Arborfield Old Boys Association

AOBA

Arborfield Life

The 2008 Reunion - a call for all ( especially those who joined in 1958)

Provisional dates for the 2008 Arborfield Old Boys Association are Friday 25th – Sunday 27th July.

All ex-boys and PS will be made very welcome and we can promise a great weekend. If you are a current member of the AOBA you will automatically receive application forms for the weekend. But if you are not a current member you will need to join up first. Application forms to do this can be downloaded at our membership page.

We all look forward to seeing old friends and making new at Arborfield in July 2008 - see you there!!

A letter written in October 2007 to the guys from 1958 who will be celebrating their 50th anniversary .............

“ You may or may not remember me from the distant past, Paul Hudson 58A “D” Coy. I am writing as next year marks the 50th Jubilee of 58ers entry to The Arborfield Apprentice School. It may be ten months away but the way time flies these days it will be upon us before we know it.

I don’t know if you are aware but for the last 31 years an annual Arborfield Old Boys’ Association reunion has been taking place at Arborfield, which has gone from strength to strength.

Over 200 OBs attend and it’s one hell of a weekend, nothing like we remember the old place (and you can get away with having a go at the RSM). Provisional weekend planned will be Friday 25th – Sunday 27th July.

Myself, John Kelsey, Barry Lucas-Carter and Marshall Day (regular attendees) are doing our best to make contact with as many 58ers as possible for the event next year. Our aim is to “put one over” on 57ers as they managed to have 47 OBs turn out for their “50” jubilee at the 2007 reunion, never before has there been such a huge intake turn out on the top table. There is another priority, thanks to the government and senior Civil Service “powers that be”, they have decided to axe Arborfield garrison and move the whole damn show to a location near Cardiff. No fixed date has yet been set but 2012 is rumoured. We will still hold our annual reunion somewhere after this, it may not quite have the same feeling of location but certainly will regarding comrades, especially after a few pints.

Back in 1998 nine of us turned out for our 40th but we are determined to beat that next year. What we intend is to write to all we know of with addresses, E-mails or phones in the hope that you have not moved since last contact. Furthermore we will be asking you to make contact with any OBs that you still know of and pass their details to me and also persuade them to join us and write to me for details. Please make contact with me ASAP (phone, address or E-mail) regarding yourself and hopefully others so we ensure the committee will be aware of numbers in good time.

Those who I can recall who attend either frequently or when able are,

58A:- Paul Wiggins, Pat Gutteridge, John Kelsey, Paul Hudson, Dave Wayland, Ken Anderson, Marshall Day, Barry Lucas-Carter, Geoff Earnest.

58B:- Alan Maloney, Colin Chance, Charles Hollingsworth, and probably a few more who escape my ageing brain.

This year we invited, along with others, ex “C” Coy CSM Huxley (of singing fame “C Company – Champion Company) who is now a member of Royal Hospital Chelsea. It was a great pleasure to welcome them and they thoroughly enjoyed the whole weekend.

Those of you who are paid-up members and OBAN subscribers will automatically receive the application form in next year’s magazine. For those paid up members but not subscribing to OBAN I strongly recommend that you contact the Hon. Treasurer, Mike Davis, for details to open a direct debit. For £15 we receive three OBAN magazines per year which are of a high standard and well worth it, all articles are written by Old Boys and occasional permanent staff and believe you me, you’ll get glued to them once you start reading. For those of you who are not in membership I recommend that you contact Fred Mills, Membership Secretary, ASAP, as full membership is required for the major part of the reunions. Alternatively, full details can be found on the web site,just click “Join Here”, current life membership is just £15.

Our reunions are well worth attending, meeting up with old friends, plenty of good food (as opposed to all those years ago), unbelievable bar charges (although they were increased this year to £1.25 per pint after six years at £1.00). Friday evening curry supper and bar open till 0200. Saturday till about 1430 after the barbeque lunch, open 1900 after AGM then till 0300 after the evening dinner.

We do ask you all to take the plunge and attend the big event next year (and future years), it would be great to meet up again.”

Regards,

Paul Hudson 58A “D” Coy

Calling all 58ers

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