Lunch at "The Old Ship"

Members of the Ullathorne House rooms corridor from 1980 and contemporaries gathered for lunch on Friday 12 September at a riverside pub in Hammersmith.
This was attended by over sixty percent of the corridor from that year. Some overseas members, namely Floris Jansen, Christian Hayes, and Alex Eu were contacted by telephone or video link during the event.

Fr Gervase Murray-Bligh our brilliant house master of Ullathorne for over 30 years, was desperately sorry he could not attend. However the highlight of the afternoon was a recorded video message (below) from Fr Gervase which was broadcast to those present.




Most of us had not seen each other for 28 years and there were plenty of anecdotes and stories to get through.
Such a remarkable turnout was not surprising. The rooms corridors were an integral part of each house at Downside and Ullathorne was no different.
The inhabitants of the Ullathorne corridor were fiercely individual, and keen to plough their own furrows, but they were all prepared to contribute to the atmosphere and life within it.
The corridor today has been transformed and even has carpeted floors, now occupied by girls from Caverel House and no doubt with a character of its own.

Overlooking the Thames in lovely sunshine, a rare occurrence this summer, a great afternoon was had by everyone which continued well into the night for many.

Kind messages and best wishes were conveyed from the following who were unable to attend - Christian Hayes, Floris Jansen, Alex Eu, Paul Taylor, Piers Hill, Nicholas Bingham, Jim McKechnie, Jeremy King, Dominic Scott, Antony Ward and Emma Craigie (nèe Rees Mogg).

In the above photo from left to right:
Desmond Davies, Pete Chodorowski, John Willis, Dan Bevan, Pat Karam, Cathy Webber, Miranda Spottiswoode, Guy Matthews, Rob Martine, Rupert Hastie, Tim Broughton, Peter Thomas, Paul Harris, Tim Edwards, Lourenco de Almeida, Richard McCarthy, Will Thorne, Ed Bisgood, Philip Montague

Pre Lunch Messages

From Dominic Scott
Dear Tim Many thanks for the message. It sounds like a great idea to organise a dinner for old Ullathornians (if that's the right word). Unfortunately, I'll be over here in Virginia at that time, because the teaching term begins late August, so won't be able to join you. I'm sure it will be a great success, and thanks for helping to organise it. All the best Dominic

From Christian Hayes
Regret to say can't make the reunion. Afraid work responsibilities demand that I remain in the US that week. C'est la vie. Have fun and send me some photos. Thanks, C.

From Floris Jansen
Dear all,
I am very VERY sorry to say that I won't be able to make it to the reunion.
I live in the US these days, but there was a conference in France (Nice) that I'm attending next week. I was hoping to sneak away on Friday and fly to London - unfortunately one of my colleagues' visa applications was denied, and I have to make his presentation at the conference on his behalf... and of course it would be on the Friday.
Know that I am thinking of all of you, and that I'm seriously bummed about not being there in person. I will drink a pint in your memory on the Riviera that evening.
I hope there will be lots of pictures and some good stories afterwards...
All the best, Floris

From Paul Taylor
Tim, I am very sorry but I am going to have to cry off, citing family illness – corny but true. I wanted to wait as long as possible yet still give adequate notice. Naturally I am happy to pay for my meal if you can’t cancel at this stage. I do wish you all the best and give my regards to everyone. We’ll have to argue another time about my winning goal against Caverel in the final…

From Piers Hill
Guys n gals,
Gu**ed to have to report that I too am unable to join you all this Friday. I'm going to be stuck in St Petersburg from Wednesday on.
I'm also hoping that there'll be plenty of piccies taken and if need be, I'd be happy to chuck a photo of yrs truly into whatever medium is used post gathering: you can rest assured that I'm still a pretty little petal.
Would have been truly great to see any and all of you, plus Gervase of course, but such are the vagaries of vulgar commerce.Good luck, Piers

From Alex Eu
You guys are funny. I will call Tim’s phone if skype is inconvenient. V upset not being able to make this event. I see none of you have lost your sense of humour. Hope to hear from you guys soon. Make sure you email me the photos. Have fun. Alex

From Jim McKechnie
Sorry Tim for late reply. Can't make it I'm afraid. hope you all enjoy it, Jim

From Nick Bingham
My ill mannered lack of response is not due to any lack of enthusiasm, only uncertainty. I (not me, my client!) have a court hearing that both we and the other side wish adjourned. It may or may not be, so you'd better put me down as a reluctant no. But, if I can, I would love to turn up. Otherwise, have a great time and I hope to catch you next time!

