2012 Reunion

There is something counter-intuitive, not to say downright illogical, about an annual reunion that gets bigger every year. But there you have it, the 20^th was a resounding success as 33 people at the Saturday dinner in the Marine can testify. And this despite missing regulars such as Jim and Beryl Kettle, with Jim recovering from his hip replacement, and Howard and Sian Phillips who were in Darkest Peru, Spike and Lynda who are getting near the date of Lynda's back op, as well as Bruce Roughton whose hotel had flooded. No such weather in Aberystwyth. Maybe it was not quite the Antigua we have become used to in recent years, but Aber was indeed bathed in sunshine and not showered with rain as had been forecast. The Sunday Times Travel Section wrote last week,” pick a sunny day, squint hard and Ceredigion becomes the Caribbean”. You don’t even have to squint that hard.

Derrick Spragg cheated. He had arrived on the Thursday so as to practise his golf and get used to the local conditions. Then he held back and let me win when we played (OK, I was there too), just by a point, to make me feel confident about the following day. Not that I am bitter…

Despite dire weather warnings, Aberyswyth glistened jewel-like below the two of us playing golf on Aber course that day and those who did not play missed a treat - and also missed meeting Wyn Hughes in the club house. He has mellowed, but I suppose he should have by now since he is in his eighties. Even bought Derrick and me a pint. How times change.

After the palaver over the Friday night restaurant last year it was settled by a mysterious group called “the girls” this year . It was the Greek again. It is actually called “The Olive Tree”, but in Aber “The Greek” is deemed sufficient. They obviously remembered us from last year and laid out the room with the same curious arrangement that left me with my back to most of the rest of the group again.

Dave Charles and Rose were not going to be around for the Saturday night, so after the Greek we were Live at the Marine on a Hot April Night, sitting in the Reception area and singing to Dave’s excellent guitar playing. Technology moves on: Instead of Derrick’s songbooks, Dave had the words on a laptop computer. He handed the mouse to Mike Purslove, who swapped his drumming for clicking for a night scrolling instead of rocking and rolling. Someone suggested that next year the words might be larger, what with the eyesight of many of the group not being quite what it was. Reception was a good spot for what we thought a great sing-song, though I‘m not sure it would have impressed any potential guests.

Overnight it rained apparently. Or perhaps Aberystwyth Council had been out washing down the road, watering the beautiful flower displays and clearing seagull droppings from the cars and houses. Whatever, the day dawned bright and clear and there was much on the menu besides the Marine’s excellent buffet breakfast: walking, football or golf, or combination of them for the energetic ones. Then there was bed for the less energetic ones who seemed to have booked Breakfast and Bed.

Like Derrick Spragg. Who cheated again and went back to bed before the big golf game….but I am not bitter at all…

Rob Culley finally got his way and 6 of us sheepishly made our way to the hallowed turf of Aber Town’s ground. Not that we played on it, but I did get a run out on it when a shot of mine cleared the 30ft walls of our adjacent astro-turf pitch and landed on the middle of the main pitch. A bit embarrassing as I trotted out onto the pitch in my Wolves shirt, though being seen wearing a Wolves shirt was probably the most embarrassing bit.

So a youthful Phoenix/Arabs ( Pete Strydom and Ivor “Plonk” Hicks and myself) played the more “experienced” Astra/Arabs of Mick Newman, Rob Culley and Dick German. Of course they cheated too. Mick Newman stayed in goal the whole time. He said how he could not believe how many shots he stopped. I could - the goal was only 5 foot wide. We couldn’t miss him! “Shrewdie” Strydom did a lot of good blocking but somehow Pete at the back with Ivor and myself up front just did not seem like a winning formation for us.

Ken Passmore, recovering from his heart by-pass operation, refereed. The excitement of the game did not seem to worry him but after the 90 minutes were up (well, it seemed like that), he decided on extra time. It was then 1-1 after I had equalised Dick German’s opener with, of course, the best goal of the game… In extra time their negative tactics saw Astra/Arabs win 4-1. Rob Culley scored whilst Dick German completed a hat-trick, proving he is still a master at the 2ft tap-in to an open goal. His likening me to Wolves’ hard-man defender Eddie Clamp was flattering, but only Dick and I would have been able to remember that far back. Ken joined in towards the end to help us - but to no avail, though it nearly gave Ann a heart attack. Rob said that now we had done it, we should plan on a game next year…Thanks to Tiggy Bates for arranging the game. In the room in which we changed there was a Brazil shirt signed by Pele for Tiggy. A framed Wolves shirt signed by those of us who played - and lived - might look good next to it.

