Pikeys Progress - OWA 111th Annual Dinner

Old Boys Events  •  Posted 10th September 2024

“Good Evening Tim”  I shouted, somewhat discourteously  to the school’s  esteemed Director of Development, an exclamation that could/should have got the speaker into a lot of trouble and had him banned from Mollison Drive for life.
            Tim was making his way to his car, two carrier bags in hand, probably contemplating the fact that the enormous amount of work he and Will Straw had put into organising the 111th Old Wilsonian Dinner was now coming to its fruition.
            Meanwhile the loud-mouthed miscreant trudged to the school’s reception area, through the automatic doors only to discover that he could go no further and realised he had become the first person to arrive.
            It was just before six o’clock, with tours of the school due to begin at 6-15. Thankfully Tim soon re-appeared and asked me if I would act as an emergency receptionist and greet attendees before the main building could be opened to all. 
            Gerry Adams, the oldest attendee, was one of the first to arrive, and eventually the clock ticked down and we were let into the building where Will Straw took the register.
“Do you want to order a lunch?”, he inquired, fatigue  having overcome him to the extent that he  had forgotten the main purpose of the evening.
            There were soon enough of us to begin the first tour and a polite and informative school prefect was our guide. It was  somewhat anarchic -  our fault, not his,  and we undoubtedly lost some of our original numbers and gained others from similar groups -  but we all learned a lot, some, perhaps, even more than  from their school days,  and we eventually reached the Britton Centre where a drinks reception  was held.
            Tim Edge, a man who has the air of a troubled Cardiff City supporter about him,  was again much in evidence and introduced the headmaster, Nathan Cole, who welcomed us all.
“I am only the 24th headmaster of the school in its 409 year history, ” he confided,  and made  a special welcome to Brian Melican, who had travelled “all the way from Hamburg to be here this evening.”
            He also mentioned someone who had travelled from far distant Sydenham, but I cannot remember his name!
            Nathan explained that this was not the first time that the alumni dinner had been held at the school, he was particularly pleased at the spread of ages represented at the event, he hoped to attend some football matches at Hayes in the not too distant future  and urged everyone to   work their  networks and friendship groups to ensure the widest possible publicity of any event that brings their  alumni together.
            He had  been made aware of the fact that the Class of 64  -  those who started at the school in 1964 – had recently held their own reunion at Hayes only a few days earlier whilst the class of 1956 were holding a similar function next month.
            One of the areas that our guide had taken us to was ‘The Well-being Centre’ and Nathan spoken movingly about the need for troubled individuals to speak openly about their concerns and that help is at hand for those who need it.
            This is something that the OWs also care passionately about and their Super Vets football team play two games a season against Arts Network, a charity that helps those with severe and enduring mental health issues.
            The game is also in memory of Kirk Benjamin, who used to play in these games, but who took his own life several years ago and who has a room dedicated to his memory in the ‘Well-being Centre, ’ and it was  gratifying to learn that a collection for Arts Network was being taken during the course of the evening.
            It was now time to move to the John Jenkins Hall  for the Dinner itself and although those on my table made a desperate effort to put my name tag  somewhere else, they were quickly  rebuffed by adjoining tables who were anxious to put said tag back from whence it came.
            Bill Hartley was on my immediate left and Neil Kendrick on my immediate right – an indication of their political beleifs?  - and we spent most of the evening talking about the Old Wilsonians, its growth and its future.
            We also tried to identify the portraits of the Headmasters on the wall and wondered how they were selected -  there were ceratinly not 24 of them glaring down at us.
            “Perhaps they revolve every so often and each one appears for an hour or so” I suggested, eager to demonstrate my knowledge of the digital age!

            It was soon time for Stuart Paton, the OW President, to address us and he spoke about his cherished memories of the school, his working life in the Metropolitan Police and the number of Old Wilsonians he had arrested during his career.
            He also reminded everyone that, for the second time in recent few years, Wilson’s had been adjudged the best state school in the country before going on to talk about the sex lives  of newts, his interest in which no doubt emminated  from his attempt  to arrest Ken Livingstone.

            The evening went very quickly and, like me, I am sure most people did not get around to speaking to everyone  they intended, but I was particularly pleased to be able to exchange a few words with Bob  Savage, a teacher at the school but after I had left, so I did not have to call him “Sir.”
            Other highlights of the evening included Chris Cowell’s determination to cause havoc  in the school library for reasons best known to himself, John Drabwell and I discussing the early days of the Football Club newsletter, which we had to type on stencils and then roll off on a ‘Gestetner’ machine, and Neville Spencer’s garish blue suit.
            Sincere thanks to Tim Edge and Will Straw for all of the work they put in to ensure that the evening was such a great success and for the school for agreeing to stage it.
            From an Old Wilsonian point of view we look forward to seeing the Headmaster – and many others – at Hayes and encourage every Old Wilsonian, and those still at the school , to enjoy our wonderful facilities for many years to come.