It was in early 2018 that Melba and I decided to visit our friends and relatives in England that year mainly because of the aging process. Our first stop in October would be London, then Ryton, close to Newcastle upon Tyne, and ending at Kirby-in-Furness in the Lake District.

Meeting my former classmates was high on our wish list and I contacted the ever reliable Alvira to place my request for a reunion over lunch. She quickly responded indicating there was a lot of interest and we decided on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, based on our schedule.

Alvira enlisted Lambert and the pair planned the event with an open invitation to attend Mass at Westminster Cathedral, an impressive architectural gem, and then proceeding to the Windsor Castle pub for the reunion.  We joined Alvira, Donald, Edwin and Lambert after the service and walked the short distance to the pub.

There were a couple of surprises on our arrival. Shiraz and Renate, along with Robert, were there to greet us.  Alvira had successfully invited Shiraz to attend and I was thrilled to meet him again. We had first met in 2015 in Vienna after a break of 53 years.  The second surprise was the heritage styled interior and pleasant ambiance in the pub without the distraction of music or TV.

It was a very enjoyable meeting with delicious lunch and great company. At Alvira’s prompting there was a seat rotation to enable complete socializing.  Lambert distributed pictures of the DRGS and former classmates, all of which added to the spirit of the reunion. It was a joy meeting Robert and Lambert after many decades and I was glad to witness the unbroken bond among my classmates.

Our last good memory was that of Lambert purchasing two mangos from the fruit vendor outside the tube station and then giving one to Renate and Shiraz, and the other to Melba and me. A touching gesture!!

Thank you Alvira and Lambert for providing us with many good memories.  Thank you classmates and spouses for your attendance and warm wishes.