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Back to News PageClass of 1968 Reunion Marist Class of 1968 Reunion : 19th to 21st March 2010
Friday 19th March I drove in and a host of guys were chatting in the car park. It was like arriving for some school function… quite a few years earlier.
Howard Hume and Robin Manicom and John Quail and Fernie de Passos and Kevin Judge and Konrad Dover and Gregory Comley White and Rob Ruggier and Ian Sutherland and Brother Brendan and Louis Arde who had invited Mrs Cox to join us and …………more.
We were asked to move into the pub and conference centre and I walked in with Fernao de Passos and asked after the recent arrival of his grandchild. Fernie and I had kept contact over all these years. I have also kept contact with Larry Sanders and although he did not matriculate with us, I thought it would have been good if he was there.
I walked out of the pub onto the balcony, looked over the edge and recognized the very familiar rugby field and rugby stands but not the building I was standing in!
At some stage of the evening Greg Comley White said to me that when he arrived for the reunion he did not feel particularly apprehensive, but rather that emotion welled as he drove into the school. That we had only been together for several years maybe 8, or at the most 10 years compared to now, 42 years away, seemed not to make sense, but they were formative years for us, especially in a young man’s life. Further, we were only 2 classes of 48 at the time (according to Colin Rilley’s spreadsheet). The bond after all these years was amazing. And so the guys responded, the top sportsmen, the ‘naughty’ buggers as well as those quieter guys who might have been involved in less ‘activity’ and more spectatorship.
I walked in to the pub and immediately Bruce Gray recounted how, although we live less than 1 Km apart, we have probably seen each other 4 times in 40 years. He then let out a right hook as if to punch me and I retaliated immediately..which almost took him by surprise as 42 years earlier as communicative as he was to me (he sat in front of me in class) had that happened, I would not have dared to retaliate..he, and the affable Kevin Judge and the late Dennis,( Kevin’s brother), were huge.
And there at the pub was Chris Backeberg and Renzo Avellini and Basil Smith chatting away. Then I saw Andrew Murray, Alex Murray’s younger brother (from 2 classes behind us). We had lived very close together and the 3 of us together with Charlie Zammit (from a year before us) had spent many hours together after school. We recalled several of those activities. And then someone else walked up to me and greeted me. I can only presume that those years back a lot of guys looked huge to me and maybe the size/height difference was great (Colin Rilley, John Queenan were short and I was probably the shortest). I remembered Terrence Johnson as powerful, successful, in charge, almost aloof and here was this warm, friendly and not so big guy.
And Brother Brendan remembered several names, including mine. He had not changed much to me at all. I brought him a Coke.
Some guys, possibly Catholics, rugby players, educators and the like might have felt more bond for the school but going walk about with David Cohen certainly had the memories rushing in –
  Right- Bruce, Konrad and John Left- Greg and Renzo Brother Brendan standing with his mic on the second floor calling all to assembly Brother Anthony chatting to the lady teachers
On a visit to the biology class the biology students recalled their activities with Mrs. Cox, the biology teacher and then Tony Jordan said that previous to this being a Biology class it was Brother Raymond’s class. Several guys recalled that should Brother Raymond ask you a question and you got the answer wrong, he would get very angry and he would hit HIS head against the wall. His teaching ability must have deteriorated fairly rapidly.
I walked up the stairs with Alex Murray and he rubbed his fingers along the hand rail and commented on the little nobules spaced equidistant apart – did they slow him down as he slid down the hand rail those years back?
We went into the physics class and Grahame Hayes did an impersonation of one of our teachers, a Mr.Anderson. It was perfect. As he told us on Friday (and I am pleased to say repeated on Saturday night when many of the wives were present) Mr. Anderson never explained why he grabbed his hair, did a hand action as if he was splitting a hair and then let out a hoarse hiss which was his mechanism of laughter and a satisfaction of proving to you that ‘you were splitting hairs’!
