Proposed gathering at Hertford Museum - 4/5 April 08

[kerrensimmonds]

Hatfield was EVEN WORSE, Mary. Not only on the opposite side of the carriageway, but set sideways AND half behind another new building. We didn't have a hope in hell of seeing it let alone finding it, especially in the dark. I nearly came back to Baldock, Sarah nearly went to the nearest Premier Inn.

[Euterpe13]

Sounds like you all had a blast - I am sorry that I could not come - had intended to, even prearranged with Julie, but simply could not face it ( FMS very bad at the moment) - went to bed on Friday and did not get up again until this morning.. sorry.
If there are any photos, would love to see them...
B.

[Rohan]

I would like to echo thanks to Caroline and Kerren for a great day which all worked out wonderfully. One of the interesting things talking to people at these gatherings is how much we still seem to have in common, even though we weren't at CH at the same time. I thought the Museum had done a great display, there was barely time to read and listen to everything - and the Cafe Rouge food was excellent.

Having done nothing CH-related since the meeting in 2000, I'm now looking forward to the '40 years on' reunion in a couple of weeks in Horsham. Feast or famine as ever.

Hope to see some of you again soon.

Rohan
(1's and 3's 1959-68)

[icomefromalanddownunder]

I believe a great time was had by all, I know I had one. Kerren reckoned about 100 turned up altogether with 19 of us staying for dinner.

Nineteen on your table, perhaps, but 30 in total.

I met some old and new friends, laid a few ghosts and can't wait to do it again.

Thanks a lot to Caroline and Kerren.

You are very welcome - I had a ball.

[icomefromalanddownunder]

I had such a great time - I was still buzzing when I arrived at my brother's (three hours late) for Sunday lunch

I didn't take many photographs on Saturday (more on Friday afternoon), but I know that flashes were going off all around me throughout the day and evening. Many of us promised to share - there are various options, such as putting them onto the Kodak site, fotothing, and probably a million others. If anyone is interested I could put old and new photographs together into a smallish photobook - probably wouldn't be able to invest too much time into it until late this year, and would need money up front (I think that they come in at about £20, but may be cheaper). Alternatively, it may be possible to put one onto Café Press, the yahoo site for selling photogoodies - will investigate when I get back to Oz. This would mean that I wouldn't need money in advance as you could purchase it from their store.

Whichever way we go, I am willing to co-ordinate if no-one else puts their hand up. I am very excited at the moment, having viewed, on a large screen, the macro photographs I took of my Dad's slides: light box, tripod and macro lens: far faster than using a slide scanner - woo hoo.

Hmmmmmm - think that Little Bro wants his computer back.

No more from me for a few days .

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[hillary]

Pastry squares?

Remember the food strike (who doesn't).
I remembered the excitement of it really happening, of the collective bravery of not eating, of the buzz and activity in the dining room, but I didn't remember detail like organisers, demands and how long we held out, but apparently ...

three demands were: cooked pastry, flavoured mince and sauces.
so what did we get? plain cooked pastry and sauce ...

curried mince (yuk, I still can't eat fruit in savoury dishes, the mince texture and sultanas made me sick), and sauces (of which I have no recollection at all, but I still can't eat ketchup, bbq sauce and the like). On balance though, the food did improve (for a while?)

Of course, the cooked pastry bit was really aimed at those meat or fruit pies (cooked in tins that were about 1ft wide, 2 ft long and 4 inches deep) where the surface of the pastry was cooked, but anything under the top mm (or 1/8 inch in those days) was white and soggy.

So the next question was - were pastry slabs a simple misunderstanding, or payback. Will we ever know?

[judy]

Surely deliberate- we were confronting authority en masse for perhaps the first time at Hertford and authority made it quite clear that our victory was going to have a sting in the tail. It at least showed a dry - in the case of the pastry very dry- sense of humour.

[englishangel]

I'm sorry about the 19 people for dinner, it was a typo, I was told 29 so if there were more, more power to us, I didn't actually count, too busy talking, we were the raucous ones.

So sorry you couldn't come Barbara, Julie and I were looking out for you, maybe next time.

[Angela Pratt 56-63]

Many thanks to all (especially Caroline and Kerren) for a great day. Everyone was very friendly and easy to chat to (similar sense es of humour?) even though there was no-one I really knew, except my sister Heather, of course! Wasn't it funny too, how even before we saw a person's badge, one could guess they were Old Girls, there must be something about us...
The museum Exhibition brought back many memories - people, places incidents, customs etc, different for all of us but judging by the cackles hilarious especially after a time lapse of 25-45 years!
Sorry I left early from meal but I was feeling a bit rough - or was the sore throat and lost voice of the last 3 days due to Saturdays chatter as my family maintain...
Hope there will be other opportunities

Angela (Pratt)

[kerrensimmonds]

It was good to see you again Angela, even if I did not remember you (apologies!).
I saw you leave Cafe Rouge, but am sorry it was because you did not feel well. I hope you are now feeling better?
There have been a number of requests concerning 'what's next?' Watch this space!
Kerren

[Jo]

It was good to see you again Angela, even if I did not remember you (apologies!).
I saw you leave Cafe Rouge, but am sorry it was because you did not feel well. I hope you are now feeling better?
There have been a number of requests concerning 'what's next?' Watch this space!
Kerren

I'm guessing there are a number of people who couldn't make it, and several more who could but didn't for whatever reason, and are now regretting it and wishing they hadn't missed the opportunity. So I'm wondering about a repeat performance in two or three months' time? I'm certainly going to go back sometime for another look round the exhibition because I completely failed to get all round it and look at it properly on Saturday!

[kerrensimmonds]

Well, this exhibition closes at the end of August.... after which the Museum will be closed for at least a year, while it is refurbished with lottery money. Are you thinking of organising another Reunion before then.... aarrggh!
Kerren

[Jo]

Well no, not a reunion, but I'm certainly going to go back again before it closes, to have a proper look. I kept getting distracted on Saturday, so I never did have a good look at everything. Not sure yet when I'll go, but when I've decided, if anyone else fancies joining me then we could at least have lunch or a drink together. Or maybe that risks turning into another reunion

[kerrensimmonds]

I'm planning on going back again before it closes, as I did not see much of it at all. There were too many people! Because of work I will probably go on a Saturday.

[englishangel]

I missed lots and I am planning on taking my offspring, all of whom are over the age of consent so may not want to go, so I am up for it.