The incredible story of the school reunion after 72 years

Reunited by an appeal in the Evening Post 42 years ago, the girls of Bristol East Secondary Commercial School have got back together again

A group of old girls from a post-war Commercial School in Bristol could well have a claim for the oldest-running school reunion - after they met up again an incredible 72 years after their last lessons.

The old girls were among around 30 young ladies aged between 14 and 16 who, between 1949 and 1952, went to what was then called the Bristol East Secondary Commerical School.

After leaving school and starting their adult lives, they lost touch, but were brought back together 30 years later when, in December 1982, one of them stumbled across her old class photo from 1952 and sent it in to the Bristol Evening Post.

Wendy Gregory was called Wendy Selway when she took her place the fourth from the left in the back row in that class photo. Thirty years on and living in Windsor, her daughter Heather, then 21, had challenged her to recall everyone’s names in her class, and she couldn’t place everyone, so sent the picture in to the Evening Post to see if anyone else could help.

It was the early 1980s, and people didn’t think twice about including their full address in the newspaper, and sure enough, many of the old girls - then aged in their mid-40s - got in touch with Wendy.

The first reunion was organised in 1984, with 14 former pupils in that photo, and a former teacher as well, and they proceeded to meet each spring and autumn, right up until that was curtailed by Covid in 2020. Although they kept in touch through letters and phone calls, the pandemic and the passing of time led some to fear it may have been the last time they were able to get together.

Sadly, many of the ladies have now passed away, but five years after the last reunion, five of the original photo - now aged either 88 or 89 years old - got together to catch up over lunch at The Bear in Street, in Somerset.

“One lady brought her original scarf, another lady sang the school song from memory and there was lots of giggling about the detentions they received for not wearing their berets on their way home from school,” said Angela Morey, whose grandmother Gloria Kington was Gloria Fitzgerald in that original photo.

“They plan to meet again in the spring, to celebrate both the 73rd anniversary of their graduation, and also the five ladies' 90th birthdays that will all be taking place in the next few months,” added Angela. “I think this has to be one of the oldest school reunion groups still meeting.”

The five have lasted way longer than their school, as well. The old Bristol East Commercial became part of Rose Green High School for Girls for many years, and then St George’s Comprehensive, but was demolished years ago for a housing development.

Scroll through the photos to see the reunions over the years

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