The Largest Reunion to date, held at the Steele's, August 6th 2010 5pm-midnight

Dear All,

This part is a purely personal message from myself, to all who attended our reunion, and indeed those who would have liked to have come but couldn't make it.

I was overwhelmed by your response, and hope you all enjoyed the evening, even though I am aware that many of us wish that we had more time to talk to so many of the others. It has taken me about a while to get over it, and to manage to sit down to publish some photographs of the event. For the record, you may be interested to know that a total of 38 of us managed to make it. The first picture includes all of us as a group (bar one - not sure who or how it happened!) Followed by photographs from Joshua Thomas and John Morrison. Special thanks to Mike Baess who organised the venue, which proved ideal for the occasion.

Expecting to be the one who traveled the furthest (from Aberdeenshire, Scotland) I was amazed to be outdone by several thousand miles, by Shafique Omar who especially made the trip form South Africa and Jason Nyilas from Australia, who coincidentally was over in the UK on business.

All of your signatures are below the group photo to help you identify who is there. I will treasure the book in which you all signed, a very poignant souvenir of a remarkable, indeed surreal evening for your website man. I have made no attempt to match names to photographs, that is a challenge for you! The signatures are arbitrarily in alphabetical order by first name.

I have added a number of your emails received since 6th and also some from those who couldn't make it, at the bottom of this page.

Several have asked whether the reunion could be a regular event, and that itself suggests the occasion was a success. Since my website and list of email addresses obviously facilitates such arrangements, I will be happy to help in any future arrangements that may materialise. But I would also like to say this. Once we meet up with old friends, which is obviously a reunion, then a subsequent meeting is not. I am not meaning to pedantic, but if our big meeting were to also result is us getting together with old friends more often, and on a more personal level, even just two people, then I consider the reunion to be even more of a success.

Of course there are always those who didn't make it, and would like to try to attend in a year's time, so another reunion may well serve a useful purpose again, and I can help, but I still feel that when much smaller groups meet it is easier to converse, rather than being overwhelmed with how many we want to try to talk to. If you attended and have the means of contact with others who did not make it, try to get in touch with them too. I personally would have loved to have more time to talk to Ilona, Mel K, Mel H (who left before I could say cheerio) Biba, Beverley, Claire, Mike Baess and others. Though I must say that just to be in a large room filled with friends from T&C was a wonderful feeling in itself.

I was unsure how it would pan out regarding the the different generations (see the wide range of dates below!) but in sending out the original email invites, I could not see any logical, point in time to draw a line. However, in the event I feel we all had a wonderful rapport, and age was immaterial. I learned some interesting history of T&C long before I was there myself.

So thanks to all, for coming. Without wishing do too much back slapping, I guess everyone that was there, made it because they cared enough about their old school friends to make the effort. So what a great loving crowd we were!

Love to all,

Norman.

A selection of photos with thanks to Joshua and John Morrison - Further down more Photos from Mike Baess

Below is a selection of photos take by Mike Baess
Mike says of the last photo here:
"The pic of me and Sheffi captures the moment thatI was reunited with my best mate from T&C after a very long time.
I last saw Sheffi in 1983! That made my night and probably my year."


A specially created sketch, by Joshua Thomas, to commemorate and capture the atmosphere of this unique occasion

SOME COMMENTS FROM THOSE WHO MANAGED TO MAKE IT:

Dear Norman

Hi, thanks for all your efforts yesterday as facilitator and I hope the evening went as well for you as it did for the rest of us.

I have enclosed one of the photos which you took with my camera. Unfortunately the picture quality is not good enough for the website but hopefully there will be a good shot from one of the other cameras.

With best wishes and looking forward to the next reunion!

Yours

Ben Jacoby
[address and phone supplied]

e-mail: bjacoby@o2.co.uk


Dear Norman,
Thanks for organising the reunion, a great pleasure to be there and meet you and others.
Though I would like to, I can't put names to all people. I have named the photos where I am sure about the names, else with my apologies put "unknown".
With best wishes,
John [Morrison]

Hi Norman,

Just want to thank you for organising the St Mary's Reunion. It
was a special occasion. Even though the only ex-students I knew were
my brother and Tony Roland, I felt a meaningful connection with many
others. Hearing their memories brought others of my own back from the
far recesses of my mind!

Hope this event happens again next year, and some of the absent
and more distant people turn up!

Best wishes Val (Reed nee Morrison)
valvanette@ominternational.co.uk / valvanette@telefonica.net


It was very enjoyable seeing you all again after so many years. I look forward to any future get-to-gether .will do a spot if you want me to [NO CHARGE]

sincerely John Meuleman.


