Old Lawrentian News 2010/11

HONG KONG REUNION
Our first reunion!
A small but very
successful ‘firstof-many
reunions’ for
OLs based in and near
Hong Kong.
The evening on
December 17, 2010
was kindly organised
by Henry Chan (Manor
’78) and was held in
‘Jimmy’s Kitchen’.
With lots of laughter • From left, Vinod Mahtani, Sunil Mohinani,
Hemmon Tseng, Ricky Yue, Sunil Daswani and
and reminiscing, the
Henry Chan. Jeffery Chan also attended
group shared a strong later in the evening.
common bond of
having attended SLC which brings good friendship, even between
those who weren’t there at the same time.
It appears that the world is very small indeed – Hemmon Tseng
was Sunil’s landlord for three years - though they had never met
earlier (Sunil was relieved to have paid his rent on time)!
Another surprise that evening was that for the past 20 years
Sunil and Vinod have been good friends - yet neither knew they
were at the College at the same time. Vinod had been in the Junior
School when Sunil was in Cameron - so their paths never crossed.
If you would like to know of (or help Henry organise) future Hong
Kong reunions, in the first instance, please contact Kerry Brown, OL
Secretary, at kerry@olsociety.co.uk to ensure she has your current
contact details (especially email).
Currently our database shows we have 123 OLs in Hong Kong - but we
only have 23 email addresses. In the South East Asia region, we have
more than 300 OLs listed – but again, hardly any current email
addresses. If we don’t have your email, please get in touch as many of
our communications now go out as emails rather than via post.
Thank you.
We left in the summer of
1980 in our Minis, Alfa
Suds, parents’ cars
and British Rail amidst the
soundtracks of Madonna,
Genesis and Michael Jackson.
Adorned in our preppy fashion
and flowing Laura Ashley
dresses, (and that was the
boys!) we ventured forward into
university and employment, to
begin the next phase of our
lives.
We returned, in the wet and
windy autumn of 2010 - 30
years had passed in the blink of
an eye.
The reason for the true making
of our 1980’s reunion was twofold.
The first, was Marie Winter
1980’s REUNION
(nee Blair), and the second
technology. Marie set about
tracing people on Facebook,
emails flew back and forth,
people were tempted by the
promise of a reunion.
My wife Heather and I met up
for pre-dinner drinks with other
1980’s OLs in the Pegwell Bay
Hotel, where we were staying.
Paul Price (Head Boy 1980),
David Ryan, John Rayner and
my dear friend Basim Said, who
had flown in from Jordan, were
the first to toast the ‘80s.
After an hour of reminiscing in
strolled Johnny Marchant. More
warm hugs, smiles, laughter
and ale aloft.
Paul Price, organised as ever,
14
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