Since the last reunion held towards the end of last year a few lags, who don’t have to travel halfway around the world the get to SW19, met up for a boozy lunch to review the meaning of life and to look ahead to what we might organize for another reunion.

Accordingly, Messrs Bird (also celebrating his birthday), McDonagh, Taylor, Barnett, Simmonds and Stockbridge met on 31 July at the Hand in Hand on Wimbledon Common. The usual high level intellectual banter followed the rapid consumption of the first round of birthday pints, and whilst buried amongst the consumer reviews of hip and knee replacements, hearing aid batteries and dental work, I was asked to send this general message. As far as I recall, its purpose was two-fold

• To reconfirm that the date proposed for the next “all boys” bash is Friday 12 September 2025. This was discussed back in the spring and despite some confusion about the precise date, it seemed then that a Friday is the best day of the week, and that next September would suit the vast majority. So keep it it free of holidays, medical treatment, or any other distraction.
• For those willing and who live local to Wimbledon, we are going to meet again on Thursday 14 November at the Hand in Hand. It is now an excellent gastro-pub with an ex-Rutlish boy arranging things. Good food and real beers combined to ruin any coherence in our discussions, but it was such fun that we plan a repeat and to mail out to encourage anyone living within a reasonable travelling time to join in next time. The main item on the agenda will be to decide how to approach the 2025 event.

According to the College birth date records (which seem to have a degree of flexibility when it comes to accuracy), very soon all classmates will have achieved the “80 years young” target. So as we move on to the next decade, keep taking the tablets and let’s hope we meet up again later this year and then have another full scale bash on the 12 September 2025.