Reunion at St Columba's
Fri 10th - Sun 12th October 2008

URGENT MESSAGE from Chris Benton
February 12th 2008

" We need to know who is having dinner with us at the Dryburgh on the Saturday evening. Naturally, everyone including 'day trippers' will be most welcome to join us but we do need to know 'numbers' ASAP so that we can decide if the big room is needed and booked.

I would like to let the Dryburgh know final numbers by the end of this month if possible."

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Update from Chris Benton
November 29th 2007

Dear Friends

Herewith list to date of those intending to come to St Columba's bash Oct 2008. With wives/ partners we are about 50 in number. From replies to my last message, it seems most are in favour of Saturday afternoon for the Mass in St Columba's Chapel. So I will discuss further with Brian McGowan and let you all know the outcome. Brian has told me he can arrange for the College to be open all day and I will confirm this later. I'm inclined to Mass starting at 4.30 or 5.00pm. If we have dinner arranged at the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel for say 8.30pm that should give us time for a chin wag after mass for those travelling back home Saturday evening. Watch this space.

The E mail addresses of all below appear in the Contacts or elsewhere on the Pelican website if anyone wants to make advance arrangements with old friends. Why not contact them now?

Please spread the word about the reunion. Even if ex-students can only make the Mass or a short visit I'm sure everyone will enjoy meeting again after so many years.

 

Chris Benton Derek Biewer Mike Butterworth Vinny Callaghan Ed Cherrey John Paul Dawson Frank Dillon Patrick Gibbons Gerry Gordon Owen Gormley Martin Hickey Lionel Holland Christine Hughes Nicky Kendellen Martin Leonard Zelda MacBride

Mike Mearns Kay Mearns Andy Mooney John Morton Frank Murphy Danny O'Hagan Bernie Osborne Peter Osborne Chas Robinson Tony Smyth Pat Tierney Peter Vale-Humpreys Paul West Jim Youdale Fathers Harrity, Collins & Donoghue

Regards & Godbless to all

Chris Benton

Update from Chris Benton
October 28th 2007

I trust everyone will be aware by now that the date for the St Columba’s reunion has been set for the above weekend.

We will be having the customary evening meal (now more or less a feature of our reunions) for all who want to, in the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel on the Saturday night  followed by a couple of hours in the Lounge Bar discussing solutions to every problem known to man.

It would appear that quite a few of the Scots will be ‘day tripping’. These people are, of course, most welcome to join us for the dinner and the problem solving session. Later in the new year I will be asking for names of those wanting to book dinner so that we can if necessary book the ‘big’ room well in advance.I spoke yesterday to my contact at St Columba’s ( Brian McGowan). Brian will be available to open the college for us. I am grateful to Vinny Callaghan who has secured the attendance of Frs Packy Harrity and Steve Collins to celebrate our reunion Mass which will be in St Columba’s chapel ( now an Audio / Visual Conference Centre). What we have yet to decide is whether to have the Mass on the Saturday or on the Sunday. I understand from Vinny, that Packy will be happy to go along with what we decide. But I would like to get this sorted and set as soon as possible.

The options :

Mass on Sunday 10 or 10.30 am :
I am conscious of  those facing long journeys home (eg from south of England) and if the Mass is at say 10.am Sunday there would be very little time left to meet, socially, with old friends (who have come for the Sunday only) before setting off for home at say 12 noon to 1pm.Mass on Saturday at 4 or 5pm :
Brian can arrange for the College to be open for us from say 10 am on the Saturday and remain open for us until the Mass at 4-6 pm on the Saturday giving us 6/7 hours social time. This latter proposal would also leave Sunday morning free for a walk (or drive !!) perhaps to Scott’s view. My drive home is only 4 hours so I’m happy with either day for the mass.

I have asked Brian if I can leave a decision about the Mass time till a later date. In the meantime could you let me have your views/comments on the Mass time/day and, of course, I welcome any suggestions regarding the weekend as a whole.

Accommodation :

For those wishing to stay at the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel I re-state my earlier advice – Book Now !!

The Dryburgh Abbey Hotel. Tel : (01835) 822 261

For those not staying at the Dryburgh  go to  http://www.aboutscotland.co.uk/bbse.htm.

I can personally recommend the following B & Bs  but once again I advise booking now!!

•Clint Lodge Guest House Scotland
Bill & Heather Walker, Clint Lodge, St. Boswells, Melrose, Scotland. TD6 0DZ
Tel: 01835 822027 Fax: 01835 822656

•The Whitehouse
Please contact Angela and Roger Tyrer,
email: whitehouse.tyrer@tiscali.co.uk
Whitehouse,
St Boswells,
Roxburghshire, TD6 0ED,
Scotland, UK
Tel: 01573 460343
Mobile: 0772339 1205
(or from outside the UK:
Tel: 44 1573 460343
Mobile: 44 772339 1

•Greenside Farm B+B
(recommended by Bernie Aherne and Paul West)
Main street
St. Boswells
Melrose Borders TD6 OAJ
Tel: 01835 822140

For those coming as a party of 4 or more, have a look at the ‘Rentals’ icon on http://www.aboutscotland.co.uk

I’ve never stayed at Eildon Cottages but I believe it’s good value and pretty new.