While the match was in progress a second, more sedentary, group - but less sedentary than Derrick and Mildred who were fast asleep in the Marine - went walking. After the disastrous Passmore and Spragg episodes of the previous years John Ansell, with his well-honed management skills, assumed navigation duties. A bus was caught to Blaenplwyf. However the free bus passes worked only for the Wales-based contingent, ie Mike and Shan Pickard, and those living in England had to pay. I did smile to think of Mike Purslove and Shirley Ansell being lumped in with the English and having to pay £3.20. John Ansell, Lindy Purslove, Mick and Gina Dobson made up the rest of the party who subsidised the Pickards free travel.

A 7 mile walk included a pleasant stop in the exotic Morfa Bychan Caravan Site before the new Ceredigion Coastal Path, with spectacular views over both sea and up to Cader Idris and Snowdon, brought them back to Aber and a well-earned rest. Unlike some who never stopped resting…. John particularly wanted to thank Mike Pickard, ever the headmaster, for his running geographical commentary!

The Aber Masters had 8 contenders in the lovely 9-Hole Capel Bangor course on a beautiful afternoon. It was Ken’s first game of golf since his operation and his drives had a quite remarkable tendency to hook sharp left, which I put it down to a freer swing after clearing out all that stuff from around his heart. We were concerned that Dick German might win, since his handicap seemed to very fluid, depending on how well or badly he was playing. However it was the very well-rested Derrick Spragg who surfaced to score 19 points and claim the title by just one point…..from me. But I am not bitter.

And so to the Gala Dinner, which was a simply great night. The Marine was chaotic,with large crowds of young people filling the ballroom and bar and singing along with ageing rock-star Bryn Fon. Despite it all Nerys looked after us well. There was a structure to the after dinner speeches, oddly enough. Derrick spoke and welcomed guests Anthony and Zena Evans and Hywel and Chris Hughes, recounting the day when us wide-eyed PE Dip Ed students were introduced to Zena and were thrilled at the prospect of having someone more interesting than Wyn Hughes to run around with in the gym. He then did a carefully planned routine whereby he had everyone stand up and then sit down in turn as he counted up through the number of Reunions attended. It left just one person standing when 20 was reached: Derrick, of course, though there was some debate as to whether he was standing.

Then members of each of the College teams were asked to stand in turn, demonstrating that Astra were easily the best represented. Phoenix, with just two, were the least, but it was always quality first for us. Then people spoke about the teams - Dick German, the man who started it all, related the early years of both Arabs and the Reunion; Mick Newman impressed us with the Classical beginnings of Astra; Phoenix annoyed everyone when Pete Strydom and I boasted that we were not only the only College team ever to win the Aber and District League but were the only one still in existence. Plynlimon was absent, but in the follow-on open forum when a number of people spoke of their memories, you would have thought Howard Phillips was there when Ivor told his wonderfully witty story of his first away trip with the College 2nds to Cardiff Meds with Howard as minder.

Then the golf result, to which only I was party at the time. Jeanette and I had brought over from Ireland a Green Jacket (there are lots of them there) for the winner,emblazoned with the specially designed Aber Masters badge.

I had to put it on Derrick Spragg…. and smile. Of course I could not in all conscience have won my own prize first time out - but just you wait until next year, Derrick. Anyway I suppose it cheered him after Everton losing the FA Cup Semi-Final to Liverpool earlier that day.

There was the announcement of the Grand National sweep winners, with John and Shirley having ably stepped into Beryl’s shoes to organise it. Yet another win for Phoenix- or at least the Pete half of it. Others who were at the dinner included Huw and Ellen Evans, Gaynor Hamer, Carol Parry, Tony “Tiggy” Bates and of course Lev, who arrived from the USA just for the meal; as Derrick said he now moves around the globe faster than he moved around the penalty area. Mind you, if he had stayed in the USA we might have still been able to hear his contribution anyway.

The 20^th Anniversary Reunion was over, but for the traditional Sunday kicking of the bar and the mugging of a passing local to take a group photo. And another. And another. And another…..

Whilst we were mad enough to give in to Rob and play football, his suggestion that we kick the bar at south beach received short thrift. Just not tradition -and miles too far anyway after a few days where people were going to bed far, far later than normal,but far, far earlier than they did at one time in Aber. We gave an extra kick or two for absent friends before the last few of us had teas and coffees sitting outside PJ’s Diner on the Prom and reluctantly headed home.

Ken and Derrick added notes of caution in their speeches, saying “What of the Future?”. Projecting forward the current growth in numbers we might yet need the ballroom, but then maths were never my strong point. Enjoy the present and the past, worry about the future tomorrow I suggest. Next year the Reunion, with its 21^st, comes of age. Thank goodness many of us have not.

(Once again an interesting and amusing account of our reunion was provided in his own inimitable style by Des)