Class of 1954 reunion

Dennis Hall, Nicholas Asprey and I (Robert Fraser) have maintained contact since our years at Worth and Downside. In early 2004 we realised that in September we would be celebrating 50 years since about 40 of us arrived in Tower House, in smart new blue socks and our numbers tacked in brass on the soles of our shoes, to be placed in the care of Father Roger. We thought that the golden anniversary of this life changing experience ought to be marked in some way. I contacted the WOBS at Worth where Marie-Clare was very enthusiastic and supplied several addresses. The OG Society run by Jake Francis-Jones gave me more details of the boys who had escaped to Downside. Altogether I wrote to 24 who were listed in the Worth Record of Autumn 1954. Some were unable to attend and a few sadly we could not trace or did not reply.

On 20 November 11 of us plus Father Kevin, who was a new young monk at Worth at the time, met at Chez Gerard in London for lunch. The others were: Rory McGouran, Richard Shaw, Simon Slaughter, Rodney Bligh, Peter Maddock, Patrick Butler, Michael Fitzgerald and Colin Gleadell. We all had clear memories of Worth in 1954 and as lunch progressed we slowly recalled the peculiarities of school life, with Father Kevin seeming to remember everyone who had ever been there. During lunch we had a phone call followed by a fax from George Ingr who was unable to be present as he was tending the family business interests on the Polish/Russian border. He impressed us by recounting where we all sat in class in our final year—1b in 1959 apparently! Lunch started at 12 noon with a reception. Father Kevin said a special grace and we then talked until 4.00pm when 2 had to go and the rest of us unwillingly packed up at 5.00pm. I produced some of those long school photos taken on the sunken lawn and a 1958 copy of the Worth Record with a picture of Rodney and an article by Richard. A few other photos were handed round to embarrass others.

We were all very enthusiastic about the event. Nobody found it as strange as some wives had warned and we propose to repeat the occasion after a suitable interval.

Robert Fraser for the Class of ‘54.

Floreat Wortha