This is the last time that I will sit down and write the  "Chairman's Letter" to you all.  No doubt this piece of news will come as a great relief to you, as it does to me!  It has been a great privilege to serve as Chairman of the Old Michaelian Association for the last three years and as a member of the Committee for three years before that; move over, I can honestly say that it has also been great fun.

Being a member of the OMA Committee is a little like saving the dubious Privilege of being put in charge of one of the oil burning stoves in a Classroom at Ingoldisthorpe all those years ago. This enabled one to miss ascertain amount of "Prep." and to have a genuine excuse to wander. But with it came the awesome, and occasionally painful, responsibility of ensuring that the wretched contraption did not smoke and blacken the classroom ceiling whilst everyone was in church for morning assembly. Whilst all goes well we enjoy it, but when things do not go to plan the going gets rough.

Over the last few years OMA Members have given the Committee Wonderful support and the Committee has been amply rewarded for its Work by seeing a constant stream of faces from the past returning to Hunstanton during October for the annual OMA Reunions, often for the first time since they left St. Michael's.  Last year was the best OMA Reunion to date. What other Association can boast of such growth so long after the entry qualification ceased? Let us not leave it at that but continue to expand the fun of an annual weekend of nostalgia and Reminiscingand renewing old acquaintances.

The Shooting Lodge, Gresham House, Brockhill, Peddars, West Winch, Fridham, Wolverton Rectory, the New Building............these, for Boarders are names which will excite memories. Do you remember? Try telling the youth of today of the conditions, the responsibilities, the antics that were experienced by Michaelian's in these places. On second thoughts, perhaps not, you will not be believed and you may get locked up! But, it is not the buildings that are important, it is the people who shared those experiences that are important. For this reason I sincerely hope as many Members and Non Members as possible will attend the OMA Reunion in Hunstanton in October.  I for one will be looking forward to seeing you again.

Peter Yarker

Chairman

Change is not something that we easily accept, especially as we grow older. When change does occur we either readily accept it for the value it will provide or desperately try to ignore the whole thing in the hope that it will go away.

Changes take place all of the time especially in our own individual working environment where changes take place in working procedures and practices, but more than most, changes take place in personnel albeit within Management circles or general staff. When changes take place at the top, especially when it may have a definite effect on you personally, we all have to take care and relate very quickly to new demands and objectives from "the New Man at the Top".

I am sure that all of the readership will agree with me that there is much sadness in the news that Peter Yarker will be standing down as Chairman of the Old Michaelian Association this year and I know that as many of you as possible will wish to be present at the OMA Reunion in October to collectively thank Peter for his contribution to the Association over recent years as Committee Member and as Association Chairman.

The Old Michaelian Association has been blessed over recent years with effective leadership and my thoughts immediately focus on the immense hard work and success achieved by the late Ian Henderson-Begg, and of Cliff Wallington who, together with many others, helped to stabilise the Association and ensure that it matured and grew.

Since Peter Yarker was elected Chairman three years ago it is true to say that the Association has grown even further in stature and importance.

We have increased the Membership and we have celebrated our 50th Anniversary in real style. As has been said many many times before, the reason for this success is not just down to the Chairman and Committee Members but also down to you, the Members who regularly and consistently support the activities in Hunstanton every October.

On behalf of the Committee Members and all Association Members may I take this opportunity to say an enormous "THANK YOU, PETER" for your Leadership, support, energy and time devoted to the Association during Your involvement.

As I said earlier, now is the time for change and during the AGM in October all Members will have the opportunity to vote for, not only a new Chairman but also all Committee Members.

The AGM is an extremely important part of the whole OMA Reunion Programme when many important matters are openly discussed and voted on. Later on within this Newsletter you will be able to read about the contents of the Reunion Weekend as a whole, but for a moment, may I ask you to consider subjects that you would wish to hear discussed at the AGM. We would love to hear from you.  Also, if you would wish to be considered for election to the OMA Committee for 1997/98, we would also like to hear from you.  As you have heard from Peter Yarker in his letter, being a Committee Member is good fun but also requires commitment.