David Dawkshas and I were the first to walk into the science room and all the solid work benches were the same – and then the smell grabbed you….it was the same smell . We commented on the smell (your brain’s keenest memory is your sense of smell,) and then as more and more guys walked in, they commented on the smell. Grahame Hayes, now Prof. Grahame Hayes walked over and said hey, I had scratched my name into the wood over here…they have removed it.
The school is now co-ed and simply because in our experience it was boys only, it was strange to see ladies toilets. One of the staff rooms had been redesignated ladies and gents loos..and in a boyish way someone quipped that maybe the room was put to better use.
The library was fantastic and simply not there when we were students although Mr. Dave Sim, our English teacher had started one. Whilst we were standing there listening to David Cohen telling us the specifics concerning the library a latecomer arrived. I walked up to him and I decided (I have to say by his nose) that it was Alex Murray. Alex, those years back, had thick black hair and now he looked tall, thin and balding with thin hair on the sides of his head. I greeted him and he said: “ Hello Mark”…”No”, I said, “ Roger, Roger Arnulphy”. “ Roger Arnulphy, Roger Arnulphy!” he exclaimed.” Take your glasses off”, he said … “yes I can see it is you”. And on we spoke. Alex used to come over to my home those years ago. By chance, many years later my mother had sold her flat to Alex Murray’s mother, Alex had come over and on Friday night was staying over with his mother.” Are you sleeping in my room ?”, I asked.” Yes”, he said, “isn’t it weird”. Later Alex said: “You know everybody is still recognizable ..it’s just as if we have all been morphed*”.
After school Rob Ruggier had met his wife to be, I had met my wife to be and we socialized and then we drifted apart. So Rob was instantly recognizable. What I was so shocked at was that Rob who had trained to be a teacher, and then gone to Cape Town to work for Old Mutual was in fact until recently a General in the South African Army. And then so sorry to hear of his accident and his subsequent problems with his back.
Konrad Dover had lived not far from me and then decided to emigrate to Aussie. Only a year ago he had been here with his wife but decided he could not miss this and returned for the reunion. Thanks Konrad.
Howard Hume, who had made the trip all the way from Denver, Colorado had been in the ‘B’ class in Standard Nine. He decided to start working was promoted to the ‘A’ class in Matric, achieved honours went off to the USA and I learnt now has a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering, I think he said. Thanks for coming Howard.
Probably the first thing I said to Louis Arde was do you remember “Miss, can I …………..” Quite rightly, he responded with “ I am not there anymore”. Louis is the Principal of Glenwood Primary School and of course he had changed. I was quoting from 42 years earlier.
I last saw Clement a few years ago and so I recognized him easily. Clement and I chatted about religion and he gave me some in depth background into the history of the bible from the Greeks to Latin, to French and to English.
Rob Manicom has been in Cape Town working for Eskom but his passion seems to be sailing.
Chris Reed had come down from Johannesburg. I had known that Chris was a Principal. What I had not known was that he was the Principal of a girls’ school. Chris looked quite contented with life.
I remembered that Brian Stadler had been a councillor. I had met his wife. Soon after school he had been a councillor and now he was an architect and owned a restaurant. I enquired about his wife who I remembered was an artist and he simply said that they had been divorced 10 years earlier.
John Quail has hung up his boots after running 12 Comrades!
Ian Sutherland played some music and some extracts from ‘Springbok Radio’. We also chatted about a mutual friend.
Marc Poupard surprised me with the list of different work he has done but is very happy teaching music and singing.
Towards the end of the evening Alex Murray looked for ways to join in on the Sunday but eventually he came to the conclusion, almost reluctantly, that were too many family commitments whilst visiting SA.
Saturday 20th March
On Saturday evening, some of the wives joined us. Suddenly after 42 years, an extension of the guys – it was good to meet the wives that were present.
We had a wonderful meal and some good speeches including a few from Kevin Judge. Each guy gave a one minute (or shorter) talk on what had transpired in his life over the last 4 decades, except for Kevin Judge who spoke for about 27 minutes.
