The Post House - Bexley -
Friday night 24th March 2000

There were a couple of early arrivals Eleanor, Denise, Penny and Ann and they went straight to their rooms or joined each other for a coffee and a chat.   When Eileen and Valerie arrived they, of course, went straight to the bar and were shortly followed by Denise.     Linda was next and she and Eileen decided to go get Penny.    They recognised her at once walking down the corridor and then picked up Eleanor and they went back to the bar.   It was getting emotional already and it was only 7.00pm!  

Unfortunately Shirley was ill and would not be able to attend and Nicky was stuck in Milan of all places!    She'd remembered Linda's phone number and phoned Ron to tell him.   What she thought Ron could do about the problem one can only imagine!

Shortly after Jackie arrived amongst lost of hugs and screams and then Janet appeared and so did Maureen with her daughter, Dawn.    Joan made an entrance when her husband dropped her off.   She thought she might not be recognised!!!    Then Dorothy arrived having come all the way from Gloucester on the train after work.

They eventually adjourned to the restaurant and the staff tried to get them to order.     So much nattering was going on that there was some doubt as to whether they'd get their orders in by midnight.      However, meals were ordered and they sort-of settled down.     The Janice arrived prompting more greetings all round and then, lo and behold Nicky pitched up much to everyone's surprise.      The little jet-setter had somehow managed to get from Milan to Bexley in an evening!

After coffee the hotel management were persuaded (against their better judgement) to let us borrow a small room to enable us to view the video of the 1958 School Fete - starring Dorothy and Janet among other older girls.   The noise from this room during the viewing was phenomenal!!   You'd think the whole school was in the room during a swimming gala!    We lost track of how many times we'd seen the three minute film and then went back to the lounge for a nightcap and eventually hit the sack around 2.00am

At breakfast there was still a lot of talking to be done and then in the lounge, once we'd all checked out, there seemed to be even more.     So much so that we did not take our leave till about 1.00pm - the hotel must have thought we were stopping another night!  The goodbyes took forever

The next meeting will be in the same place overnight - Friday 15th March 2002  - details will be sent out probably with the Christmas cards but I'd prefer to have all your email addresses in case there's an update!