At the beginning of this Editorial Comment I spoke about "Change".

By the end of October we will have a newly elected OMA Chairman and a newly elected Committee. Let us all wish the new Chairman and Committee "Good Luck" together with our total support.

Lastly, you will recall the article written by David Barry for the Spring Edition entitled "Life after St. Michael's".   During mid-April I received another letter from David expressing his delight that his article had been included into the Newsletter and how much pleasure he had had by attending the 1996 OMA Reunion and meeting, again, so many "old" friends.

David explained to me in his letter that since the last Reunion he had suffered a slight setback with his health, which in turn had forced him to, have to give up his job. However, he sounded in good spirits and was looking forward to progressing his hobby of restoring antique fountain pens, and semi-retirement.

 12 April 1997 

Dear John,

Many thanks for the OMA Spring Newsletter which arrived today. The list of names who signed the visitors book was quite impressive but Seemed to lack many names from my era, (1960-67).  Hopefully I will be able to partly rectify that by signing the book this October.

Thirty years have gone by since I left school and seeing the list reminded me of some names that I had forgotten. Living in this part of the world I often wonder just what happened to some of my Peers............Firouz Moatter, our acrobatic goalkeeper........I wonder if the 1979 revolution in Iran caught him off guard.

Enrico Valvoni, our short, but effective inside right........Did he join Inter Milan?

And what of the four Iraqi boys who were at the school for a couple of years........  I wonder if they were responsible for firing scuds in my direction during the Gulf War!

Last Summer (1996) I bumped into Malcolm Gray at Heathrow......I wonder what the odds on that happening were? Perhaps David Barry could give us an answer on that one!

I will be spending my summer in Poland, England and in the United States watching my son play Baseball in the European and then the World Little League Baseball Championships. Maybe I will bump into some Old Michaelian's.

Finally, if anyone needs any information regarding business in Saudi and/or tourism in Bahrain, Dubai please drop me a line and I will try to help. 

Hope to see you in October if I can get away. 

Best Regards

The annual Old Michaelian Reunion Weekend is booked for the 24th,

25th and 26th October 1997 at the Le Strange Arms Hotel, Old Hunstanton.

The Chairman and Committee look forward to welcoming as many Old

Michaelian's together with partners and guests to our 51st Anniversary celebrations.

We encourage as many people as possible to make the weekend start in the Cocktail Bar of the Le Strange Arms Hotel with the OMA Committee members on Friday evening 24 October 1997.

Although the Reunion officially starts at lunchtime on Saturday 25 October, more and more OM's are finding the opportunity and time to spend an extended weekend in Hunstanton by joining us for a few drinks on the Friday evening.

Those of you who are not able to join us on the Friday will find a good gathering of "old" friends in the Mariners Bar at the Le Strange Hotel during the lunchtime period on the Saturday and there is plenty of time to renew old friendships and reminisce over old times over a glass

of ale (or two!).

The Association has again secured The Palace Suite for the duration of the weekend at the Le Strange Hotel and during the afternoon John King will again be placing an interesting and intriguing display of photographs kindly donated or lent to the Association by many of its members. This year there will be a special display of photographs taken by members and guests who attended the 50th Anniversary Reunion Dinner last year and this display is "a must" for those who attended last year and those who could not attend.

The Old Michaelian AGM will commence at 4pm in The Palace Suite and we would like to see as many Members attending the AGM as possible to elect a new Chairperson together with Officers of the Committee.

It is vital to the continuing success of the Association that the AGM is well attended and that, you the Members, are given the opportunity to voice an opinion on a number of topics. We need your total support every year and the importance of the AGM cannot be overstated.

The Annual Old Michaelian Association Dinner is always a fun event attracting even more people each year. Believe me, everyone has a good time at the Annual OM Dinner.

