From our Graham Jones, our Membership Secretary:

I have had a few enquiries regarding the annual re-union dinner. Our contract with the Highcliff Hotel finished last year and the committee decided not to renew it. The plan was to hold a less formal dinner at the school in their new building. For those of you who are unaware, the school had a £4 million building project which has delivered a new 6th form study area on the lower floor, a large catering facility (capacity about 360 pupils) on the 2nd floor and a suite of teaching classrooms on the 3rd floor. This is all in preparation for an expansion in the number of pupils entering the school, as the number of pupils in the catchment has increased. The building occupies part of the senior playground and the senior cycle shed area.

The intention was to hold the first dinner in summer/autumn of 2023, but unfortunately the school lost several key personnel in the catering and site management departments during the year. This has meant that the dinner has been pushed back into 2024. At present I have no date for it, but I will be in touch further when there is a firm date.

The dinner is intended to be a more casual affair than previously with less emphasis on speakers and offering an opportunity to view the school buildings for those who have been away for some time.

Gradually the Old Bournemouthians’ Association is going to be coming under the wing of the Bournemouth School Alumni Society, with the OBA website becoming part of the Bournemouth School website. The Alumni Society is not intended to be a fund-raising society as much as one which can offer help to present-day pupils, for example by offering mentoring, both in person and remotely or by offering advice from ex-pats who could assist students who are travelling overseas.

Please remember to update me with any changes of address or email, so that I can keep in touch with you.

You can email Graham here.