| It
was Christmas-time 1980, on a
return visit to Merseyside, when
I heard to my horror that Prescot
Grammar School had been the
target of an arson attack. I
resolved to visit the scene of
devastation. Only the old
woodwork room and the dining room
had survived the fire, together
with a small portion of what had
been Form 3A classroom in my day
and the cloakrooms opposite. Most
of the rest had gone, leaving the
vague outline of the quadrangle
where I remembered summer morning
mnnidhl inn in the fresh
sunshine. I felt desolate but
angry. What
could be done to restore the
situation? It came to me in a
flash. If we could not recreate
the buildings, at least we could
try to recreate the society. I
contacted the secretary at
Prescot School, encouraged by
Headmaster Peter Barlow. Soon,
the 1940 records ware open in
front of me. Joe Reuse, Taffy
Roberts, Titch Farrell, Bill
Fawcett........ all the names of
my Form Va form-mates flooded the
memory. I could see their faces
as clear as daylight, and almost
hear their voices.
Equipped with a list of names, I
approached the Prescot & St
Helens Reporter and the Liverpool
Echo to announce that I wished to
get in touch with the members of
my 1940 School Certificate class,
some twenty-five boys in all,
with a view to organising a
Reunion. The response was prompt
and magnificent. long before
Easter, 22 of the 25 had
responded and we met at the Old
Vicarage Hotel, Whiston on 25
April, 1980. What an evening of
nostalgia! What memories and
experiences were fondly and
amusingly recalled - once we had
recognised each other! When I
first entered the bar, I thought
it was full of commercial
travellers. Then, gradually, one
by one, the pennies dropped!
"Nay, Jem, how goes it
?", "Crikey, there's a
lot more of you!", came out.
Eager handshakes and warn
back-slappings were followed by
endless reminiscing. We drank
well, we dined well and resolved
that we should meet again,
probably in 12 or 18 months time.
Before the next Reunion, I had
welcome and exciting news of the
addresses of Fred Stevenson and
Geoffrey Dixon who joined us for
the 1981 meeting. I had also
extended the age range a little
to include some slightly older
(pre-1940) and younger
(post-1940) Old Boys who had
surfaced in the meantime via the
bush telegraph. Cecil Pickavance
took pity on me, frantically
collecting subscriptions after
the meal was over, and offered to
help with the organisation. He
has done so, ably, ever since.
Subsequently, we have met every
18 months and, latterly, every 12
. months. Unfortunately, Fred
Stevenson died in 1987, but
Geoffrey and Masie Dixon and,
additionally, Jack Smith and
Margaret, Charles Middlehurst,
Peter Barlow and Carroll have
become our regular guests.
Memorable speeches, some reported
in this publication, have been
given. The intention is to
include others in successive
issues. They will provide, in
their own way, chronicles of the
Prescotian past.
Attendances at the reunions have
now reached 125: Old Prescotians
who wish to do so bring along
their ladies. Significantly, we
had several younger Prescotians
attending from the 1960s and 70s.
The next Reunion, our ninth, is
scheduled for 28th September,
1990 at the Statham Lodge Hotel,
Lymm near Warringtion and will be
attended by three members of the
last VIth Form (1987) of Prescot
School. This is a healthy sign
for the future.
The OLD PRESCOTIAN SOCIETY has
truly arisen, like Phoenix, from
the ashes. Long may it prosper
('Floreat Presootia', Ed.) but
please that its future lies in
the hands of each and every one
of us. FUTURAM CIVITATEM
INQUIRIMUS', "We seek after
a State to come".
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