Christmas 2007
Greetings from The President
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Christmas 2007 Greetings from The President |
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Christmas 2007 Dear Old Ilminsterians Greetings to you all! Cliff in his Christmas message last year had a lot to tell you about. By contrast, I am afraid that mine this year will be very short and dull. After the excitements of our 75th Anniversary year, things have returned to a quieter (and I suspect much more normal) tempo. Since the summer my one engagement as your President has been to attend the Armistice Day service in the Minster and afterwards to lay a wreath on the War Memorial. The Minster was packed for the occasion with old servicemen, local dignitaries and the representatives of the various local services and youth groups; I think there were twenty-nine wreaths laid in total. There was a very thought-provoking sermon from the Reverend Alastair Wallace, and I have to say that I found the whole occasion very moving. It was a fine, bright day and the low sun showed up our new window to very good effect; it certainly is a fine and much admired addition to the wonderful old Minster- a very successful blending of old and new. After the ceremony tea was served in the old school gym- which did not seem much changed from my day at least. In fact some of the fixed apparatus is still in place- but from the look of it not in use. Perhaps it is listed! For me it was a splendidly nostalgic afternoon, although strangely I could not remember taking part in any Armistice Day service as a cadet, though presumably we must regularly have done so (probably grumbling all the way). The various cadet groups marching this year I suspect looked very much as we would have done then- except in one respect; now, of course, half of them are girls. Times change. We are already nearly halfway to our 2008 Reunion Day celebrations on July 12th. We are looking for a very good turnout, particularly from the class of 1958, and for that matter the class of 1948. We hope you will show up in strength. So, I look forward to seeing you all on July 12th, which, as I am sure we all remember, was Julius Caesar’s birthday. Had he been lucky enough to have been born in Ilminster he might have made the class of 89 B.C. and then we could have drunk his health. Meanwhile, I wish you all, and all your families, a very Merry Christmas, and good fortune, fun and health in the New Year. Philip Burnford December 2007 |
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