The guys reminisced and exchanged stories across the 4 tables. Most stories involved Renzo Avellini and his antics, especially with his car, or stories of Jeffery Kolling. The most famous one of Jeff is that on one occasion our teacher was away and Jeffery, who was very athletic, was walking on his hands between the desks when the Principal, Brother Brendan walked passed, looked through the window and just noticed 2 legs going past. Needless to say Jeff was marched off to the Principal’s office. Jeff is now a Judge in the USA.
At one stage I asked the ladies at our table if they were not bored and they retorted, on the contrary, they found it very interesting.
Konrad Dover gave a talk and produced quotes from memorabilia. I could not believe what Konrad still had, even the instruction to us to read “Bleakhouse” over the Christmas holidays.
Ian Sutherland presented each one of us with a CD of the music of 1968 and the signature tunes from the various Springbok radio serials and shows. Thank you, Ian.
Some memories:
Gavin Higginson taking cuts to save the whole class from writing 500 lines for someone not owning up for a misdemeanor.
John Queenan doing a presentation of Beatles music in Standard 9 I think.
Dennis Judge and Gavin Higginson in a tie for chairman of the Debating Society.
Some teachers: Miss Watson, Ralton Loureiro (and his brother (a pupil) Averill Loureiro. Ralton has been Anglican Minister in Durban North for many years. Averill lives in Namibia.) Bro. Austin and Bro. Alban…..jou, jou,jou tamatiesap!
From Wikipedia: Morphing is a special effect in motion pictures and animations that changes (or morphs) one image into another through a seamless transition.
Sunday 21st March
On Sunday, quite a few of the guys including Colin Rilley, Dave Dawkshas, Bruce Gray, Chris Backeberg and Renzo Avellini and Dave’s wife Merle Dawkshas went to play golf. The rest of us went ‘touring’ Durban. We consisted of:
Kevin and Konrad from Australia
Howard from the USA
Rob and Brenda Manicom from Cape town
John Quail from Durban
Terry Johnson from London
Bruce’s wife Sarah and son, Matt
My wife Juan and I, also from Durban.
Bruce’s wife Sarah and son, Matt had organized 2 x 6 seater buses. We all met at Marist Bros and before we went touring on the buses, some of us looked around the school in the daylight. We also went to visit the new amphitheatre, a tribute to the school founder,Saint Marcellin Champagnat.
  We returned to the car park and climbed on the buses. Sarah and Matt did a sterling job of showing the restaurants and clubs in Durban and the various changes that have taken place. We then went up the Sky Car at the new Moses Mabhida stadium. The view from the top of the beachfront and of the ridge to the west and beyond is spectacular
 [from the new soccer stadium: The Sun Coast Casino on the left and the Blue Waters hotel on the right]
Afterwards we went to the uShaka Marine World and had a wonderful lunch there. Matt then drove Kevin to catch his tourbus. When he returned, Matt and Sarah drove us back to Marist Bros. Sarah was then going to drive Terry Johnson to the airport. The end of a wonderful reunion had arrived.
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Our thanks go to Bruce Gray and his family for all their efforts in making this a most memorable weekend.
Our thanks go to Colin Rilley for his sterling efforts in ‘sourcing’ all the guys and to any other guys who provided assistance to him.
Our thanks go to David Cohen for his informative narratives on the school.
Postscript
Those who did not make the week end reunion:
Tony Barth, Bevil Bramwell, Maurice de Billot, Anthony Courage, Terry Espitalier, Roland Goetz, Jeffery Kolling, Louis McCluckie, John Queenan, Brian Pearman, Paul Campbell and Derek Ralfe.
Those who have not yet been located:
Dimitros Alexandratos,Brian Dicks, Brian Harvey, Campbell Russell and Lynn van der Merwe.
Those who we need to remember:
Gregory Gierke, Dennis Judge, Marius van der Linden, Philip Sluczanowski and Jimmy Conway.
Roger Arnulphy
Please Note: 1. Names have not been changed to protect those involved.
2. If there are any errors, please overlook them
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