The current list of those attending the reunion will follow shortly.

Regards & Godbless to all.

Chris Benton

Pentecost Reunion at Bishop's Waltham
9th—11th May 2008

UPDATE from John Morton (10th March 2008) :

I thought that you might like to see the current list of people who will be attending our reunion at Bishop's Waltham this year :

Chris & Josie Benton
Mike Byrne & Andrew
Chris & Mary Cooper
Robbie and Jackie Dempsey
Peter Finn
Zelda MacBride
Bernard Melling
Pat & Pauline Menzies
John Morton
Peter & Edith Vale-Humphreys
Paul West

Others, such as Tommy and Margaret Kelly, are hoping to join us but cannot commit themselves at the moment.

If you are in touch with anyone who might be interested, please pass on the details and encourage them to contact me a.s.a.p.
(mortonsestate@yahoo.co.uk )

UPDATE from John Morton (20th February 2008) :

Many people have confirmed that they wish to attend our reunion at Bishop's Waltham this year. Have you added your name to list yet ?

The main evening meal on Saturday 10th will be taken at the Marwell (see below). It is hoped that everyone will join us for this occasion, regardless of whether they are actually staying at the hotel.

The Marwell are pleased to accept our group booking as long as people state their choices from the menus provided by the end of March (at the latest). Please send your requests via email, if possible, to : mortonsestate@yahoo.co.uk

Click here to view the menu.

Please note : the Marwell has reduced the price of their double rooms to £99.00 (incl. 2 people plus breakfast, of course).

The Pelicans are asked to take an active part in the Mass, i.e. helping with the readings, offertory procession and our usual plainchant rendition.

After Mass there will be a social gathering with the parish in a marquee. Drinks and buffet-style food will be provided by the parish.

I am hoping that The Pelicans will make a maximum effort to attend for this special year. Last Thursday Margaret, Zelda and I stayed overnight at the Marwell Safari Hotel (www.marwellhotel.co.uk) The hotel is just a 10 minute drive from Bishop's Waltham.

The Marwell is a 3-star hotel offering a number of facilities
—including a swimming pool, jacuzzi,fitness room, sauna etc
and, of course, a full restaurant service and bar.
Next door to the hotel is the Zoological Park.

A number of double and single rooms are availabe to us. The cost of a double room is £119 and a single is £109. These prices include a full breakfast, of course. There is also a limited amount of Bed and Breakfast accommodation in the area, details of which can be found in the 'Maps & Accommodation' Appendix. (Tom Wilkie no longer runs a B+B, by the way).

Early booking is highly recommended, as May is the beginning of the summer season.

Please come and support the reunion, even if you are not able to stay overnight, to show that you value our long-established connection with the the parish.

I'd be grateful if you would send me an email if you intend to participate.

John Morton
Organiser of this event
mortonsestate@yahooco.uk

Pentecost Reunion at Bishop's Waltham
May 2004

by Paul West
taken from the Website Diary
15th July 2004

Mrs Anne Butler gave me 2 photos to start us off when we met up at the Priory reunion in May. Fr Buckley kindly gave me a few minutes to make an appeal for memorabilia / reminiscences etc to the congregation. As yet, there has been no response, but life has a habit up dumping surprises on the doorstep, so I'll wait patiently before having another push.

People were delighted to see Chris Cooper (from Sandhurst) at the May reunion, though he was the only new face who made it. We all had high hopes that there would be a swell of people from 'the south' this year, but apart from Chris there was/were just the regular few : Eugene and Zelda (from Grantham), John Morton and Margaret (from Sutton Coldfield), Tommy Kelly and his own Margaret (from Maldon), Bernard 'The Kid' Melling (from Blackpool), Mike Byrne (from Reading) and me (from North Wales). Mrs Verna Burdett and her daughter Paula (Yeomans) joined us at the Mass celebrated by (the ever-welcoming) Fr Buckley on the Sunday morning.

The size of the turn-out was a disappointment to all, but particularly to Eugene, who has been trying to keep this old engine from stalling for over 12 years now. He is beginning to get tired of the effort involved and wondering whether to give up. He didn't feel able to write his normal Newsletter this time and has gone off on holiday to think about things.

Now it might be a bit unrealistic to expect to have two reunions in a year that are well attended — and your response to Eugene's reaction might be "get a life" — but you cannot deny that whilst most of us can have a take-it-or-leave-it approach to "the Pelicans" someone has to give it their all in order for that to be possible.

And Eugene has done us proud over the years. As many of you will know, he is a very generous man. On the first night of the reunion, for example, he paid for everyone's meal ! And it wasn't a cheap place to eat, either. Over the years he has spent a fortune in time and postage writing to people, maintaining contacts, sending out regular Newsletters, organsing reunions, comforting the bereaved, collecting and annotating huge amounts of memorabilia which we now all enjoy, etc.

As a relative new boy, I only have half an idea of all he has done to keep it going this long. I also have no right to speak on his behalf — or yours. Even so, I hope that you will join me in asking him to keep manning the helm and thanking him for his past efforts.