CLeWS Reunions: What are they Like?
	Casual or formal? Large or small? What might you have found, if you’d attended the CLeWS 50th. Anniversary Reunion? Would there have been anyone there you know or knew – and if there were, will you have been pleased to see them?
				That gorgeous girl in the fifth form you dreamed about and longed to get closer to. She was always washing her hair: would she be wrinkly and waspish now, and just as unavailable?
	That friendly-eyed sixth former, with the trim profile and the Beatle haircut. He seemed so shy, but always ready to chat with the glossy-lipped minx in 4T. Has he learned to talk to real girls yet? Or is he fat and bald, and tongue-tied as ever?
				And Whatsisname: your friend for four years or so. You survived ‘O’ levels together. What would you find to talk about in 2003? Would you even recognise each other?
	Well, we don’t know. But there’s a good chance if you came to the reunion on September 6th. you weren’t disappointed. See ‘Reunion Gallery’ in this section for a report on the event. Here you can see pictures of previous reunions and read some of the things Carltonians have said about them, in correspondence, in contributions to ‘Salix’, and in response to our Survey in 2002:
							“I had the most fantastic time, but could hardly believe 22 years had gone by since I last saw most of them”
	“I must have smiled all day, judging by my aching face muscles on Sunday, at all the people I met again. Many more people recognised me than I recognised – and I’m not sure what interpretation to put on that!”
					“I don’t believe one word was ever exchanged between us in all the years until our reunion day in April 1995. It was then that I discovered that he was not some aloof, brainy scientist but a great big ‘pussy cat’: warm, funny and friendly. What a delightful surprise!”
		“I really enjoyed the reunion but I don't live locally so it takes more organising to get there (and find something for my husband to do whilst I am there! - last time we stayed in Southwell and made a weekend of it) After the main reunion 6 of us plus spouses got together at one friend's house for a smaller get-together which was very enjoyable.”
						“I lived in Belgium for 23 years and have only just returned to the UK - so getting to reunions has been difficult. However, I did enjoy Newstead Abbey, despite the noise!”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the first reunion and thought David and Christine did a great job. It was lovely to see and hear Harry Makins in such good form.”
“Not until my father told me "the school" was trying to contact me for the '95 reunion did I know of the whereabouts of any of my school friends. My visits to Britain were quite lonely experiences outside of family. The reunion changed all that. I correspond with old friends, enjoy their company when I visit Nottm. and next week, will meet at Vanouver airport a classmate from 2b in 1994 who also lives in B.C. Great stuff!! Thanks to the guys who got the ball rolling!”
						“I was very nervous about coming back to the school, but after half an hour I felt I was back in a time warp.”
			“I had the most fantastic time, but I could hardly believe 22 years had gone by since I last saw most of them.”
						“I found myself face to face with several folk I had not seen for 30 years. The fact that I was instantly able to recognise most of them was a surprise in itself.”
		“It was the first time I had been able to attend one of these get-togethers but I intend to try my hardest to be at any future event”
						“The beaming faces of all attendees illustrated just how good a time everyone had.”
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