Whether you choose to wear Black Tie, Lounge Suite, Long Dress or Short Dress everyone is made very welcome and we now invite you to use the enclosed application form and addressed envelope to secure your place for Dinner. Once more The Palace Suite will be organized with round tables to seat ten people and you are again invited to say who you would like to sit with. The Committee will do everything possible to comply with your wishes.

The Old Michaelian Trivia Team Challenge will, again, be in full swing during Dinner and similar to previous years the prizes available will be mouth watering!  Suggest a little swatting of topical matters may be a good idea this year!

 "If you have something to say, boy (or girl).....Speak up!"

There will be no formal Speeches this year at the Reunion Dinner.

The Committee wishes to give Old Michaelian raconteurs the opportunity of sharing a memory or two with other Members over Dinner.  "Do you remember............." "Were you there when.........." "Can anyone tell me..."

However, if any Member does have an amusing anecdote, preferably from your time at St. Michael's, that you feel comfortable in sharing with the assembled Members and guests, the floor will be yours for a set time of two minutes after Dinner. So.........budding speakers........so that we are able  to maintain some sort of control over the expected rush to the microphone, it would be helpful if you could tick the  appropriate box on your application form. Thank you.

Many OM's and guests find that booking accommodation at the Le Strange Arms Hotel is the most convenient, and similar to previous years the Committee has negotiated a special rate for Old Michaelian's with the Le Strange Arms Hotel Management.

Lastly, let us recap the details of the Reunion Weekend for you:

 Friday 24 October 1997

Meet informally in the Cocktail Bar at the Le Strange Arms Hotel.

Saturday 25 October 1997

Meet informally in the Mariners Bar for lunchtime drinks at the Le Strange Arms Hotel.  2.30pm informal gathering and exhibition of archive photographs and material in The Palace Suite.

4pm Old Michaelian Association AGM. Election of Chairperson, Officers and Committee.  7.30pm for 8pm Old Michaelian Association Annual Dinner in The Palace Suite at the Le Strange Arms Hotel.

      Dinner Reservations available from Ian Dupont @ £16.00 per head.

Sunday 26 October 1997

11am Eucharist at St Michael's Church, Ingoldisthorpe. The Celebrant and Preacher will be The Rev. Geoffrey Haysmore. The organist will be Benedict Gunner.

After Church, everyone is invited to Ingoldisthorpe Church Hall for light refreshments.

 The Chairman and Committee look forward to welcoming all of you with your partners and guests to the 1997 Old Michaelian Association Reunion Weekend.

SOUTH-WEST AFRICAN SAFARI 

I am sure that all of you will recall the article published in the 1997

Spring OM Newsletter entitled "A Voice from the Past" by Mike Pleming.

during May of this year I received an e-mail from Mike which I think is appropriate to share with all Members:

"First of all, I would like to express appreciation for the OMA Newsletter received a couple of weeks ago. The 50th Anniversary event was superbly chronicled and I am sure many whom, for whatever reason, could not make it must have been tinged with not a little envy. Well done!

Got back from our two-month safari about four weeks ago. Covered about 10,000kms mainly in Namibia, the Okavango and Zimbabwe. Most enjoyable! On my return I found an "offer" I could not refuse and I have been working twelve hours each day for the past couple of weeks. The job should be finished by the end of this week (a research project for one of the Mining Houses) and then we will be getting our truck prepared again for a trip to Northern Natal and the Southern Mozambique Coast - away from the Highveld winter which is just starting to bite.

One point I wanted to make about our Safari trip was that I wished we had made more effort to contact Rob and Pennie Church. We will next time.

Our plans are still intact to visit the UK and USA for up to six weeks sometime between July and October and we are still waiting for our daughter to set her wedding date. Be assured that 25/26 October is already in the diary!"

Regards

Mike Pleming

Footnote from Ed.

Mike has prepared a fascinating and absorbing written account of the latest Safari that he and his wife Doreen enjoyed and Mike has agreed to allow this account to be copied and made available to OM Members at the forthcoming Reunion Weekend.

by

JOHN KING.

