65th Anniversary Monmouth Reunion

The following article, written by the secretary of the FWOE Association, Colin Spencer, is from the FWOEA Newsletter (No.58), December 2004:

There had been a lot of early preparation regarding this event. Peter Hoff, who had been instumental in helping organise the last one in 1999, had said to me afterwards that we had better have one in five years time as he thought there may not be many able to make the 70yh in 2009! I sent off circulars to all members whose dates had coincided with the evacuation. The response was tremendous and, on the appointed Sunday, over 50 former evacuess, together with wives, met at 12 noon on the slope of the boathouse at Monmouth. The weather was perfect - in fact it was too hot and many tried to get in the shade as soon as the press photographs had been taken.

We were honoured to have the present Headmaster and his wife, David and Janet Wheeldon (complete with ice-creams!) who were with us for the rest of the day. I was also delighted to see Gill Leake and her husband there too. Gill, the daughter of C.H. Dobinson, Headmaster during the evacuation, met up with many faces from the past. It was great to see ELO there too and I was pleased that I had arranged transport to Monmouth and back to Barnstable and to have a wheelchair available for him for the whole of the day. Ossie had been appointed by Dobinson in 1940.

Former Five Ways boys had travelled many miles to be there for the day. Some had made a weekend of it, others had travelled by coach from Birmingham for the day. Roger De Gobeo had surprised everyone, including me, by coming all the way from Manitoba, Canada. There was also a lady who had worked as a nurse in the local hospital during the war who was trying to locate a Five Ways boy who had been admitted for an operation but I don't think she managed to find him after all these years.

Most of those attending managed to visit the local museum where a small display had been set up especially for the event. I have left all the comments from those who wrote to me afterwards, to individual names until later in this newsletter. This is one of the reasons that we have such a bumper issue this time.

I had arranged with the present Head of Monmouth School, Mr Tim Haynes, that he would open up part of the school to allow those present to look around their old haunts as well as newer additions. He was very proud to show us the theatre which had been recently built and was being used by the residents of Monmouth as well as the school. Afterwards we were all royally entertained to afternoon tea by the Headmaster and his wife in the back garden of their house. A large number then went on to Leasbrook to relive memories of the past. The present owners were given a school shield with a brass plate suitably engraved by Paul Ennis. This was presented by Gill Leake. More food and drink was consumed here, photographs taken and many former residents were allowed to roam around the grounds.

All in all, it was a memorable day. I think, from the reaction of many who came - and some who were unable to do so - that we may well have a further reunion in September 2009.