ARBORFIELD -
Friday 24th to Sunday 26th July 2009 inclusive
The following
report contributed by Trevor STUBBERFIELD (52A) Photographs
are by the contributor, except where otherwise attributed. Photos included in this report remain the Copyright
© of Alan MORTON 51B, Max WARWICK 49B, Terry
REDDIN 52A and Trevor STUBBERFIELD 52A and
should not be copied without the express permission of the owners. Preamble Readers of previous reunion
reports, here on the 49ers web site, will know that this diary of the 46th
Arborfield Old Boy’s Association Reunion is not official, nor is it formal or
factual. It’s just one Old Boy’s
personal view of the weekend, written for friends who couldn’t attend, to
give them a feeling of the occasion.
More factual reports will be found on the Arborfield
Old Boys Association Web Site, and in the AOBA magazine OBAN, along with
many more photographs. Foreword The
2004 AOBA Reunion had special significance in that it marked the closure
of the school on the grounds that we knew so well. The Old Boys marched into
the camp, through the gates, led by the 39ers who were the first lads to
enter the camp in 1939, right at the start of our history. At the end of the
parade, the 39ers were the last to march off the square. Since then the gates
have remained firmly closed. Expectations were that the 2009
AOBA Reunion would be the last on home ground. It was to mark several
significant occasions. For the 59ers it was the 50th anniversary of their
arrival at the school. The 49ers celebrated their 60th year whilst 5 members
of the 39ers turned up to mark their 70th, a remarkable achievement. For all
of us, it was the 70th anniversary of the opening of the schools at
Arborfield which played a major part in our youth. In some ways it would have
been an ideal opportunity to write the last page of our history ourselves. To
march out through the gates behind the pipe band with the AOBA Banner raised
high, chests out and heads held high. To lock the gates and hand the keys to
one of the faceless number crunchers who only see Arborfield as a dot on the
map surrounded by pound note signs and know nothing of our history. It would
of course have deprived following intakes of the chance to parade on the
square. At some stage there will have to be a cut off point. One benefit of the current
credit crunch is that the MOD can’t get enough money to make the sale of the
ground profitable. The local councils are faced with finding the funds to put
in all the services needed for such a large development and are blowing cold.
Developers are thinking along the same lines, especially with the knowledge
that much of the land is a flood plain and will require a lot of expensive
ground work to alleviate the threat of floods, the likes of which we saw in
2007. The result is that we are likely to have access to the old camp for a
few years more and that means that many more Old Boys will be able to parade
on the old square for their special anniversaries. Who knows, I might even
get to see my 60th anniversary there in three years time. Roll on.
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