The Bishops class of ’60 held a “mid-term” gathering before Easter, having met every ten years since 1980, along with annual Western Cape lunches.   Activities included Paul Murray, OD Ambassador, leading a tour of the newest facilities at the school (Ubuntu education centre, rowing pavilion and Brooke Chapel stained-glass windows) and providing an inspiring description not just of the benefits arising, but also of the history, planning and architecture. 

In addition to explaining the new windows, Paul  pointed out one dedicated to Charles "Pickles" Curry, who had taught most of the class of ’60, adding  that the most valuable of all the artifacts in the chapel was Raphael's Madonna and Child, donated  by onetime Cape Town mayor Joyce Newton Thompson in memory of her son, Andrew , a classmate in 1960 who  died on a training run during his National Service in March 1965. Paul also pointed out the scoreboard on the Piley Rees field which was donated by the Basson family,  in memory of Nico, yet another member of the class of ’60.

Nico’s claim to fame, beyond captaining Boland and farming successfully in Darling, was his game for the OD first team against the Bishops First XV of which his son was a member. 

The tour was followed by lunch in the Mitre, attended by (back row, left to right) Mick Cherry, Mac Bisset, Chris Saunders, Dave Evans, Pat Normand, Rob Phillips from Johannesburg, Alan Ramsay, Geoff Caradoc-Davies, Lionel Goetz from Westhampton Beach, New York (but living here half the year) and (front row, left to right) Gerald Rosenthal, Syd Cullis, Dave Kilpin, Richard Eastwick and Tim Newton from Vancouver, Canada. 

On day two, a small group toured the recently-opened-to-the public submarine SAS Assegaai (formerly the SAS Johanna van der Merwe), now on shore in Simonstown. With Syd Cullis as our guide – and what a guide he proved to be.  Clearly, when he was not practising as a surgeon, he spent time as a submariner.   The submarine will be opened officially only in May, but guides are already on standby for visitors and it is a not-to-be-missed experience. 

Left to right:   Syd Cullis, Rob Phillips, Alan Ramsay, Tim Newton, Lionel Goetz and Chris Saunders.    

Two additional pictures:  

Syd explains the operation of the periscope and Lionel inspects the senior ratings accommodation – the crew take it in turns to get some sleep! 

Of especial interest was a photograph seen below of Vice Admiral Martyn "Spook"  Trainor (1961G)  who had been the 1st Lieutenant (second-in-command) of  SAS Johanna van der Merwe during several of the clandestine operations  in which she took part.

Then, there was the Stormers versus Connaught match at the Cape Town stadium, where Lionel Goetz, Richard Eastwick, Tim Newton and Rob Phillips were first-time spectators, watching two ODs on the field:   Suleiman Hartzenberg (2012S) and  Sacha Feinberg  Mngomezulu (2020F), who had an outstanding game with a nail-biting win – and, of course, all under the watchful eye of coach John Dobson (1985K) and player-affairs manager, Duncan Cruickshank (1985G). 

These ODs certainly know how to make the most of a reunion!