Class of 1987 - Form 1KU Reunion

After nearly four decades apart, a group of former classmates from form 1KU, reunited for a nostalgic return to RGS, rekindling friendships and revisiting memories that have stood the test of time.

The gathering began, fittingly, over a beer, with laughter flowing as freely as the stories. Old copies of the school magazine, The Pilgrim, were passed around, prompting smiles and surprise as familiar names, photographs and long-forgotten moments resurfaced. What began as a casual catch-up quickly became a shared journey back to their school days.

The group then set off on a tour of the school, taking in a number of well-remembered landmarks that once shaped their daily routines. Among the highlights were the Ballance Building, the playground, the old library, and the language classrooms—once home to the school’s very first language lab. Walking the site, lively debates soon broke out over the exact location of the old woodwork room, and what had previously stood where the current music room and food hall now sit.

They also recalled more personal spaces from their time at the school. Their old form room once stood on the site where one of the caretakers’ houses now sits—a prefabricated building by Cornwallis that has long since disappeared. Memories were also shared of the cladded rooms of Broadfield, though many remarked how different they look today compared to how they remembered them.

As the tour continued, conversations turned to other key areas of school life. As they paused at the start of the English corridor, they realsied just how far the rifle range length would have been, before arriving at the staffroom, the site of the lecture hall which is also just at the base of the stairs where the headmaster’s office stood - half way up the staircase. Each location sparking stories that added depth and detail to their collective recollections. It became clear how much of their shared experience was tied not just to people, but to the spaces themselves.

There was particular interest in how the school has evolved over the years. The filling in of the old swimming pool and its replacement with a much more developed, modern cabin-style pool was a notable talking point, highlighting just how much has changed since their time as students. They recreated a picture on a PE bench, just as they would have back in the day, ready fo Mr Louis' lesson. 

Despite the many physical changes, the sense of connection remained strong throughout the day. The reunion served as a reminder of lasting friendships and the enduring impact of their school years.

Plans are already beginning to take shape for a larger gathering, with a 40-year anniversary reunion for the Class of 1987 scheduled for 2027. Further details, including the date, are still to be confirmed, but there is clear enthusiasm to ensure the next reunion comes much sooner than the last.