One more year has passed by and so too has another successful Old Grey Europe Dinner in London on the 27th October 2017. This year’s dinner was hosted at the Lansdowne Club for the 3rd consecutive year.
We had a standout attendance of 65 Old Boys no doubt encouraged by the opportunity to offer thanks and farewell to outgoing Rector Neil Crawford who was present together with Grey Headmaster Lindsay Pearson, Old Grey Union President Dave Hurr and Chairman of the Grey Foundation Bryan Knox.
It was wonderful to welcome gentleman from a mix of generations. From a father and son as James Luckman (1982) who true to his world from last years dinner arrived with his son Matthew Luckman (2011) in tow to the most senior in the form of Mike Darlison who was in Way house from 1947 to 1950 and has been permanently domiciled in the U.K. since 1970.
The evening was not without its minor speed bumps as 65 thirsty men arriving simultaneously quickly worked their way through the ice-cold beers available from the bar. The bar staff were quick to load the fridge and ice buckets with beers to keep a cold supply flowing freely and I believe have learnt a valuable lesson about catering for South Africans!
After a brief welcome the meals were served. Lindsay Pearson and Dave Hurr each addressed the room offering a tribute to the outgoing Rector; and words were said by the Rector himself as he bade the audience farewell and regaled us of stories of his years at The Grey. The committee would like to thank all three for making the long journey to London!
Maintaining a connection to the School is important for any Old Grey and no less important for those of us who live abroad. Hearing our guests speak was an excellent complement to catching up with old friends and we wish the Rector the very best as he puts his feet up and enjoys his retirement.
The evening sped by all too quickly finishing with a trip down memory lane as Dave Hurr got all 65 boys standing shoulder to shoulder as Ronnie Davidson led us in the school song. This concluded with the 3 cheerleaders in attendance spurring us all on with a roaring ‘Give us a G, give us an R, give us an E, give is a Y, GREY!!!!! GREY!!!! GREY!!!!!! No doubt a first for the stiff collared Lansdown Club and definitely a memorable end to the evening.
Those with a extra stamina continued the revelry at a nearby bar where Adam Wilson was presented a Trophy as the winner of the 2017 golf day which held earlier this year.
A final thank you to those who helped with the dinner preparations and I look forward to seeing you all at next years events. Until then I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Those in attendance were;
Neil Crawford (Rector); Dave Hurr 1984 (President, Old Grey Union); Lindsay Pearson (Headmaster); Bryan Knox (Chairman, Grey Foundation); Ian Gardiner 1957; Paul Tiran 1960; Peter Phelan 1960; Bert Halbert 1976; Ron Baynes 1960; Ian Perkins 1961; Ronnie Davidson 1961; John Galloway 1974; Anton Pakendorf 1986; Marc Powell 1983; Geoff Pudney 1984; Lindsay Brown 1984; Rob O Flaherty 1984; Kurt Pakendorf 1983; Ivor Gardiner 1987; Mike Ferrant 1987; Jason Hooker 1992; Adam Wilson 2001; Mark Jennings 2001; Andre Basson 2002; Byron Truscott 2002; Mark Gibbons 2002; Murray Knight 2003; Matt Godwin 2004; Mike Darlison 1950; Michael Sanders 1956; Keith Butler Wheelhouse 1963; David Goddin 1966; Leslie Bergman 1960; John Holmes 1965; Patrick Fleming 1965; Michael Strelitz 1964; Antony Brown 2011; Joshua Young 2011; Rafael Menzel 2014; Matthew Wilson 2015; James Luckman 1982; Shaun Patchett 1982; Matthew Luckman 2011; Grant Strydom 1982; Charl De Kock 2004; Johan Cronje 2004; Colin Jentsch 2010; Dave Wilson 2005; Greg White 2005; Rob Simpson 2005; Vincent Pretorius 2005; Dean Rieder 2006; Drew Viljoen 2009; Greg Meterlarkanp 1997; Guy Powell 2003; Mark Molyneux 2003; Brad Bosman 2000 ; Iain Masson 2000; Ian Wiese 2000; James Sheppard 2000; Ian Mackenzie 2000; Kevin De Klerk 2000;
View some pictures from the evening below:
