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.
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.
Copies will be available for collection or if the Readership wish to write to me and request a copy I will make it available through the mail.