Hi Norman, I just wanted to thank you for the enormous effort you made organising the T+C reunion.
It was, for me, an evening full of emotion, shocks and surprises.
It was very interesting to hear your story and I understand more about how important it was for you to do this.
I hope you all managed to get some sleep in Golders Green!
I hope also that we will stay in touch, and maybe meet again at some point. In the meantime, all the best to you+your family,
and if I'm ever nr Aberdeen I'll let you know!
Ilona

Hi,
I was a pupil at St Mary's T&C from 1969 until about 1973.
Found a couple of pictures you might find useful.
Toby Baker


Norman A wierd and wonderful evening. I so enjoyed it. Thank you for putting it all together so brilliantly.
The only problem with an evening like that, is that you want to speak to everyone you knew, but by doing so, you hardly even scratch the surface of their lives. I am disappointed that we didn't get longer to chat, but not surprised really.
Thank you for bringing back my photos. They are safely back in the 'album'.
If you feel like corresponding, however infrequently, that would be great.
Will there ever be a reunion to match in the future? Who knows.
love from Melanie (K)
Hi Norman, Just to say 'thank you' for organising the reunion.
It was really amazing seeing all those old friends again, and I did have to keep pinching myself to be sure it was real ..........
The only problem was that I didn't manage to speak to everyone.
Perhaps another year ! Anyway, thanks once again - you did a sterling job.
All best,
Claire (AJ nee Green)

Dear Norman I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you personally for putting the band back together after all these years.
What an amazing set of people we are so lucky to know.
Mrs. Paul is somewhere in the heavens smiling as she reads the next instalment of Victor Hugo. Sir Richard Steele was also a great choice of venue and our private function room upstairs was a nice, quiet way to chat with everyone. I never realised how many boarders were at the school! There were three others from my year at the reunion - Sinty Stemp, Toby Baker and Clark Berger. It made a noticeable change being the youngest group at a function! And earlier this week, we met up with another contemporary of ours, Suzanne Pinsker.
Shafique Omar joined us as well. Suzanne couldn't be at the reunion on the Friday due to work commitments.
Nevertheless, there was Pinsker presence in the form of Sharon and Barbera. I've always thought of the Pinsker sisters as the silver thread through the era I was there - everyone knew one of more Pinsker!
Thanks again, Norman. I came all the way from Sydney, Australia on business and I am so lucky that the reunion coincided with the visit. I look forward to coming to more in the future!

Take care Jason Nyilas
jnyilas@au1.ibm.com


Dear Norman, I'm grateful to have had this chance to have met you, and want to thank you for creating a perfect setting for our reunion.
We felt welcomed and the furniture seemed comfortable and casual. I felt like myself all the way through, which is not my usual experience of reunions.
You have an extraordinary ability to recreate the presence of Mrs Paul. Oddly, it is she whom I first think of, when I remember the reunion.
Behind her back, we all made fun of her, because as you say she was so dignified.
We joked about her claim to see the colours of our auras, but there was deep-down respect for her, well, so I thought.
The older I grow, the more I admire her for taking over and maintaining our school.
She always employed an administrator with whom there was always friction, and we always knew who was the boss.
I think I've learned a lot about divided power from this.
But fifty years of running a school is impressive. I was moved by your saying that, whenever we were at Town and Country, we were part of a large family and had something in common. I have found your website fascinating because people who were only there for a short time still found the school made a strong impression.
Like you, I was there a long time. I remember my first day when I was four years old, and I left when I was fourteen.
Anyway, I hope your group photo has worked, and that you enjoyed the reunion. It meant a great deal to me.
The fifty years of SMTC alumni are fortunate to have your energy and enterprise to restore our connection.
PS Thank you for replying to Daniela.

Warmest thanks from Naomi
STADLEN@aol.com


Got home okay, sleeping ! Docs okay, sleeping ! are you still sleeping ?
Just a great time,is probably best to say, to keep this message simple;
thanks for every thing, hoping you get attachments; some are a bit blurred i fear; also, I realised too late, I meant to do videos on the camera; I had a spare sd card,so you could have borrowed the one in the camera, to download at home;
I think thats possible according to my limited knowledge? however, you would probably have to trawl through it to get towards the relevant part as the whole shedloads of my pics history is on there ( i hope ! ) .

luv to all,

Josh [Thomas] and Doc


Dear Norman,
Thank you very much for all your hard work.
It was great to meet you at the reunion. I enjoyed it very much.
I sorry to have missed Naomi Jacobi, and perhaps Daniela Bouchard may make it one day.
I would like to exchange emails with Keith Mulliner, with whom I went to school.
I do regret that more people from my era don't seem to be in contact, I wonder why!

