Old Farnhamians' Association
The FGS Fifty-Fivers
Dietmar Kuchemann, Geoff Dudley, Mick Watts,
John Matthews & Ian Sargeant attending the funeral of Dick Hill in Brighton
Saturday, 22 February, 2020
Not a regular scheduled event for this group to get together. It
was a sad gathering to celebrate the life of RI
____________
LtoR: Ian Sargeant,
Mick
12 June, 2018
When youth is fled and
blood runs thin…
These words from the school song represented some of the ideas
running through the minds of this gathering which was the annual meeting of a
group of friends who first met each other as lively little chaps in the first
forms of FGS over 63 years ago. What changes we have all seen – particularly in
each other. Except we are all recognisably the people we knew from the old days
and the comradeship remains very strong and supportive.
One or two we hoped might turn up didn’t make it, but seven of us
from a total intake of about 60 isn’t bad. And although we still mourn the loss
of that stalwart Duncan McGregor, we haven’t lost any others of our group in the
last 12 months as far as we know. Yes, we’ll be there next year DV.
____________
13 June, 2017
Hmm! Numbers down this year to a mere half dozen. Sadly Duncan
McGregor died suddenly in a car accident since the last meeting and Tony
Hayward was unable to attend this year. But the discourse was still lively with
much discussion about the recent general election and where the
____________
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
The usual suspects gathered again at the usual
watering hole in Puttenham for their usual annual reminiscence and grumble
about the state of the world and their well-informed views on how matters could
be put right. The gap in this page’s reporting of last year’s get-together is
the fault of the webmaster who forgot the date and stayed home to watch
television. It seems likely that the agenda of the meetings was very similar,
though this year there was, of course, the hot topic of the next week’s
referendum on continued membership of the EU. There was almost total unanimity
for…
….mind your own
business!
____________
LtoR: Chris Nash, John Matthews, Derek Roe, Duncan McGregor, Mick
Wednesday,
04 June, 2014
Bit of a drop in the numbers this year.
Have some fallen off the perch? Happily not, as far as we know. There were some
apologies from regulars, but not many explanations for absence. So the old
faithfuls got on with the serious business of drinking, reminiscing and
exchanging views on the rights and wrongs of Nigel Farage. Some good jokes were
told which we hadn’t heard before, or had we…. who cares? We enjoyed them.
____________
LtoR: Tony Hayward (back), Ian Sargeant, Chris Slyfield (front), Derek
Roe,
Duncan McGregor, Chris Nash, John Matthews, Mick Watts and Geoff Holliday
Tuesday,
11 June, 2013
This familiar gathering of familiar
faces in a familiar setting must be a very boring sight for anyone who isn’t
actually one of the old boys who joined FGS in September 1955. Eavesdropping
the animated conversations that take place would also be very tedious to
someone who isn’t from that extremely select group; in other words the rest of
the world will not be remotely interested in the event depicted above when 9
boys who first met each other almost 58 years ago in temporary classrooms at
Morley Road, Farnham met at a pub near Farnham for an annual exchange of news
and a moan about how the world needs fixing by sensible people such as
themselves.
____________
HiRes file – click here
LtoR: Duncan McGregor, Ian Sargeant , Tony Hayward, Geoff Dudley, Richard
Hill,
Dudley Coakes,, John Matthews, Mick Watts, Chris Slyfield, John Weakley, &
Chris Nash
7
June 2011
Still at it, the Fifty-Fivers met this time in the summer to reminisce (again) over
the old times, tell stories of their misspent youth, discuss cars they used to
own, moan about how things have changed for the worse, drink very moderate
amounts of alcohol and… have a thoroughly enjoyable evening together. The Good
Intent at Puttenham was the destination where the regulars were very puzzled to
see a group of people they thought must be aging
____________
The Ski
By special request, here are the pictures from
Geoff Dudley’s collection of pictures taken in or around 1961 at an
FGS ski trip under the leadership of Neil (Paddy) Payne
Click photos to enlarge
______________________________________________
LtoR: Paul Steadman, Tony Hayward, Dudley Coakes, Duncan McGregor, Chris
Nash,
John Weakley, John Matthews, Ian Sargeant & Chris Slyfield.
10
February, 2009
No, not just another bunch of OAPs
meeting for a pint, they are the 1955 intake of FGS all now in the course of
achieving pensionable age. Nine old boys, representing 15% of the year group, made
this annual get-together which has lasted for several years, as displayed
below. No longer The Harrow Group, as the venue has changed, they meet with
genuine pleasure to recall and recount, to celebrate and regret all manner of
shared and individual experiences. Long may this thoroughly healthy and
worthwhile annual ritual continue!
______________________________________________
LtoR: Dudley Coakes, Chris Nash, Duncan McGregor, Chris Slyfield, Tony
Hayward, John Weakley & Ian Sargeant
20
February, 2008
Same crowd (more or less), same
location, beer tasted the same, the bellies are all a bit bigger and the
stories of the old days are as fresh as ever in our minds – this is the stuff
of life, not at all boring! The 1955 intake kept the flame burning for another
year!
______________________________________________
|
|
|
|
L to R: Tony Hayward, Duncan McGregor, Richard Hill, Ian Sargeant, John
Weakley, Chris Slyfield and Chris Nash |
|
|
|
Wednesday, 21 February, 2007 The usual group of the 1955 intake
met at their customary watering hole of “The Harrow” pub in The animated discussion inevitably
turned towards |
______________________________________________
LtoR: Richard Hill, Tony Hayward, Ian Sargeant, Chris Nash and Duncan
McGregor.
14 February 2006
The
annual get-together of old boys met at The Harrow,
_____________________________
24 February, 2005
The
intake of 1955 met again at The Harrow in
Click pictures to
enlarge
_______________________
Friday, 21 June, 2002
Chris Nash, Dick Hill,
Ian Sargeant, Duncan McGregor, Mike Peer & Chris Slyfield
|
|
|
|
Mike Peer and Gerry
Meaden |
Tony Hayward, Chris
Nash & Chris Slyfield |
Duncan McGregor &
Dick Hill
Article on this reunion
in News of Old Boys in the Web-Members' Section
Tuesday, 27 February,
2001
Nearly a dozen old
boys, mostly from the 1955/56 intake, met for what is now a traditional get-together
at The Harrow pub in
|
|
|
Chris Williams, Gerry Meaden, John Weakly, Chris Nash, Duncan
McGregor, Tony Hayward and Chris Slyfield |
|
|
|
Duncan McGregor, Chris Slyfield, A.N. Other and Paul Steadman |