  Having read the inspirational reporting in the OMA 1997 Spring Newsletter, I was prompted to record a few memories of my own.

I joined St. Michael's School in 1951. My very first memories were of the journey with my Father in the family Morris 10 from our home in Brentwood to Heacham.

Like many "new boys" at St. Michael's, I was duly installed into "12 Dorm."

I remember being kitted-out with new school uniform and very quickly learned that anyone wishing to cross the ten yard hop from "12 Dorm." to The Shooting Lodge Bathroom were required to don Wellington boots and the great plastic mackintosh, and heaven help you if you were caught trying to skip these procedures. I never did understand the logic of this school rule! 

During my first term at St. Michael's we were asked by Headmaster if we would all like to visit London and view the famous Festival of Britain.

As far as I was concerned the cost of such a trip was unknown and I must only assume that permission was sought from each and every parent. I have no recollection of the method of transport used for the trip but I vaguely remember that our accommodation in the Capital was old air-raid shelters near to Earls Court. Quite an experience for any young boy.

I remember queuing outside Lyons Cornerhouse at Trafalgar Square and when I am in London today passing Northumberland Avenue the memories of these frequent trips to London come flooding back.

St. Michael's School introduced me to new friends, many of whom were of various nationalities such as Persians, Kuwaitis, Lebanese, Gambian, and of course the Chinese who brewed China tea in the Kitchen after Prep each evening.

I remember the growing numbers of school vehicles - The Shooting Brake, the two Morris 8's. Indeed, it was in one of these cars that I passed my driving test around the Dock area of Kings Lynn. There was a Riley which was only driven by Mrs. Pott, a Hillman van and, of course, the Commer Buses. I remember very clearly when Mr. Pott took delivery of the first Commer Bus painted in the school colours with a very uncomfortable central wooden bench, which tended to tip over at every bend in the road.

 School fare...........Do you remember the kippers and the rock hard bacon, and not forgetting the bloaters. Then on each and every Friday it was Fish pie for lunch. However, at least we were provided with our daily ration of school milk even though during winter months it was freezing cold to drink.

 Reading Mike Pleming's splendid contribution in the Spring Newsletter reminded me that he owned a Motorbike, which must have done much for his street cred. in those days. (Hope you and Doreen can make it to Hunstanton this year, Mike).

 So many memories.......................So many amusing memories. For example. I remember a time when I was in 12 Dorm. I was laying in bed half a sleep when I heard the noise of someone running along the gravel path outside the window. Suddenly, one of the windows was physically lifted out and the appearance of the dormitory senior prefect falling in through the empty space was a sight I will never forget! Regaining his composure, he quickly replaced the window into its aperture, raced across the dormitory beds, removed his shoes, threw his dressing-gown over the chair and jumped into his bed fully clothed! Immediately after this activity I detected the sound of heavy steps outside in the gravel and eventually the door of 12 Dorm was thrown open and there, filling the door space, was Headmaster. He spent a moment making sure everything and everybody was in place, closed the door and left.

I remember the long suffering members of staff, who looked after most of our daily needs including, and not forgetting, our education.

When I joined St. Michael's I was first taught by Miss Tozer in third form.

Who could ever forget Matron and Miss Salisbury who both looked after our health and our constant requirement for soaks to be darned.

Henry Taylor enjoyed a chequered career at St. Michael's and sometimes got things very very wrong. I remember that he totally miscalculated the severity of a corner in Heacham village whilst collecting parishioners destined for Evensong at Heacham Church. He managed to completely redesign the Double-decker bus in the process.

 Obviously, many of my memories are centered around the activities at Heacham Church and Ingoldisthorpe Church involving the annual Christmas Carol Service, the Messiah and taking part in the Passion Play. Who could ever forget the magnificent performance at every Harvest Festival at Ingoldisthorpe Church.

These are just some of my many memories. There are so many more I wish I had time to share with you.

We all made many lifelong friends during our time at St. Michael's and this is reflected at each and every Reunion Weekend when so many people are so pleased to meet "old" friends again to exchange stories and reminisce.

