Our 2009 Reunion, to celebrate 50 years since graduation from The No 1 School of Technical Training – RAF Halton, will be staged at The De-Vere Dunston Hall Heritage Hotel, near Norwich, Norfolk, on the weekend of

Dunston Hall is a fine example of English architecture set in extensive grounds of 150 acres and with its own golf course and the hotel facilities are first class. The attractive City of Norwich is just 3 miles distant, with its castle, St. Andrews Cathedral and many more visitor attractions. The surrounding countryside and North Norfolk coastline offer many and varied activities.

We will all have experienced many varied activities and far flung locations during the years since departing Halton. We will have met many interesting and knowledgeable people. Some of us will also have brought up families and will now be grandparent, even great grandparents. There are those amongst us who became lumberjacks, marketing persons, marine engineers, aerospace engineers, military and civilian aircrew, technical authors and many other professions and occupations. A number of us have become domiciled outside of the UK, across the globe. The list is endless and one could easily write an interesting book on our careers and lifestyles. Doug Pirie (now Cardriver) actually has done so, called ‘Timberdown’. Just make the effort to turn up in May 2009, with your partners, and we can all catch up with each other and recount some of these past times and experiences.

You will all be aware that graduation day was 17 December 1958. A typically overcast day on Henderson-Groves square as best I can remember. No doubt Joe Ballard and Nick Carter were hovering somewhere adjacent with pace sticks at the ready! Some years ago we decided that we would stage our annual reunions in May - next year will be the 22^nd consecutive gathering - as travelling within the UK in December can be somewhat fraught. The forthcoming opportunity to meet again in May 2009, to celebrate the 50 years since our graduation, should not be missed by anyone of us.

As such, I would appeal to all my fellow ex-82^nd members to appear over the horizon and to touch base at Dunston Hall. We ain’t getting any younger, time is passing on and it would be great to make Reunion ’09, the best yet and one to be remembered for quite sometime.

So, make your reservations in good time and I will be in contact again in early 2009 for you to make your menu choices.

Sincere regards,

Mike Pond – 614

Please confirm, as below, once you have made your reservation:

3 George Borrow Road, Dereham, Norfolk. NR19 1HH

NAME: ……………………………………………………….

I / we are attending Reunion ’09 for……nights, Friday & Saturday (delete as appropriate)

……….(no) persons will attend for supper on Friday & dinner on Saturday (delete as appropriate)