Former Pupils Association

My high school is celebrating its 400th anniversary. I attended the annual former pupils lunch with 114 other students, including classmates Cathy and Jennifer:

The lunch started at 1 pm and the last former pupils left at 10 pm. I left at 8 pm--I just don’t have the stamina.

I have a great loyalty to Londonderry High School (before amalgamation with the boys’ school) and to Foyle College (the successor school) because I received such an outstanding education there.

It’s really interesting to learn about what people have gone on to do. I’d say impressive careers all round--except of course the people who show up for these events tend to be the ones who’ve done OK for themselves. The tall guy in this photo, Donald, is a colonel in the British Army. Once upon a time, he and I would have competed against each other for school prizes. The woman in front is headmistress of one of the poorest primary schools in Northern Ireland. She does amazing work trying to help her kids discover a better future for themselves than is on offer in their neighbourhood, which is called The Fountain.
One of the women I met, who had been in the class three years behind me, lives in Belfast. Her daughter rides and we made a tentative date to meet at the stables where they keep her pony. I was once a keen horsewoman and have never lost my love of horses, which makes Ireland a good place for me. You never have to drive too far to see a field with horses in it.
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