Eric Jacobson.
ericrjames@talktalk.net

AND HERE ARE SOME COMMENTS FROM THOSE DIDN'T MANAGE TO MAKE IT THIS TIME:

Hey Norman, Congrats on the very successful SMTC reunion, very much wish I could have attended, hopefully one in the future. .
But while flipping through the photos I noticed one that Toby Baker had submitted that I am almost sure is a photo of my deceased brother. Is there an email contact for Toby to see if he has any info on this photo...my mother would love it, and I, for some odd reason, have a strong recollection of my brother, Jason Acosta, being dressed up like this...please let me know... .
Thanks, .
Gregg Acosta aka. Josh Hemingway

Hi Norman, .
Hope you are keeping well. Just to say, that I cannot make the reunion on the 6th. .
Do let me know when you're in London again and then perhaps we could meet up. With kind regards, .
Jules. [Julian Esterson]

Thanks for all your hard work in arranging this..............SADLY I may not be able to attend.
Have to go to Bournemouth on business till the 8th,
BUT if i can get away early I will do my utmost to make it. If i dont please, if you can remember. give a special hello to Michael Baess and tell him id hope to meet up with him another time............he'll know why!!!!!
From Sharon Fox (no Franks) xx
Dear Norman I am so sorry that I won't be able to join you, but I have other commitments on the 6th.
It would have been good to catch up with old friends, especially Ben Trisk.
Sadly, it will have to wait till the next reunion.
Best wishes
Geoffrey [Bowden]
Dear Norman I have watched the list grow with great interest and wish I could be there with all of you.
Unfortunately, I can't make it, as much as I wish I could.
Please keep me on your mailing list, since I do make periodic pilgrimages to London, and I'd love to connect with so many of you again.
Regards,
Ed Flavin
emflavin@sbcglobal.net
DEAR NORMAN
Sadly I will not be able to attend your reunion. Up until this past week-end I had fully intended to be there but I now find I have to be in Australia over the weekend to discuss a sale of some mining assets in the DRC.
I am indeed most sorry that I cannot attend. I am not sure who of the attendees I would know (less likely recognise) but these events are usually good fun and as we get older they become increasingly important.
Please convey my apologies to anyone who would remember me and possibly when I am next in London and we both have some time it would be very good to have a drink with you.
My kind regards (and sincere thanks for all the efforts that you go to to keep the web site extant.
Kind regards
Benjamin Trisk
v39@mweb.co.za
Norman
I regret I will be unable to make the reunion you have planned so well, hope you all have a great evening
Martin Bridger
Dear Norman Please give my apologies but I won't be able to get to the reunion because of health issues..
Mike B will explain. I hope all goes well as I'm sure it will.
Best wishes
Pete Nissen (aka Leon Sweeden, which Mike will also explain :0) )
Dear dear Norman I'd love to be there 2 nite but of course my disorganized life does not quite enable this
I shall definitely do my best to get there next year . and I promise to send the photos ,
tell Nomi Craig ,Norman ALLAN steffi Tomlinson , Erick John etc that I really would like contact
love Daniela
danbor@netvision.net.il
Dear Norman, I am mortified to find that I cannot alas come tonight after all.
I have been hoping against hope that all the dust here (literally) would have subsided, but we have had builders in taking the house apart.
Today is the day they finish this stage, and now the supervision will I can see run on into the evening. I had thoughts of arriving lateish and spending the night in town, but in addition we leave fairly tomorrow morning early to fly to Nice to see our latest grandson. I am really sad not to be with you all tonight, and do hope it will prove so successful
that there will be another gathering of the immortals in the near future, at which I definitely WILL be present.
Please give my warmest wishes to Melanie King, Ilona Lazar, and anyone else who may remember me.
Although I spent only two terms at Town & Country, the immortal presence of Mrs Paul haunts me still.
With best wishes to you and all –
Nikolai
tolstoy@enterprise.net
Dear Norman, I do hope the reunion was a success.
Unfortunately I couldn't make it because I have visitors staying here and we were all invited for supper that night.
Please let me know how it went.
Also, I received an e-mail from Judy Goodson (Lock) to say that she and her sister Binnie plus her Mother Mrs Lock who looked after the boarders, would probably all come to the next reunion!
was Vincent there? Did Joshua Thomas come?
Best wishes
Sandy
sandy_wick@hotmail.com
Dear Norman,
I am writing to say I am very sorry I was not able to come to the gathering after all your efforts to get me ( and of course all the others) included in the gathering.
A feeble excuse: I broke my front tooth and felt too shy to present my toothless self! anyway, next time..I will be there if there are going to be any further meetings.
I do hope it went well. I can imagine it was a fascinating, emotional and happy occasion. Thank you for making it happen.
All Best,
Ann (Froshaug) now in Norfolk,
a.froshaug@btinternet.com
Hello Norman
First of all I wish to explain that I do not have a computer. A friend has kindly let me use his. I hope to attend the reunion and would you please let me have a list of the people who are coming?
Can you please reply to my friends e-mail address and he will pass it onto me.
Thank you
CHRISTINE BOUDIER
frankden@blueyonder.co.uk

