I thought the weekend was wonderful and I felt very much as if I was part of a family. - Charlotte Blacker (Duthie).
I suspect it may not be worth hanging out for another 25 years, so we must not let the momentum slip. - Jim (Tog) Simon.
Lovely to see you again. I don't know about you,but I've been a physical and emotional wreck so far this week! - David Zinkin.
The weekend was very interesting, but somehow not enough time to talk to everyone. What about a 26 years anniversary reunion - Jamie Orrom.
I have just about recovered from the weekend! Astonishing to see so many people I was and am fond of in one weekend. Everyone I spoke to on Sunday had not slept much the night before for thinking. - Greg Penoyre.
I do feel emotionally exhausted but it was an amazing experience and a really lovely weekend. It seems like a dream in which I was transported back to the 70's for a weekend before waking up in the real world on Monday morning. - Jonny Morris.
It was WONDERFUL. - Patrick Erdal.
I found the whole thing fascinating. Like others, I made my way to the Harrow with considerable trepidation, but what amazed me was just how quickly and easily I found myself talking to people whom I had not spoken to for a quarter of a century. More importantly, I felt a very great sense of affection for everyone there, rekindled after all these years: that, above all, surprised me and I felt quite emotional about it returning home on the train on Sunday. I know that events such as these are somewhat artificial: but I could not help thinking just what a nice bunch of people I had had the privilege of growing up with, and that that experience would remain with me, in some sense, for the rest of my life. - James Townsend.
It was very strange to see everybody after so long. I left Bedales in 1973 and the only ones I'd seen since were Pete Charlesworth and Harriet Perks.... It was dificult to meet people again who I used to know so well, and find they were strangers. I still have no recollection of one or two. It was a a very special day and I will remember it for a long time. - John Crossan.
I think I've only slept a few hours since last weekend, thinking about things said and done. I'm enjoying my 70's timewarp and Jayne say's she's looking forward to welcoming me back into the right century again soon. - Charles (Chuck) Dandridge.
This is weird. Really weird. I woke up this morning and wasn't sure what year it was. - David Thompson, conversation with Martin at Poet's Stone. (David reminded me that he was much closer to us in age than most of the other teachers; and that he left Bedales in the same year as us, 1975 -- so that his reaction to the reunion was remarkably similar to ours.)
In a later e-mail David T. adds: It was absolutely amazing seeing everyone again- and rather moving. I found myself slipping in and out of time zones - quite disorientating but rather wonderful. What a great group of people you all were, many looking exactly the same (especially David Zinkin who even had some of the same jokes!) There were confessions about who did what in the bike sheds and the Old Music School, but I'm still not entirely sure who moved my Renault 4 into my classroom. (To Martin: I understand I still have some of your unmarked essays on "Eyeless in Gaza." If you e-mail me ... I will attempt to send you your marks which may have been enhanced by time.) Thankyou so much all of you who organised the weekend and do keep in touch.
I think I agree with everyone's comments so far ... it was wonderful, moving, enriching, hysterical, warm and completely unlike anything I had imagined. I particulary agree with Jamie - not enough time to see and talk to everyone - a 26th would be a good idea. XXXX. Simone Levy (Dawood).
I'm becoming a reunion bore telling everyone I meet about the weekend and encouraging the next block (my sister, Paul Unwin) to start planning now. It was very moving and very thought provoking; like finding a family that you hadn't seen for 25 years, the best thing being that they were all even nicer than you remembered. Whatever Bedales does for present-day students it seemed to have been great for all of us. The weekend was like the best in film or theatre; "holding a mirror up to nature", an experienced not to be missed. Chris Hall.