The friends have met up annually since 2022

The Paulsgrove Secondary Modern School for Boys class of 1959 had their fifth annual reunion last week, celebrating over 60 years of friendship.

“My peers and I are 78 years of age and were mostly brought up in Paulsgrove,” said Robert Rowe, who organised the reunion.

“The first meeting for some of us was in September 1952 when we attended Hillside Infants and met Miss Wilkins the Head teacher and Miss Smart our class teacher.

“Then in 1959 those of us who never passed the 11 plus were destined to go to Paulsgrove Secondary Modern School for Boys, as back then there were no mixed classes of pupils.

Paulsgrove Secondary Modern class of 1959 at Victory Indoor Bowls club | National World Resell

“It was September 1959 when two Junior schools Hillside and Paulsgrove amalgamated into one and from that moment on we became like a band of brothers,” he said.

“All through the Seniors we really did get on well and outside of school we could not have been brought up in a better area. Living in Paulsgrove we were so lucky with both the countryside and seaside within reach, Southwick over the hill or Portchester Castle just into the harbour’s northern reaches.

“We had our bikes but mostly we walked to these destinations. We played football together either at The Grove Club or for Vectis Sports, in a team we got together in 1963.

“Then in 1964 we were leaving school and headed off to work and a job. At the same time, we met girlfriends and later got married so, as to be expected, we drifted apart,” said Robert.

Old photos of the Paulsgrove men over the years. | National World Resell

Over the years, large groups of the friends would meet up from time to time, but it wasn’t until 2022 that a regular reunion was arranged.

“Along the way we had lost many of our school friends so before it became too late, the reunion idea gained momentum,” said Robert.

“As most of us still live locally and remained contactable, there were soon 25 lads who came to that first reunion in 2022 and the number has remained constant.

“We meet at The Victory Indoor Bowls Club have a meal and then a good catch up. Its all very low key but it is a great feeling to know that we can still do this. I organise the event and I am fortunate because as expected the support is always there and I hope there are many more times when we can get together.”