The classy class of ‘61

This was the big day when Wendy and Ian Harland very kindly agreed to host a lunch for all comers, the only stipulation being that they had to have started at Vic as freshers in 1961 (and still be breathing, of course). Elspeth and I set off from Waikanae, collecting my old pal Bryan Fraser from his retirement village abode along the way. We diverted to the Wellington CBD to collect Mike Bond and Rosalind McIntosh, the former having flown up from Christchurch a couple of days earlier. That made a very full and cramped car-load for the little Yaris hatchback to carry. The road up from the bus terminus in Karori to the Harlands’ house is very long and steep, and none of us would have been capable of walking up there. A car was definitely required, though in my heyday I did manage the trip on foot several ties as part of my exercise regimen.

We duly arrived and unpacked large quantities of food and drink to augment the large quantities of both which our hosts had already laid out. My special friend Janet Campbell arrived shortly after, also loaded with plates of edible goodies. Unfortunately, Janet’s partner Jill was unwell so couldn’t join us. Many of us those present hadn’t seen one another for a great number of years, and the afternoon went really well with plenty of food, drink and laughter.

As a last-minute decision when we returned to Waikanae Elspeth and I crashed in to see Norah, Bryan’s wife and to get a quick look at their unit, which neither of us had seen. We were pleased to see Norah, and the impromptu visit went quite a bit longer than expected, with Bryan giving me a comprehensive tour of the village and its excellent facilities followed by plenty of conversation and a round of drinks for the four of us.Read more