Following our wonderful 50th Anniversary Party in May we met in Kate’s lovely garden in the heatwave of June ’26 to reminisce about what we were doing 50 years ago. We also enjoyed a traditional Cream Tea. The Pimms was flowing, as were the amazing stories of our exploits. Here are just a few:
Sheila: 1976 is the most memorable and amazing year. I set off with two good friends to travel around the USA. It was the bicentennial year and every street water pump was painted with the Stars and Stripes. It was also hot over there! We travelled for 7 months on the Greyhound buses through 23 states plus Mexico City, ending in Florida. Not many Brits had started to travel so far back in ‘76, so the people we met were curious and welcoming. We had the most amazing time and met some very wonderful and interesting people.
Angela: I embarked on a three-month voyage to South Africa aboard a merchant ship carrying around 50 officers and crew, together with another officers’ wife. We arrived in Cape Town in early January 1976 where I visited the vineyards and the beautiful Stellenbosch gardens. Apartheid was still firmly in place, with segregation evident on public transport, beaches, and other public facilities. Sailing around the Cape of Good Hope was one of the highlights of the voyage, with enormous waves towering above the ship. In contrast, the Indian Ocean was much calmer as we continued our journey towards Durban where I did my first safari tour.
Rosie: 1976 was an exceptional year for me too. I took my GCSEs that summer (schools were definitely not closed) and got good grades, which was all the more surprising as much of my ‘revision’ was done at the local lido in Wokingham! At the end of August, I went with a friend to Wokingham Rock Club, and it was there that I met my husband to be! We’ve been together ever since.
At Greys Court near Henley-on-Thames enjoying the roses. We also visited the exceptional
Darling Buds of May exhibition of local artists, Sarah Pye and Kate Findlay.