Friends reunited!
The school reunion is a great chance to catch up with old friends. When Biddulph High School’s class of 1989 staged theirs, ADAM GRATTON popped along to see how it went
MEMBERS of Biddulph High School’s class of 1989 jumped at the chance to share their memories. What was intended as the first annual get-together took place at the town’s Conservative and Unionist Club in August last year – 30 years after they said goodbye to each other.
It proved to be a globe-spanning affair with one of the event organisers, Heather Wright, flying over from Germany to join in the celebrations.
Reflecting on her own school days she said: “I recall not really learning anything, I remember it as just going to school to see my friends.
“I never really liked the school holidays because I’d hardly ever see them. I’d have to walk into Biddulph every day to meet up if I wanted to hang out with them.
“But I believe high school did offer us the opportunity to further ourselves and it seems like everyone has done well. We wanted to organise the reunion though as it’s important to remember your roots and where you came from.”
With so many memories of days spent in classrooms and assemblies, the chance for everyone to renew their friendships brought back a host of recollections of things that happened
outside lessons. Fellow classmate Gary Wood remembered: “The sports days were one of the best things about the school days, probably because we got out of regular classes.
“It always felt like one long, hot, endless summer back in those days playing with friends – I have many happy memories of those days.”
Other former pupils travelled far and wide for the reunion. Justine Parrott, who travelled from Glasgow, said of her time at Biddulph High School: “I worked hard but always enjoyed time with my mates chatting at lunchtime outside the school gates or in the sixth form common room eating cheese, cucumber and Marmite sandwiches.”
Schoolmate Angela Kelsall said: “I remember the laughs. We would have our own ‘awards’ aside from the end of year school awards.
“I won the most raucous laugh and lush lips on account of the red lipstick I always used to wear.
“As for the reunion, I started it on Facebook between a few of us and we started to talk about holding a small get-together, nothing big.
“It’s strange, you see each other every day and then once you leave you don’t see anyone. Now 30 years later and we’re back together.”