As I have stated in previous messages on this blog, the catering will be determined by numbers. At the time of writing, there are enough for Stouts Hill to cope with so it will be possible for us to have a buffet type of late afternoon lunch. I am awaiting a price and menu from three caterers whom Stouts Hill use from time to time.

I have also spoken to Mr & Mrs Cromie and Mr & Mrs Flood who are very keen on attending. I think there are more members of staff who may be able to come as and when I track them down.

If you know (or when you know) that you will be able to attend, please send me a message. More details will be posted as I get them.

Update: 21st January

To answer a couple of questions that have come my way, I think the event should be informal so no need for your Sunday best suit and shoes (remember them!). Regarding a start time I am thinking of perhaps midday onwards with a buffet mid to late afternoon. This should give ample time for those who turn up later to still have a look around and meet others before eating.

I am still a bit concerned at the price of the buffet. If turnout on the day is low, I could be landed with a substantial bill. Another idea could be to just have tea/ coffee and some light snacks. It might be I could organise this myself and significantly reduce the cost. Those of us who might wish to go for a sit down meal at Nympsfield afterwards could then do so.

Update: 9th May 2009

I am pleased to be able to advise everybody who wishes to attend the reunion that Anthony & Sue Cromie, Paddy Scott-Clarke, Mr & Mrs Flood and Major & Mrs Ormsby have all confirmed that they wish to attend.

I have also sent a reminder message to those who are listed on Friends Reunited. This will, I hope, inspire as many to make it to Stouts Hill as possible. Please let me know, if you haven't done so already, if you are to attend. Post on here if you like, I do check quite often!

Alan Davis

Mr Dealey

Robert remembers John Dealey the butler, and so does Stephen Fry. I'm afraid I don't remember him myself (sigh).

The Stouts Hill Magazine reports that he came to Stouts Hill in February 1940 and worked there until his death in June 1975, apart from a short spell in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. He was survived by his wife Sue, their children Colin and Valerie, and grandchildren. He was “a very sincere Christian and played a full and active part in the life of the Parish Church.”

Newspaper cuttings

Today I've added a new Web page with two newspaper cuttings about the closure of the school in 1979, and the announcement of the founding of the Kingfisher Society in 1970.

Recently I've also added three new photos from Michael Read to the 1959-67 collection.

Catering for the Reunion

I have the menus for a buffet lunch if we hold this at Stouts Hill. Again this is dependent on numbers. The approximate cost of the buffet and room hire will be about £25 per head. As stated in other posts, we do have the option of making our way to the Rose and Crown at Nympsfield for a sit down meal (so long as they have your order in advance) which may, dependent on your appetite, work out roughly the same price.

I have about 20 confirmed for the reunion so far. Suggestions are always welcome but I do need to know soon from attendees as to which option they prefer. I will go with the majority.

Update: 29th January

The menus I mentioned above are quite elaborate, which of course adds to the price. I think that this is not really necessary and so long as we have tea, coffee and soft drinks with some finger food that should be satisfactory. I will probably arrange this myself with my sister and her friend helping out as she has been kind enough to offer. There is a bar where the Headmaster's study used to be and we can make use of that too. Stouts Hill may be able to staff it, if not I will attempt to arrange somebody to help. If anybody wants to have a hot meal afterwards, there is still the option of the Rose & Crown. This should keep the cost down to a more manageable level and also reduce my financial risk!

Merry Christmas and a happy new year

Best wishes of the season to anyone who may happen to look in at this time! You'll probably remember the Christmas feasts at Stouts Hill.

Alan Davis recently pointed me to a short article about Stouts Hill by Stephen Fry, in which he repeats some of his memories already mentioned in Moab is my washpot.

Stouts Hill Reunion 2009

Alan Davis has pointed out that March 2009 will be the 30th anniversary of the closure of the school, so it seems an appropriate time to hold a reunion of ex-pupils and staff. He's visited Stouts Hill (now a holiday resort) and found that we could have the use of part of the building for such a reunion.

Alan lives near Stouts Hill and seems willing to take responsibility for organizing the event, so three cheers for Alan! He's already sent out a message about it through Friends Reunited.

If you're interested, please contact Alan directly so that he can add you to his list. If you don't have his address, you can find mine here. You can add comments to this topic if you want to join in a public discussion; remember to add your name, unless you want to remain anonymous.

For Stouts Hill's own Web site, see the link 'Stouts Hill now' on the right-hand side of the page.

Newsflash, 2 Nov: Alan tells me that so far 21 ex-pupils have expressed interest in the reunion, including himself and me, and not including family members who may wish to come along too.

Newsflash, 27 Nov: Alan tells me that Stouts Hill is willing to let us use three rooms (main hall, drawing room, Blue dining room) for a fee of £50, to cover any cleaning up that may need to be done after the visit. The cost of a buffet lunch will be estimated in the near future. If a large number of people turn up, there are concerns about car parking and the fact that there is only one 'public' toilet in the main building. As an alternative, Miles Wachter (Stouts Hill ex-pupil and ex-master) may be able to offer lunch at Beaudesert Park School, where he's now deputy headmaster. Regarding a date, Alan is now considering a Sunday in July or August, but he's still welcoming your opinions on this subject.

Newsflash, 2 Dec: Please read Alan's recent comments about eating arrangements (among the comments on this topic). As one alternative, he's found a pleasant pub at Nympsfield (a short distance from Uley) that can accommodate about 60 people. He'd like your opinions.

11 Dec: As Alan is now a Contributor to this blog, I'm hope we'll see further news on this subject directly from him.

21 Dec: Alan tells me that "feedback on the reunion has come in at... absolute zero! What to do? There are only six possible dates, so I think that by new year if I still haven't got any feedback, I will approach Stouts Hill and ask which is the best date out of those for them and go with that." Seems a reasonable plan to me.

Start your own threads

The normal way that a blog works is that the blog owner starts each new thread with an initial post, and the general public can then comment on it. I proposed initially that anyone who wanted a new thread on a particular subject could put a comment about it in the new thread suggestions thread, but few people have taken me up on that.

I've now noticed, rather belatedly, that I can invite particular people to become Contributors to the blog, in which case they can start their own threads. If you're interested in doing so, let me know, preferably by e-mail, because I'll need your e-mail address in order to issue the formal invitation. My address is here.

In order to be a Contributor, you need to register as a Blogger user, which is quick, easy, and free. You may also need to learn a little about how Blogger works; I haven't found it difficult myself.

As an alternative, you are of course free to start your own blogs. As this is my blog, I retain a certain amount of editorial control over it (I can delete stuff, etc.).

I've already added Alan Davis as a Contributor, because he's in charge of the Reunion and will probably have things to say about it.

I thought of setting a Fiendishly Difficult Exam for prospective Contributors, but gave up the idea on realizing that I'd probably fail it myself. I have fond memories, though, of the Assassins' School final exam as described in Terry Pratchett's Pyramids.

Class of 1968/69

I can make a start on this from various sources of information.

• William Annandale
• Peter Dawson
• Roger Fayle
• Naveed Iqbal
• Nicholas (?) Ireland
• Graham Kirk
• David Povey
• David Quinn

Quinn, Iqbal, Povey, Annandale, and Ireland can be seen in the group below: