Held at Westoe Rugby Club, Dean Road, South Shields
on Monday 30 December, 2002

The General Reunion for former pupils of the old Boys and Girls High then Grammar Schools held at the Westoe Rugby Club on 30 December last was a great success with over 300 people attending and seeing what the ravages of time had done to their former class-mates.

The event cost only £62 to put on while the collection taken on the day amounted to £225 so the organisers (Graham Abrahamson , Eric Moyse, Pat Kitson and Ian McKenzie) agreed that the surplus of £163 should be forwarded to the Mayor of South Tyneside Mrs Joan Jackson, who along with her husband Arthur attended the event, both being former pupils.

In her letter of acknowledgement, Joan said that the “..letter and cheque were a terrific surprise and I was quite overwhelmed by the generous donation – a bonus to add to a very happy occasion - the bonus for Arthur being the old photographs of so many people he had been to school with...”

The charities to which the moneys will go are Victim Support and Young Carers.

Messages were received inter alia from Alex Patterson in Canada, former Headmistress Gillian Harris, Brian Borough in South Africa. Thanks are due to the organisers and to Alan Johnson who brought the memorabilia that added so much to the occasion.

Mike Todd, who should also be thanked, would welcome photos of the occasion for publication on the Boys’ School website and everyone wants to know the identity of the old boy standing second from the left in the back row of the Gazette photo. Own up whoever you are! There was also a memorable snap of an elderly gent in a school cap alongside an elegant lady wearing a school scarf.

Finally, the organisers state that they would be happy to attend the next reunion in 40 years time but would like someone else to make the arrangements.