SEVENTY years of friendship was celebrated by former pupils of Andover Grammar School.
Twenty-nine alumni of Andover Grammar School, who started their educational journey together in September 1954, met at Andover Golf Club on Wednesday, August 7, which was filled with laughter and nostalgia
One of the event's organisers, Josephine Potter said: “It was a very special and heartwarming occasion.
“We had a wonderful meal, and it was so good to catch up with old schoolmates, some of whom we hadn’t seen for quite some time.”
Speaking to the Advertiser, Josephine explained how the reunion came to be.
“We’ve been in touch throughout the years, especially those of us who have always lived locally to Andover.
"Our first big reunion was in 1990, which was organised without the ease of the Internet. But we managed to get quite a few people together for that. We met at a hotel in Andover."
READ MORE: School's out forever - The history of Andover Grammar School
Since then, the group has continued to meet regularly, with a core group forming that has met monthly for years at The Grosvenor in Stockbridge.
“Obviously, we’ve lost quite a few people over time, and some live abroad now, but we’ve kept the tradition going,” Josephine said.
“This was our fourth big reunion. We usually meet in January and August, and for the last three, I’ve taken on organising.”
Josephine was thrilled with the turnout.
“I can’t believe we managed to get 29 people together. Some travelled quite far - someone came all the way from New Romney in Kent, which takes her about five hours. Another couple came down from Birmingham.”
The reunion was filled with lively conversation and shared memories.
“The first thing we always discuss is our various ailments,” Josephine joked.
“I call it the organ recital. But once that’s out of the way, we talk about our families, share photos, and catch up on what’s been happening in everyone’s lives.
"And the other interesting thing is that people's spouses have become friends —people that obviously didn't know at the time. I've become great friends with the wives of a couple of people from Romsey."
Looking back, Josephine shared fond memories of the school itself.
“It was a beautiful school with lovely grounds,” she said.
“We had our own swimming pool and were really quite lucky, though we probably didn’t appreciate it fully at the time.”
The school became comprehensive in 1974 and later moved to a new site on land off Floral Way. The old site is now a housing development.
“I haven’t been around there for a long, long time,” Josephine said, reflecting on how much has changed.
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As for future reunions, Josephine said the group’s January gatherings might not continue.
“We’re all in our 80s now, and people have various health issues. Traveling in winter is becoming more of a challenge. But there’s still a lot of interest in meeting in the summer, and the Andover Golf Club is a great venue for that.”
Despite the challenges, the spirit of these reunions continues to grow.
“We’ve noticed our appetites are getting smaller,” Josephine said, “but the joy of seeing old friends hasn’t diminished one bit.”
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