B1 1949 Reunion
About 2,000 man-years of living Marlborough history gathered in Adderley on Thursday 8th October to celebrate 50 years of B1 Reunions. When Richard Russell left in 1948, he gave his house friends notice of a first reunion, to take place in 1959. It was a success, and continued uninterrupted every ten years until 1989, after which the interval between meetings was reduced (for obvious reasons!) to five years. This year the original B1 members were augmented by 9 non-members comprising five members of other houses, two wives, and the indispensable School Archivist Terry Rogers, together with the equally indispensable and irrepressible Secretary of the O.M Club, Martin Evans.
Surprisingly, perhaps, there wasn’t a single zimmer frame in sight! Apart from a smattering of spectacles, a light dusting of hearing aids and the odd crutch, we were a spritely lot. Nobody was “out at the front”, to use G.K. Chesterton’s memorable phrase, and there was plenty of hair on the lofty pates. We attributed this to a school diet that in our day included dry toast, whale meat and snoek, and a Spartan exercise regime that included two compulsory four-mile sweats a week. People had come from over the sea, including three from the Isle of Wight and Miles Bolus from Spain. Everyone looked in peak condition, and so the two doctors among our number were not pressed into service. About ten more, who normally come, sent various excuses, and said they were looking forward to the next one. As well as the two Doctors, we also had a Dentist, a Brewer, a Printer, members of all the armed services, and an impresario who came to fame at school as Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, so most eventualities were covered.
Coffee and champagne were taken in Adderley, which in our time was a beautiful library, as well as being the only warm room in the whole school in winter. Terry Rogers had laid out an impressive selection of scrap books and other ephemera, to remind us of our former pomp and circumstance. We then descended into the Senior Common Room dining room for an unbelievably delicious lunch made by Jochem, the Head Chef, which naturally included treacle bolly. After lunch, the toast to the School was proposed by Russell, R.S., (Russell A O and Russell L J also being present, although not related) and Martin replied to the toast on behalf of the School. We gathered from him that it was in good shape, and we could also see that, notwithstanding protestations to the contrary, the same applied to the speaker: as usual he was effortlessy amusing.
In the afternoon we viewed the buildings that were not there in our time, and were suitably impressed. The day was a success thanks to the many people at the School who discreetly looked after us, not least a member of the catering staff whose parents and grandparents had all served the school in their time. Now that really is something for us to be grateful for!”