The Class of 69 (& friends) reunite!

FROM Frances Peters-Little: On 22nd March 2008, the Class of 69 hosted a Birchgrove School Reunion at the Town Hall Hotel on the corner of Darling and Mullens Sts, Balmain. Over 20 people and their friends attended, including Neil Perkins, Michael Russell, Denise Hunt and Jimmy Little. Former pupils who attended were Mary Carter, Vicki Bailey, Shauna Willoughby, Debbie O’Shannassy, Leonie Middleton, Karen Arthur, Fiona Willoughby, Anisah Alkamrakhi, William Moss, Rosie Manoursaridis, Kim Fitzgerald, and Linda Stanford, Frances Little, Bernice Ross, Les Dinham, Ross Gilding, Kerry Palmer, Debbie McPharlan, Steven Delaney and Michael Halasz. Nevertheless a great night was had by all.

Apologies from those who could not attend were; Stephen Prest, Billy Carter, Narelle Garside, Kim Lincoln, Sue Sovic, Barry Armstrong, Patricia Montgomery, Christine Purdie, Brian Scott, Stephen Leitch, Debbie Bailey, Stan Lock, Elinor Hawkins and Luigi Orefice; and though a much larger number of people were notified, they were either not interested in coming or were unable to attend. The night was celebrated with songs from the 1960s and 1970s hit parade jukebox/karaoke, good food and drink, with a professional photographer on hand to take photos of the night. From the survey taken, it seemed that Mr. Peck, Mr. Redman, Ms. Anderson and Ms. Morgan were the favourite teachers. That the most popular friends amongst the girls were Kerry Palmer and Patricia Montgomery and the most popular amongst the boys was Stephen Prest. The girls who had the most crushes were Rita Kilazaklov and Kerry Palmer and the boys were Ciano Glavina and David Edwards. 

The most favourite memory of Birchgrove that people agreed on was ‘playing sports at Birchgrove oval or going to Dawn Fraser pool’ and the annual Birchgrove Ball at the Town Hall where everyone was expected to do the Pride of Erin and Canadian 3-Step. The most unfavourable moment people agreed upon was ‘drinking warm, sour milk’. The most valuable lesson they learnt from Birchgrove was ‘Friendship’ and themost missed persons on the night were Kim Lincoln and Steven Prest. Many phone numbers and email contacts were traded throughout the night and much talk about another ‘get-together’ in the not so far future.