2023-Reunion

I still worry whether this the 29th reunion or should I include the two missed years and call it the 31st? I have gone for the 29th, then we can have a special celebration for the 30th next year. That means that Ivor Hicks has to attend to justify his boast of having attended the 20th, 25th and 30th reunions. After Covid and the significantly smaller crowd last year this was the Aber Football Reunion back with a bang, our biggest crowd other than the 25th Reunion (which was definitely the 25th). Remarkable - and a tribute to the organisers, Ken Passmore, Jim and Beryl Kettle. Organising Jim must be difficult enough without the reunion as well.

Jeanette and I came over a night early, to see The Zombies in Pontardawe. We all then got to see Aber’s very own zombie with Alex (or would it be Alice?) Coupland attending this year. Back from the dead! And it was definitely him, although doubters did ask how, if Jim and Alex went to the same school in Birmingham, they sounded so different? Probably the years of Jim and Beryl attending those West Brom games.

Friday was grim weatherwise, or perhaps typically Aberystwyth. Jeanette and I visited the BBC Wales Archive in the National Library, which Tony McGuinness had recommended. We highly recommend it too: fascinating. Later we all gathered to go to Medina. This year the evening worked better than the chaos of the last, despite the crowd being twice as big. It was a very long table but definitely better organised, thanks to Beryl. The food was excellent too and it was a thoroughly enjoyable night. “Rowly”, a slimmer version of the “Roly” that was John Rowlands, sat next to me and managed to get through two bottles of red Rioja, with a little help from Tiggy. Given that I had identified him as the main barrier between me and the famous golfing green jacket I did not discourage him. Rowly had travelled with Dick Packham who did not appear at the dinner, instead spending the evening trying to find his AirBnB. He knew it was in Queen’s Road and that the key was in a box outside, but didn’t know which house, or which box. He had enough time to visit every house in the road several times over never mind just the ones with a box outside. Rowly was worried about him, but still managed the Rioja.

Tiggy, there with Marilyn, was heading off from Wetherspoons in a minibus the next morning to see Aber Town play in Haverfordwest in a vital relegation game. A draw just about acceptable, a win really needed. He still managed to inveigle a few easily led souls to the Ship and Castle after dinner though. It was early to bed for Jeanette and me after the tribulations of a cancelled ferry and the 5am arrival in Pembroke Dock of its replacement a day or two (I was losing count) earlier. No doubt some stayed up, but I was not checking.

Quite extraordinarily Saturday dawned bright and clear (though I didn’t actually see the dawn), glorious in fact. We met after breakfast outside the Marine and Beryl had decided we would go up Constitution Hill (“Consti” to generations of Aber students). The pessimists of us had layers of clothes and hats; I was asked was I climbing Everest. Well Consti is pretty high to be fair. Some had backpacks, carrying items necessary for survival for a week or two. A less intrepid group, mostly those with various body part replacements, went for a walk “on the flat”, which turned out to be all the way to south beach. At the top of Consti most headed on to Clarach. Derrick and Dick Wrigley had hidden in the Camera Obscura to miss that bit. I decided to miss it too, saving myself for the afternoon golf. Some missed the walk totally and joined Tiggy in Wetherpoons to toast success to Aber Town.

The ladies, after shopping in the very many charity shops of Aber, found a new cocktail bar in Banera, which seems to have been well received. The Grand National was a feature of the afternoon. Alex drew Mr Incredible (unsurprisingly), but, as announced at dinner by Beryl, the winner was Mildred, ridden by Derrick (Fox that is). An eye was kept on the football results and in particular Aber Town. A 1-1 draw (do they always draw 1-1?). Not quite a disaster.

Dinner in the Marine was extraordinarily efficient. The main courses were eaten before we had received the starters the previous night in Medina. And it was good too. Ken did the usual apologies and, sadly, some deaths including that of Jerry Evans. I announced the golf result and Derrick passed the (far too big) green jacket on to Rowly, after holding on to it for 4 uncontested years. I said a few words afterwards, quoting from Tiggy’s old Courier stash and in particular from the Digs League Final between Levis and Snibbo ,the celebrations of which saw Snibbo’s winning goal scorer Rocky Forsyth hospitalised. Serve him right I think was muttered by the several Levis in the audience. We also had a Snibbo, Howard having been their keeper. Controversy surrounded Levi’s. Later, Lev was justifying the concept, but a quote from Courier may have been nearer the mark: “One Levi’s player remarked,” I don’t like the idea of Levi’s , but I’ve been in Coll 2 seasons and never won anything. I know I will with Levi’s”. Optimistic words considering Lev was centre forward and I was in goal. John Ansell was also mentioned in despatches and we hope he can make it next year; Shirley was great to come on her own.

Afterwards we took the new room, previously the back bar and pool room. There Dave Charles put us through our paces. He made the clever move of sending out the words of songs by Whatsapp. Some of us find that too technical and rely on much faded memory, most of the songs being old Aber favourites. Flash dancing by the ever young Derrick Spragg added pzazz and the stirring finish was the now traditional and very poignant “Yma O Hyd”. Apparently Nerys “persuaded” Jim and Bruce to sing Fields of Athenry afterwards. I believe it worked in clearing the bar.

Sunday was the traditional stroll down to kick the bar, press-ganging a passer-by into taking photos and coffees in what has been rebranded as “Prom Diner” from “PD’s Diner”. Aber strides on. Leaving is always tinged with sadness, hoping that we will all be able to make the trip next year. A much bigger gathering than last year, but it turned out just as enjoyable. See you in 2024.

Des Drumm, April 2023

Attendees:

Tiggy and Marilyn Bates   Mike and Shan Pickard

Lev and Mary-Lee Edwards   Elwyn Williams

Ken and Ann Passmore   Dick German

Jim and Beryl Kettle   Mick Newman 

Spike and Lynda Jones   Martin Rodgers

Shirley Ansell   John (Rowly) Rowlands

Des and Jeanette Drumm

Glyn (Louie) and Rita Lewis

Derrick and Mildred Spragg

Dave and Rose Charles

Bruce and Magdalen Roughton   Gaynor Hamer

Dick Wrigley   Tony McGuinness

Howard Phillips   Alex Coupland

Dick Packham   Anthony Evans