 THE CELTIC CHALLENGE 

"It never ceases to amaze me," writes John Wallington, "the incredible and interesting people I have had the good fortune to meet and the stories I have been told whilst representing Kodak over the last thirty years.

It came as no surprise to me when I received a telephone call during the

Spring from Colin Venus, Photographic Manager, The National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth, informing me that he was in full training to row across the Irish Sea!

I have known Colin as a Kodak customer for over ten years and during that time I have listened with great interest to his accounts of mountain biking across the Himalayas, trekking great distances across this country or that country, spending a huge amount of his annual holiday helping physically and mentally handicapped young people on board a three masted schooner. So hearing his account of training schedules with the

Aberystwyth Boat Club in readiness to row across the Irish Sea in May

1997 really came as no surprise to me.

The CELTIC CHALLENGE takes place every two years and starts at Arklow,

Co. Wicklow and finishes at Aberystwyth. The boats that take part are

Pembrokeshire Long Boats, 23' in length and made from fibreglass, with four fixed seats for four rowers and one seat for the Cox. The distance between Arklow and Aberystwyth is approximately 88 miles.

This year was the third time that the Aberystwyth Boat Club had entered for the Celtic Challenge, but this year was to be different, this year they entered three boats.

During March I received another telephone call from Colin Venus enquiring if Kodak would be interested in sponsoring one of the Aberystwyth Boat Club boats and we were pleased to respond to this request by sponsoring the purchase of four vitally important life jackets. Not only that, but Colin insisted in placing Kodak logo's on each side of the bow and unofficially calling it The Kodak Boat! The official name of this boat was

 Really Brig-Y-Don.

Place: Arklow, Co. Wicklow

Date: 3 May 1997

Time: 08.00

Conditions: Flat calm

The Celtic Challenge has begun.

Twelve boats started the Challenge on that day and due to expected bad weather the organisers sensibly decided to bring the start time forward eight hours to 08.00. Even at that time on the Saturday morning the mist was beginning to form at sea and the wind was beginning to freshen.

Each represented Boating Club was supported by an official Support Vessel and each rowing crew were only permitted to row for a maximum of two hours at a time. The Support Vessels provided replacement crews, food, hot drinks and the opportunity to change into dry clothes. When the time came to transfer crews, the procedure was for two crewmembers to be exchanged at a time via a rubber dingy. The whole transfer took between 10 - 15 minutes.

After only a couple of hours into the Celtic Challenge the weather conditions deteriorated considerably and most of the crews suffered from serious sea-sickness. This was one of the reasons why the duration for each rowing crew was reduced to a maximum of 90 minutes.

Out of the twelve Pembrokeshire Long Boats that started at Arklow at 08.00 on 3 May, only six managed to reach Aberystwyth, and out of the three boats entered by the Aberystwyth Boat Club, two finished including The Kodak Boat, the Brig-Y-Don.

The whole crossing took a mammoth 22 hours during which time the crews battled with a force 5 wind for most of the way, together with average wave height of 6ft. It is an amazing fact that after rowing the full 88 miles, three boats arrived at Aberystwyth within seven minutes of each other.

The Aberystwyth Boat Club will recall many amusing stories of that trip in May, many of which could not be published, but I can tell you that they that day for the first mixed crew to complete the course stands proudly behind the Bar in the Clubhouse. Endurance is one word to explain the high spirits that existed among the whole crew but having spent some time listening to their many stories before, during and after the Celtic Challenge

1997, I would put it all down to sheer professionalism, hard work and above all.......TEAM SPIRIT.

Well done Aberystwyth Boat Club.

Well done Brig-Y-Don.

Well done the Kodak Boat.

Well done Colin Venus, Basil Evans, Alan Blair, Nigel Hopkins, Max Aicken,

Maldwyn Jenkins, Jenny Fothgill, Donna Warrington, Iola Evans,

Will Troughton, Rosie Collins and Gabby Grey.