After Lunch Messages

From Piers Hill
Hi guys,
It's been great watching the various emails wing through the ether following what was obviously a 'great larf' of an afternoon. Although I couldn't make it down the boozer, I've been in touch with a few of you separately.

Loved your email from Kuala Lumpur, Alex. For those of you who didn't know, Alex is now a successful telly producer making a prog called HOW DO I LOOK? following on from his career as a make up artist. Who'd ever have guessed all those years ago, eh Al?.....But you and I really do seem to have got our vocations muddled-up. I should be strutting my stuff in front of Asian telly wearing little more than a hot 'good hair day' prong and a pout, while you, Alex, should be knocking down temples of concrete in 'smash yer face in' Russia.

Running my eye over Des' photo was well odd. Some faces jumped out of the screen immediately, others needed a bit of prompting, but a couple, even now after the umpteenth viewing, still don't stack.

John (Willis), Bill Thorne tells me that the mention of Russia and explosives in the same sentence had you reaching for the kleenex (sorry Cathy and Miranda, but there's no such thing as a free lunch. The price is that you have to adopt honorary 'lad's status’ from time to time).
This should come as no surprise for those of you who can remember that a) John did Chemistry and Russian A levels the better to undermine the communist Russian regime and b) John had his own way of dealing with weekend boredom in the corridor.
Namely: While everyone else was off giving themselves headaches from cider drinking/spewing competitions, John was in his room moulding his plastic explosives (of which he had several pounds) into suitably shaped forms, using a box containing 200 rounds of machine-gun ammunition as a workbench. The confined space of his room and the strong chemical-marzipan stench of the explosives would give him a headache to match any cider binge.
Fortunately, the cry of 'Dwat, the detonators aren't dwy enough', were to be heard coming from John's room as he contemplated moving the junior house dorms to the other side of Roberts in 0.2 of a second. If I remember, John, you wanted a better view of the Gasquet hall from your room.
Get in touch, John, I'd be delighted to show you around in St Pete (bring Alex).

Talking of cider spewing, one of my lasting memories of Christian H, will be of a fire hose like trajectory of said part-digested liquid round the back of the music rooms…… but perhaps this is not the forum.....(sorry, Tim, I'm sure you'd not planned for these kind of memories to be brought, scratching and kicking, back to the surface).

Paul (Taylor), did you become a doctor in the end?

Although I didn't get to the Ship, great effort Tim and thanks for making it happen.
Bye for now.
Piers

From Paul Taylor
Wow – what a fine bunch of men (& women!) you have all turned out to be.. I am really sorry I couldn’t make it and meet up with you all again. How about an Easter retreat at Downside? I liked the sound of the Kings Arms being the major factor in the weekend!
Best wishes to you all and hope the liver function has recovered?
Paul

From Cathy Tyler (Webber)
Dear All,
Sorry to be late in adding my thanks to all the messages. Far from a traumatic experience, it was a really enjoyable day and good to see you all still looking so young! Definitely a good idea to try and make it a regular event - and drag a few more into the fray next time.
Thanks to Desmond for the photos.
Best wishes,
Cathy

From Miranda Spottiswoode
Just got home to find Cc reams of thanks to Tim - to which I add my own. He not only managed to get pretty well everybody invited, but even managed to persuade the very reluctant - and in two cases positively absent - to attend. However, I should also like to thank all you kind people who paid for my lunch, not to mention copious amounts of liquid refreshment, and then a taxi back to the hotel. As free lunches go, well, a 12 hour session in such company is hard to beat.
Miranda

From Pat Karam
I would also like to say that I enjoyed the afternoon at The Ship tremendously. I was sad to have to rush off to a night shoot on a much less picturesque part of the Thames before I had really finished reminiscing. Well done Tim for organising an event I enjoyed being at for more than just reasons of curiosity. Absolutely bizarre to see that some - especially Des, Will Thorne and John Willis - had not physically changed at all. I could still see mannerisms in some people that took me straight back to Downside. Extraordinary to see Phil Montague who I have known since I was 8!!!!! Piers, Paul and Alex you were very sorely missed and I do hope it happens again so that you can attend one of these slightly surreal gatherings. How weird would it be to expand it to our whole years!!!!! I think it would be fascinating myself.
Best of luck everyone

From Emma Craigie (Rees-Mogg)
Pat - who or what do you shoot?I think a whole year reunion would be fantastic. I was really sorry to miss the event and very pleased to be undeservedly invited. It is great seeing the pictures, and hilarious email trail.
All best, Emma

From Richard McCarthy
Guys,
Just woke up from the gutter. That was some party!
Enjoyed as ever the company and the beers.
Now I have to work out how to get back home to Holland.
Best wishes,
Richard

