2017 Reunion

THE 25th ABER FOOTBALL REUNION 2017

Normal service was resumed in Aberystwyth this year: the sun was back where it should be, shining down benignly on us - though a cool breeze did whip off the sea from time to time to keep us from too much sunbathing. Sunbathing in Aber? Yes, there were people on the beach!

25 years, the Silver Anniversary; in this case it referred to the hair, at least for those lucky enough to still have hair. For a sizeable cohort of us it was the 50th anniversary of our arrival into Aber. 50 years before our 1967 arrival it was 1917: the USA entering the First World War and the Russian Revolution. How impossibly far away that was to us in 1967, the year of Sgt Pepper's and the Vietnam war. So just how remote does 1967 seem to Aber students today? Alvin Toffler, in “Future Shock”, said the pace of change is ever accelerating; if so then 1967 is even more remote to students entering Aber this year than 1917 was to us. A sobering thought!

Friday golf used to be very casual, arranged because a couple of us arrived on the Thursday evening, so why not a game of golf in Aber and get better use of the clubs we had hauled so far? This year, though, there were 10 serious (?) golfers involved. Not that it was an important competition, particularly since it was won by John Rowlands; really unimportant.

The ever ebullient Keith Boothroyd joined us, here for his first reunion after hearing all about us from his Aber student son. Our escapades still talked about after all these years? It was glorious up on the mountain: great weather and the gorse gleaming gold on the cliffs above the bay, looking down on Aber tumbling to the sea. We met Wyn Hughes afterwards, 88 now but no less sharp and stentorian than he was 46 years ago, with a voice still able to silence a gym full of unruly student teachers!

As people drifted in to the Marine it became obvious that yet again this reunion defied the laws of physics, even if some bodies did not handle the laws of gravity quite so well (though the new Jim and Beryl were admirably slim looking). Friday night and over 30 people headed to Aber Town FC, not just to admire the new synthetic pitch of which Tiggy is so justly proud - and wonder just how good we might have been if we had pitches like that - but to eat and sing too. It was a quality buffet this year again, making up for the lack of it in the karaoke. There were a few highlights - and a few more lowlights - that deserve mention. The singing opened with Beryl (who else, other than Jim?) and girl backing group that either mimed to Sloop John B or sang it uncannily like The Beach Boys. Knock on Wood by Derek and Jim saw the generally uninterested DJ actually leave the room. However Derek's Great Balls of Fire, complete with slick dance moves was impressive as was 500 Miles which karaoke-virgin Dick Wrigley sang in a suitably threatening Glasgow accent; Pretty Woman with Jim and Dick Packham was rescued by Dick's impressive Orbison-like “rrrrrrr” and there was a seriously good Eleanor Rigby by

Beryl and Sian. Whilst the girls got some pretty big groups on stage, the 9 lads for Amarillo was the biggest group, if not the best. Hywel, after looking like a Motown backing singer for much of the evening, marched - in his bright red trousers with arms swinging - all the way to Amarillo. It finished with Derek and myself's (superlative) Johnny B Goode in tribute to the late Chuck Berry and the Astra lads (including Lev, who played for everyone) singing, without any trace of irony, The Young Ones. A non-karaoke Stewball ended the evening, stealing it - perhaps prophetically - from its usual Saturday night slot.

The grey start to Saturday morning improved as 19 walkers, led by John Ansell, headed off for Pendinas. As last year, the walk ended in Morrisons cafe, but at least it was after Pendinas this time. Some had rucksacks, possibly armed against the privations of trying to get served in Morrisons. A few hikers were lost en route, but John thought that most got home in the end. The ultra fit managed the walk and the golf later, but most golfers saved their energy for the serious test that was the Aber Masters in the 9 hole Red Kite course in Penrhos. The 10 golfers got the best deal: the weather turned from warm to positively hot in a sheltered, sun-drenched little Shangri La valley complete with a magnificent Red Kite gliding low overhead, possibly looking to pick off stray golfers.

