FIFTY years on from their school days, the Class of ‘66 from schools around the Malmesbury area are meeting up to reminisce about their younger years with a reunion in late May.

Classes from the 50s, 60s and 70s mainly from Bremilham School, Malmesbury Grammar, St Joseph’s School and Grittleton School will meet at noon at The Kings Arms Hotel on May 28 for a reunion meal and drink.

Organiser Brian Sanderson, 67, who lived on Athelstan Road for 25 years, said: “At present we have 50 booked in for the meal and have a couple of weeks to go yet. It has been quite a job to get in touch with all of them and we are still searching.

“I fondly remember playing in the streets, which you can’t do any more because of all the cars. When I go and see my Mum, who’s 97 and still lives in the same house, there is a sign at the bottom which says no ball games and it always makes me laugh.

“We used to go crayfish fishing too at the river which is where my mother thought I caught my polio from when I was four. After fishing we used to go to my friend’s farm to boil and eat the ones we caught.”

On their reunion Facebook group, many of the Bremilham Bugs, as they call themselves, looked fondly back on their four school houses (Windsor, Sandringham, Balmoral and Holyrood) and the house points they were awarded with for good homework, sports, naming plants and general work.

The Grammar Grubs also had three houses, Avon, Athelstan and Abbey, which were colour coded for Sports Day and were often competitive affairs.

Although most look back on their time in the sixties with happiness, there was a time when the world watched with trepidation.

Mr Sanderson said: “I can remember listening to a radio in a classroom with the Geography Teacher, Miss Wilmott and the rest of the class, waiting to hear whether the button had been pushed during the Cuba Crisis - it was very frightening.”

Memories such as these will be continued to be shared online, but their class mates are excited to share them face to face and rekindle old friendships.

Mr Sanderson said: “It is nice to get back in touch with them all share memories.

“Anyone from the class who has not made contact with the group or myself and would like to come to the reunion should contact me as there are only 20 places left for the meal. Some people will be coming along for a drink afterwards as well.”

For more information or to book, call Brian Sanderson on 01285 671055.