Colchester Royal Grammar School 1974 leavers enjoy reunion

Colchester Royal Grammar School leavers from 1974 returned to the classrooms as they reminisced on their time in education. 

Out of a year group of 106, 53 of the now 68-year-olds met again, most for the first time in those fifty years. 

Sadly some who were too unwell or living in Australia or New Zealand or being previously engaged were not able to make it. 

The reunion day started with a lunch at the Mercury Theatre which was followed by two hours at Colchester Royal Grammar School (CRGS) in the afternoon, hosted by the headmaster, senior staff and forty pupils of all ages.

A number of teachers from the early 1970s also came to the lunch and to visit the school. 

The day then ended with a formal reunion dinner at the Colchester and East Essex Cricket Club in Castle Park.

Community - Headmaster of CRGS, John Russell, welcomes former pupils of CRGS in the school hall, while current students stand by to engage and lead them on a tour of the school (Image: Crown Photography) The event took more than nine months to plan and was led by Steve Everitt and Mike Walker alongside a small committee composed of Steve French, David Hamblin, Mike Ketley, and Mike McEvoy.

Tracking everyone down was the single biggest challenge, as the class had left school in an era without mobile phones, emails, the internet.

Mr Everitt said one of the year group, John Yelton, now a Professor of Physics at the University of Florida, was invaluable in compiling an initial list of who they were looking for.

Social media, door knocking, former place of works and friends were used with only two of the 106 not being found.

Mr Everitt said twenty of his classmates had sadly died, with their names being read out at the start of the dinner and followed by a two minute’s silence.   

Reunion - Former pupils and staff of CRGS in a formal pose (Image: Crown Photography) He added: “What was most remarkable was just how many were so immediately positive about the whole experience.

“As the day was firmed up, offering a balance of time together, visiting the school, and the chance to meet former teachers, anticipation was tangible. Email traffic increased as others joined the search for those not yet found or contributed photos and anecdotes.”

Mr Everitt compiled a photo wall, including ‘then and now’ photos of every individual.

Speaker - Mike Walker responds to the Headmaster’s welcome (Image: Crown Photography)

The former pupils spoke warmly in greeting, but also about life in 1974, when top tracks were ‘The Way We Were’ by Barbra Streisand, ‘Seasons in the Sun’ by Terry Jacks, ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’ by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and of course ‘Waterloo’ by ABBA.

Houses also cost £4,378, the first microwave was on sale, there were two general elections in 1974, the ‘three-day week’, and a state of emergency in Northern Ireland.

Tradition - The class of '74 school leavers sing a rousing chorus of the School Song! (Image: Crown Photography) Meanwhile, the school itself had changed considerably with there being new buildings, the curriculum had changed, and girls can now attend the sixth form. 

Mr Hubbard said: “It was a really fascinating day.

“I didn’t know how much school had meant. So many choices, so many routes. My life was determined by CRGS."