THE DGSA REUNION ORGANISING COMMITTEE.
The event on Saturday 2nd was the 37th and final reunion, as many of our keen and dedicated membership have achieved significant seniority in years and are increasingly unable to attend. Our oldest surviving member, who was unable to come this year, started at the school in 1933! We made the final occasion extra special and the present school have been heavily involved in the planning for which we are extremely grateful. As in previous years we used the school hall for our event and this year the school have played a big part and kindly organised the furniture, welcome drinks, lunch together with volunteer students to serve, and a musical interlude, as well as tours of the school for those interested and able. The sashes on the chairs were in the colours of the houses in existence up to 1969 i.e. Dixie (dark blue), Evans (yellow), Johnson (red) and Cope (light blue). The floral centrepieces made by Liz Dandy were also in these colours.
The first part of the proceedings was The Founder’s Day Service in St Peter’s Church. This was a part of school life during our school years, and was to celebrate the rebuilding and endowment of the school by Sir Wolstan Dixie in 1595. The service always follows the same form with a school prayer and was conducted by our member Canon Anthony Cox. We invite someone with a connection to the school to give an address during the service, and this year it was Peter Loseby of Market Bosworth, a pupil from 1954. There was also a rendition of a piece of music ‘The Old Farmhouse’, composed by Anthony Thacker, inspired by an event during his time at Dixie. This was played by Evie Gibbons (clarinet) and Mr Richard Lynn (piano). After the service we returned to school for lunch and much reminiscing. This year we also had a cake, made by Janice and Terry Yates. Terry is a former teacher of geography at Dixie and Janice is a committee member and former pupil.
Left to right.
Rvnd. Dr. Anthony Thackker, Mrs. Jo F. Parkes, Chair of Governors, Mrs. Liz Dandy, Lance Gibson MRCVS., Mrs. Daphne Wells, Hon. Sec. Mrs. Sally Tuckwell, Hon. Treasurer, W. R. Baynes, Archivist, Peter Smith R. J. Smith B.Ed(Oxon), M.Phil., DGSA Chairman,
Mrs. Petra Lynn, Headmaster’s wife. Richard Lynn, Headmaster, The Dixie Grammar School.
