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Day 2 - Evening
The evening "dinner" was held at the Rat & Parrot, a drinking hole located where Tiny's Steakhouse used to be.
In the foreground is Joshua Paton; from left to right in the background are Grant Butterworth's wife, Greg Rippon's wife, Gregg Rippon himself, and some dude obscured by Russell Gardner.
In blue jersey far left: Dean Kent. Behind him against the wall, Gary Cadle, then Grant Butterworth, Marisa Tomei Grant's wife, Greg Rippon's wife, Greg Rippon and what appears to be Benjie Droomer... but I am not sure.
Grant Butterworth and Dean Kent in the foreground found Trevor Harty's speech amusing...
Kim also made a thank-you speech. Next to her is Jenny (Black)'s husband. Now his name was one name I was convinced I would not forget because I had a long chat with him about Project Management in engineering!
Ah yes, the mystery person in the middle is Benjie Droomer after all. Benjie lives in Somerset West with his wife, who is a cardiac nurse. She was on standby that weekend, so she couldn't come on the trip. They have two kids. I think several people would want to vote for Benjie as Nice Guy of the Weekend. He was the first person to register (at the proper place, nogal), and he arose all bright and breezy on Saturday morning to cure his mates' hangovers with his own idea of a pick-me-up breakfast. Fuzzy also gets a special award -- when my mother popped in to see everyone, he was one of only three guys who greeted her! (She was impressed, Fuzzy -- she said you were well raised, so you can thank your mother!)
Joshua, Ross, and Anton Bunting had all been either in the Navy or the Marines during their National Service. Ross asked Joshua to tell the truth about how he had caused Anton Bunting to get interrogated by the military police. Joshua told how he had written a fake note to Anton from the ANC, and how Anton later got him back with a similar practical joke; between Anton, Joshua and Andrew Murdoch, there had been several such incidents during their time of service, all recounted by Joshua in an understated British manner which boundlessly amused Ross, Russell and the other guys at the table.
Did you notice the number of fags? Joshua, Puffer, Puffer's wife and I were the only non-smokers I saw at the reunion! (Actually, not true: I breathed, therefore I smoked.)
Joshua Paton, Jenny (Knight), Grant Butterworth standing up.
Nikki Levinson (remember her from our junior school class?) came to say hello. She still lives in Grahamstown -- she and her sister took over her mother's hairdressing business. Here she is chatting with me and Joshua about the games we used to play when we were 11 in the forest down the road from where we lived.
Joshua left to drive back to Hogsback that night. He had left a great number of children in the care of camp volunteers, and was concerned about them.
I left shortly afterwards, because I was staying with grown-ups who go to bed early. I said goodbye to Dean Kent, and although I did not accept his invitation this time, I suggested that he should invite me down Chapel Lane again at the next reunion in another 20 years' time.
Postscript to Pam (Tam): I am sorry you weren't able to make it, Pam. I was really hoping to see you. We drove through to PE on Sunday afternoon and arrived in the early evening, and stayed over at a friend of the family. The evening was just too short for everything. I hope to see you the next time I visit the Eastern Cape.
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