From Desmond Bloom-Davis
Dear All,
A big thank you to Tim Edwards for organising a great day today
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all of you today and was surprised that everyone is pretty much the same as they were in 1980 (apart from some obvious changes that happen with age).
I will certainly try and keep in touch
I am sure that Catherine is very pleased that she’d come after all.
Great to see you all and let's hope that it won't be another 27 years before we meet again because at 72 years it really would be a miserable day as by that age we will be constantly going to the loo!
Byee Desmond

From Dan Bevan
Agreed. A very entertaining afternoon. Downside isn't like other schools. It seems to produce these free spirits (or is that code for something else???!). Thanks to all who took the trouble to get it organised. Now Ullathorne is one of the lost tribes of Israel, we need to stick together!
DB

From Alex Eu
Was great talking to all of you. However it wasn’t fair that I couldn’t see you all and you had my face plastered on some huge plasma screen. Well now that we have found each other again I hope I don’t have to wait another 30 years for the next reunion. YOU all take care and keep in touch.
ALEX

From Will Thorne
All,
Great to see you all after decades - none of us have aged a bit (at least after a few drinks it seemed that way). It was fantastic effort by Tim to set it up - so thanks for your persistence and patience. Piers Hill - we all want to know more about your blowing up and where - John Willis is especially interested in a rather worrying way.
I promise to try and keep in touch via e-mail....and if anyone is coming through London please look me up if you can.
Best wishes, Will

From Rob Martine
It was a great afternoon and I echo my thanks to Tim, not just for organising the event, but also for belting down to Stratton on the Fosse the day before to interview Geoff so that we could have some interface with the man in black on the day. Above and beyond the call of duty I say!I would also like to add that I have taken my wife and family to Downside for the last 2 Easter retreats. We all enjoyed it and I would recommend it to any of you as a way to stay in touch with the place and what it stands for. It's not at all heavy or stuffy - there is the opportunity to spend at least 50% of the time in the King's Arms!
Best to all, Rob

From Guy Matthews
I hope nobody's buying any of that "Oh, it was nothing at all, just took a few minutes here and there" nonsense from Tim. He did an awesome job to bring so many of us together after such an interval. A delightful afternoon - warm sunshine, great company, far too much booze.The only real question is 'When can we do it all again?" My feeling is that we should aspire to something similar at a regular interval. Yearly is probably a bit much. Maybe every other year, like the Ryder Cup? Or every fourth, Olympic style? I hope it doesn't sound like I'm putting myself forward as organiser!!

From Jeremy King
I was also sorry not to have been able to make it, but have had a full report from Guy. Sounds like all those training sessions at the Ring were not in vain. Look forward to catching up with you in the near future.

From Christian Hayes
Apologies to you all for not being able to make it. From what I heard from the middle of my budget meeting, it sounds like a wonderful time was being had by all. I can assure you that I would rather have been with you all! I will be in London the week of the 29th if anyone would like to get together for a mini-reunion / pint or two on the Thursday night. Just let me know if you're around.
Ps I'm surprised John isn't enrolled in dynamiters anonymous by now - maybe he is

From Rupert Hastie
I have just surfaced after a weekend of celebrations.Most excellent seeing you all. It whet my appetite as to seeing the guy's who didn't make it.Thanks Tim. Sorry I disappeared early, hope the fee covered everything or was there a horrible drinks bill to be settled? Let me know.Christian, I would love to see you when you are over.
Very best to you all, Rupert

From Edward Bisgood
Tim, yes we all heard you say that you did nothing at all except send a couple of emails and make a few phone calls, well take a slap on the back because you sent those emails and made those phone calls; you managed to get 20 odd people together after 28 years so well done and thank you for organising such an excellent lunch. Looking forward to the next one already!!!

From Tim Broughton
Tim, a really big thank you for organising this. A real achievement and I know it was hugely appreciated by all of us. I thoroughly enjoyed myself!All, great to see you all again and hope we can meet up again before we are in our 70's!! Dominus vobiscum, Tim

From Tim Edwards
I've arrived back in Luxembourg almost recovered and thank everyone for your kind Emails and texts. It's unnecessarily overwhelming, and I'm just extremely pleased you all turned up and had a blast. Willis, Thomas, Bisgood, Montague, Almeida and myself were still in the hotel bar at 2am... I must admonish Miranda for revealing she escaped with a free lunch. The girls were honorary members of the corridor and putting up with us, they deserved it. And finally I would like to thank everyone who helped me locate all of you, in particular Jake Francis-Jones and the OG website.
All the best,Tim

Comments

Feel free to post a comment here....