Wow Norman.
Haven't you done well! Really sorry not to be there.
It's my daughter's birthday and we'll be in the West country. No way to move that one I'm afraid.
I would be interested in getting back in contact with people, if only for the sake of mutual curiosity.
It would be great to have email addresses and very happy for you to give mine to anyone who feels similarly.
I only have a couple of pics of T&C and Jean's and I'm afraid they're buried.
Almost certain there isn't one of Majid. We're flat out for the next couple of months and I don't think there's anyway I'll get a chance to look but I've logged it and will try to seek them out at some future date..
Have a great evening and look forward to seeing the pictures -
Love Katya
katya@fieldofvision.co.uk

Katya then wrote back:

Huge vicarious pleasure gained from your work putting up the excellent pix.
Most were identifiable but mystifications as to Biba and Ilona?
What were they wearing - that might give me a clue.
And was that Tolstoy with the tache? And why come to think of it have you turned into Toby Zeigler in the West Wing?
Thanks Norman.
Love Katya

katya@fieldofvision.co.uk


Will miss it by 12 days, I'm sorry to say.
Wish you all the best and my thanks to those that have arranged the reunion.
Best Always,
Mac McAlpin, St, Mary's 1966
Los Angeles, California
Dear Norman,
Thanks very much for keeping me on the mailing list. It would certainly be an interesting event.
I was only at T&C for two years, and have sporadic memories of friends like Richard Lever and Lisa Prudhoe, Duncan (and his brother who died while I was there), and the Rothschild brother and sister, as well as Mr. Neville. If I were in London, I would still be tempted to attend, if not just to hear peoples' narratives of their shared or different experiences. All the best for a good reunion.
Cheers,
Kevin. [Hill]
Hi Norman, I would have loved to come but unfortunately I'll be in Paris for that week.
But I hope it goes really well,
best wishes,
Alisha
x
P.S. If you do another, please let me know.
Thanks for the invitation.
Unfortunately I'm working so I won't be able to make it.
I hope you all have a fantastic evening and if there is another meeting hopefully I will be able to make that one.
Best regards
Polly Boulter (nee Hogg)
I would love to attend however I'm going on holiday on 7th August and have to be at the airport early in the morning.
I will try and come for a litle while.
I must add that I attended the school in 1957 at the age 4 for two years only, howver my cousin Carol Williams started at the same time as me and remained until she was 16. There are a couple of names that stick in my mind from my class and they are Steven Colliver and Melinda Camber, and my teacher in one of the years was Mrs Walmsley. Please keep me on your books for any future news.
Thank you
Margaret Baker
Dear Norman,
Unfortunately, I will be sadly away on Friday 6 August, returning from a trip to France.
Otherwise I would have liked to have come if I could see anyone from my years (1953 - 1957) on the list. None as yet.
If Alicia Sufit and/or Jennifer Risner come, please say hello to them on my behalf.
Best wishes,
Ninette (Rubinstein)
Hello-
It's exciting that you're arranging a reunion and wish you all a wonderful time.
I live in Israel and won't be able to attend.
Debbie (Epstein) Rahav
What a good idea the reunion
Wish I could be there (pink floyd memories of sid)
I was thinking... Make a DVD of the event and use web cam for people like me from afar to record or participate Make T-shirts and caps And get a photo book or CD
Love U and miss U
Am keeping U close to my heart
Maj [Majid Tabatabai]
Hi Norman
I was about to e mail you .
I have a stack of correspondence about the film (signed by David Attenborough!) and documents relating to the potential sale of the school in 1975 as well as endless prospectuses
and details of the sale of Hedgerly Wood when they bought the property.
Also some interesting bits at the end of the story when she hadn't paid the teachers, everyone was working for nothing and there were 12 children registered. Its quite a story but I think I may have to photocopy and send to you by snail mail
I would love to come to the reunion if I can
Hilary Fagg
Hi Norman,
Just had a quick look at the site and the photos!
Wow - think I managed to identify most but I will check later when you have the names on them.
Wish I could have been there to join in the fun!! I am off to Africa in a week - we are doing a camping trip from Johannesburg up to Victoria Falls where we will stay with my sister for a week then another camping trip back down through Botswana - the Okanvango Delta to J/burg.
El cheapo trips travelling on trucks and real basic camping but should be fun.
Have been looking out old photos to take to my sister - have to email them one by one as their internet is really lousy and she has no computer litericy at all so thought we would do the old fashioned albumn thing ( plus dvd) which she will enjoy. Anyway - came across the attached and thought I'd better scan and send before it goes the way of the others I found.
It's from around 1958/9. Back left to right is: Me then Mary Ann Tidwell
Front left to right is: Sara Maxwell, Dominique ( can't remember her surname) and Melinda Camber
Have not forgotten about the others.
All the best
love
Caro