mini REFLECTIONS
 
No. 6.   November 2018

Welcome. This edition is devoted to the 2018 Reunion. Apologies for its length, it was an eventful afternoon...

For our final gathering we returned to our 'home' at Tooting Junction Baptist Church. An attendance of over 50, coupled with tables full of  memorabilia, and aided by copious tea, biscuits and cake, created a 'buzz' of conversation and an atmosphere of good fellowship which continued until the final parting...

The report below is primarily based around that part of the afternoon when we gathered together in the Primary Hall...

Before the 'formal' proceedings began, we watched a slideshow of photos present on the website. Unfortunately, time prevented much discussion during this, but photos from each decade of the 70th's history were displayed and enjoyed...

(please note that anything within [ ... ] indicates post-Reunion information)

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We first remembered absent friends...

losses from our community...
 

John Steptoe, who joined the company in 1941.

Nigel Rigg, a Life Boy Leader from 1958-61.

And of course most recently, Keith Holbrook...

Keith loved the Company and all it stood for... For the past 10 years, he was an invaluable member of the Old Boys Committee to which he freely offered his deep knowledge of the Company's history and it's people. In this context alone he will be greatly missed. But others here, including Peter Clark and John Ward almost grew up with Keith, so their loss is much the greater... Please think of, and pray for them, and also of course for Bettie and family as they face life without Keith...

[ the next issue of mini Reflections will include a piece by John Ward on his long friendship with Keith ]

sick and housebound...

Bill Pizey, who had his much delayed 2nd knee operation scheduled for the 9th of October.

 

Roy Norris, who was recovering at home after a recent operation following a serious cancer diagnosis

 

[ Harvey Dunford, who had recovered from a lung condition but was housebound because of a leg problem. ]

 

[ Terry Blumire, who had a fall and wrenched his shoulder ]

 
They all sent their regards and best wishes...

Also Alan Rance reported that Deana Clark, Owen Clark’s wife, is not well.

Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.

 

apologies received from...

 

Audrey Saunderson (Snow) - her birthday was on the 6th.
Chris Buss.

Martin Dennis who had an urgent family problem.

Sue Allen, whose father was in hospital.

Peter Essam
Sue Fifield, Daphne's daughter, who was on holiday.

They all sent their best wishes.

the website...

A quiet period with just minor reworking and additions – 2017 Reunion photos added, plus, within 'sounds', a reminder of the words and tunes of some of the  Hymns we sang in Bible Class, Camp and Church...

[ photos taken at the Reunion by Alan Bilyard, Vernon Sore, Hazel Wilson and Peter Ellis, have been loaded to the website. Thanks to them all ]

The website is now a large archive of all things 70th and a regular visit is proven to be good for your wellbeing :) Website statistics for the year to date show an average of only 10 returning visits per month, and probably half of these were by the webmaster who asks ‘please try harder’ :)

mini Reflections...

This has settled into a twice yearly pattern - around April and October, and will continue to keep us in touch. We currently email around 80 people and post to 12. Please think of using it should you wish to communicate some non-urgent news to our community...

Financials...

 

Our Bank Balance is  £180

Anticipated regular expenditure, at current prices, is approx £81 p.a.

Made up of...

Website Hosting £40 p.a.
2nd Class Stamps (4 postings) £27 p.a.
Renewal of Domain Name £14 p.a. (paid every 2 years)

There are also ‘one off’ payments, eg. the proposed donation to TJBC of £75. The Church make no charge for use of the halls or for supplying drinks. The homemade cakes were donated.
 
[ donations on the day totalled £202. Thank you all. Taking this into account, as well as the donation to the Church of £75, gives a current balance of £307. This should enable us to keep the website etc. operational for 3 more years ]

Company stories...

The idea for including this item came from Keith Holbrook. He thought that spoken contributions, from the 'floor', would be enjoyable and also encourage greater participation during the 'formal' session...

Thanks to the following who accepted the challenge...

Les Wright  -  'Life in the 70th and after...'
Hazel Wilson  -  ' Teddy – created and redeemed ...'
Peter Ellis  -  Three go adventuring on Dartmoor...'
Moreen Sore  -  'Avis Porter and her amazing figure marching.'
Stamford Veitch  -  'How much we'd do to get to camp... '
Alan Rance  -  ' A Tall Order...'

The talks were both entertaining and informative, proving Keith was correct!

 

[ Les Wright has written of his growing up in the 70th and his time as an Officer in 'Reflections' 11 and 12 ]

 

[ Full versions of Stam, Alan, Peter and Hazel's stories, along, hopefully, with others, will be included in future editions of 'mini Reflections' ]

thanks... and the future...

[ We did not have time to conclude the 'formal' session as planned, so included here are my notes on what was intended to be communicated - with some post-Reunion additions... ]

Firstly, on behalf of the Committee, can I thank you all for making the effort to attend and contributing to what has been a memorable occasion.

Thanks also to Janet and Elsa of TJBC, for their assistance in preparing for today and their invaluable help in making it all run so smoothly. To the Church for making the halls freely available to us. To Alan Rance and  John Ward who, with fellow committee member Keith Holbrook of course, have helped keep the show on the road since 2008. To Pete and Kath Ellis, Sue Ward, Jenny Drew, Martin Richardson and Ian Richardson for all their help today. And to all who brought mementos and helped to arrange the display tables, it was a fine show... With apologies to anyone I have missed...

 

Today has been in many ways bitter-sweet of course, it being the last one of such gatherings. Time unfortunately catches up with us all, and this is now true of the ‘core’ group of the Old Boys - those who joined the 70th in the late 40’s to the early 60s. But we can say, with some satisfaction, that we finished these occasions with a bang...

Please note that less formal gatherings, ‘mini Reflections’, the website and the sharing of information within the community, will continue as long as there is a demand and people willing to meet it...

 

the close...

Steve, Jack Fishpool’s son, gave the closing prayer.

Before returning to the main hall, we enjoyed those Hymns closely associated with the Boys' Brigade -  'Underneath The Banner', ' We Thank Thee, O Our Father', before finishing with 'Will Your Anchor Hold?'.

 

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Please get in touch with any comments  or with items of news that you wish to be included in the next edition.