Tony (AKA Twinkle Toes, Big Tone, Tribey, Tribo, Toto (maternal use only)Tribe writes: A couple of weeks ago caught up with Gibbo after 30 years at irresponsible lunch for Tim Edwards birthday. Remember only two clear commitments 1. We'll do it more often from now on. 2. We abstain from bios, being awestruck by our peers life-to-date achievements. I notice Gibbo's reneged on 2......but am far more anxious about 1.. One in all in... here goes...its a bit like writing your own epitaph...as we did on the only management course I took 20 years ago Career path took a nasty turn in about 2nd year when told I'd never, ever, get a job on the railways.....got caught water bombing a ticket inspector.....'It wasn't me it was Birse, sir'...didn't work....again. Navy looked good at 15...obvious affinity to water I suspect...mum wouldn't let me go. History of polio and asthma didn't help much either. Always a scribbler.... boats and cars mainly...ended up an architect...funded in beers etc in early student years by life-long best mate Tim Edwards who had a real job...and the final year by almost as life-long best mate, Helen (Anderson) who had, amongst other attractions, a real job + a VW + (important to a destitute budding architect) camera.(she still has all the other). We married (Helen not Tim) in 67 a few days after Graham Birse, a great friend despite himself at school, copped it in shitty circumstances in Vietnam. Graham, Ken Walker and I shared our first car 38 Plymouth for 25..wheres the pound key? quid? in final year at school which most of you missed because you did the 5 year course. Won lottery in 65 (National Service)....attitude, health history all to no avail...so post-grad Town & Urban Planning ...final call up papers Friday before Gough got in...10 years of incentive to achieve academically didn't hurt in retrospect. Worked locally till 73, when summonsed to London for Tims wedding, worked travelled Europe few years with Hele and Daniel in backpack ( 1 year old son Daniel not Hele) Thrown out of most pubs in England (no dogs or children allowed) but embraced in Europe (Lesson 1 of many in advantages of children, and cultural diversity). Short spell of sole practice (lonely) then joined current practice as director in 76. Achievements?...shit.... Most lucky and fortunate bloke I know...I have the best lover, friend, confidant and advisor in Hele..I have happy and successful kids Daniel and Hannah...who are also great mates (with me too!)...I have a great mates like Tim, who has always been there, no matter what, I have business partners who continuously share and support in the day-day issues of our game and (mostly/sometimes/occasionally) have fun doing it, my job is my passion and hobby, I can (still) ski, sail, play tennis badly, golf worse, and enjoy laps of Chinamans Beach and float conceitedly afterwards and Millie, our chiahuahua bonks me at the front door when I get home....if I lie down...which I always do....and I haven't had to wear pink, brown or yellow for forty years. John Kenniwell writes: here goes with the potted life history and the memories - I was one of the large group who repeated 4th year so I guess I get to go through all this again next year. Am really impressed with all the guys who are retiring - having been retrenched in 1994 (at the time I was sales training manager at AMP) I embarked on a series of ill feted self-employed opportunities before commencing studies at Macquarie Uni. At the end of this year i will have completed a masters in psychology - so hope to be able to hang up a shingle next year and rejoin the work-force ( if anyone knows of any opportunities please let me know). To finannce this 'new career' have been doing all the part- time jobs that I should have done at 21 - maybe it is character building. Have been married for 30+ years, although we have been separated for the past 12 ( must attend to the paper work)- marriage produced 2 children, one of whom has now produced 2 grandchildren ( are we banning photos of grandchildren on saturday). On the subject of marriage ended up with Tony Williams for a brother-in-law. Memories of NSBHS are reasonably good - having a beer with Nigel Muir and Chris Wills at the Oaks on the way to water polo, running the 'book' on the Melbourne Cup with Chris Gibson,(a very profitable enterprise - you guys were hopeless when it came to picking winners) playing rugby - doesn't seem to be much in the way of academic pursuit - helping Ken Walker out at Chinamans Beach one night - the list goes on. Looking forward to Saturday, Angelo Jones challenges you to identify any of these characters from 1955 Chatswood 5th Class Primary: Regards, Ron