Dinner that night was, mercifully, in the main dining room this year. The choice of food was again spectacular, as were the quantities of vegetables. I learned that Bruce once had a pig-swill business in Aber (Rita Lewis had a fascinating discussion on swill collection and disposal with Bruce, her father having been involved in the trade also). He could have retired on the amount of veg left over that night. Then the speeches. Derek, as MC, showed off his sparkling new teeth. He introduced Ken who passed on regrets (we have a few, but then again too few to mention); Jim Kettle introduced Jerry Evans, the man who in 1961 founded The Drunken Arabs, who became just “Arabs” - though probably no less drunken - to join the league. Jerry spoke well on that and on the formation of the Aber and District League. Were these first 4 speakers really the quartet who had been the Pussycat Dolls just last night? Jerry mentioned that we had the founders of Arabs, Astra (Mick Newman, 1966) and Phoenix (me,1969) together for the first time (though I did, in all modesty, mention that the beginnings of Phoenix were rather cloudier than “being founded”). In a reversal of the Sleeping Beauty story Jerry has the distinction of being alive because of being kissed by Karren Brady. Some would do a lot to be kissed by beautiful Baroness Brady, but having a heart attack seems excessive- especially since as a true Baggie Jerry should have objected to being kissed by the Birmingham City M.D.

In a departure, Sian Phillips was asked to give a female perspective, which she did most eloquently. John Rowlands, teeth firmly gritted, presented me with the famous green (or blue) jacket for my 22 points on the Red Kite course. Ken, Derek and Hywel were announced as joint runners up whilst Chris was ladies winner (prising the title Jeanette held for many years). However Chris, as the Aber Equality Officer has pointed out was actually overall runner-up - even beating her husband, well at golf anyway.

Then the music. Is the day of man and guitar over, superseded by the echnological wizardy of karaoke? Certainly not, but the problematic location of the set-up and the size of the crowd militated against a proper sing-song which did at least mean a relatively early night for many of us, though by no means all apparently.

Sunday morning and maybe the early night helped, but before the 10.30am allotted time the group drifted down to the Prom to the bar to give it its annual kicking. Rob and Gaynor, arriving more or less (mostly less I think) on time missed the annual photographs taken by the annually press-ganged passer-by, so I took a picture of them on their own, preparing to head back home on the train. After the traditional kicking of the bar and goodbyes to the Dobsons, heading off to Ireland oddly enough, a surprisingly large group gathered at PD's. Jeanette's luxury chocolate drink caused much envy with people wondering just where she could possibly put so much cream and chocolate before the goodbyes were sadly said.

The Silver Anniversary has passed; will anyone make it to the gold? Does it matter,? Just as long as we have as much fun at the ones in the years to come.

Once again, in the words of Dafydd Iwan, “Yma o Hyd!”

Des Drumm, April 2017

Thanks to the organisers: Ken and Ann, Jim and Beryl, John and Shirley, Derek and Mildred, Tiggy and Marilyn and to Dave. Attendees were many (an extraordinary 41 in total!) and a particular thanks to those who travelled extraordinary distances to be there and those who came for the first time:

Jim and Beryl Kettle Keith Boothroyd

Rob and Gaynor Culley Dick Packham

Derek and Mildred Spragg John Rowlands

Hywel and Chris Hughes Dick German

Ken and Ann Passmore Tony McGuinness

John and Shirley Ansell Ivor Hicks

Howard and Siân Phillips Jerry Evans

Huw and Ellen Evans Mick Newman

Dave and Rose Charles Elwyn Williams

Des and Jeanette Drumm Dick Wrigley

Mike and Lindy Purslove Lev Edwards

Mike and Gina Dobson

Glyn (Louie) Lewis and Rita

Tiggy and Marilyn Bates

Bruce and Magdalen Roughton

Next year in Aberyswyth!