Chairman's Lettter

Dear Old Michaelian,

Since I last wrote to you through "The Mitre" your Association has held another successful reunion, which many of you attended. Those of you who were unable to attend for whatever reason missed a very enjoyable weekend, and many of you will have suffered from "burning ears" as the main topic of conversation always include your names, along with comments such as "it would be great to see turn up next year, I've not seen him/her since I left, or at least for many years at a reunion."

Another Christmas has passed, as has the worst of the winter months, and Spring is upon us. Winter this year, although being very wet has been fairly mild, and it was whilst casting my mind back to those 'bitter' winters we used to have that I recalled 'The Winter of all Winters' in my life time, that of 1962/3! I still have the photographs of the sea frozen beyond the end of Hunstanton Pier. Did someone really walk out on the ice that far? The stories I remember tell me that they did.

I should like to take this opportunity to thank Peter Yarker for all his efforts as Chairman and committee member of our Association. Peter decided that it was time for him to retire and announced his intention to do so prior to the last AGM. Regrettably he could not be convinced to stay, his view being that he should make way for 'new blood'. Many thanks from us all, Peter, and we look forward to your continued support. You should be able to relax more easily at future reunions.

We are pleased to welcome Geoffrey Kimberley to the committee and also Thomas Healey who stood down a year ago but is now back playing an active part in the production of newsletters etc.

As you know this year's reunion is to be a 'Pre-Millennium Happening' and your committee are planning some special events over the weekend. More of those later, but remember to book 30/31 October in your diaries as the 1999 Old Michaelian Reunion Weekend.

I recall holding interviews for a job, and part of the process was that interviewees were to give a ten minute presentation on a subject of their own choice. One particular candidate chose 'Are Birds Eye Peas As Fresh As The Moment When The Pods Went Pop?

 The story of peas from planting to freezer. A panel of three interviewers all leant something new that day, and the candidate got the job. All of you out there lead interesting lives, either career wise or recreationally. Frequently we see what we do as being of little interest to anyone else other than ourselves. Surprisingly this is not the case. Quite often, when chatting to people, it transpires that we have common interests in some way.

Therefore all of us are in a position to write an article for "The Mitre", without any fear of it being of little or no interest to all our members. Pick up you pens, turn on your PC and spend an hour putting something onto paper.

Don't worry about grammar, spellings etc. we all went to the same 'Leaning Centre of Excellence!

Finally, may I on behalf of the committee, wish you all a good summer and the best of health and hope that you enjoy this latest edition of "The Mitre"

 Bob Hill.