In 1955 the School First Four consisted of Roger Hale at Stroke, the late Ken Browne (3), Simon Bathurst Brown (2) and Malcolm Selway at Bow. They were then all 16 years old and had a very successful season but a Maiden Fours cup eluded them in the Final at Gloucester Regatta held on the banks of the Severn at Sandhurst when after a dead heat they had to turn round and do it all again but lost by two feet.

For 1956 the crew consisted of Simon at Stroke, Ken at 3, Conrad Sheward at 2 and Malcolm at Bow. Again it was an outstanding season and they won the cup for Maiden Fours at Hereford Regatta.

In 1957 with Robert Boodle replacing Ken Browne and amongst many further victories, they won the Cup for Junior Fours, again at Hereford Regatta. They were then all aged 18.

Fast forward to 2021 and in the intervening years they had all maintained contact and Roger and Malcolm had remarkably never stopped rowing!

Roger Hale, who also coaches at Gloucester Rowing Club, suggested a rowing reunion. Not only did he arrange this but also arranged a coach to accompany us on his bicycle on the tow path. For this escapade Roger was Stroke and Simon was again 2 as in the 1955 photographs but with Malcolm rowing at 3. Bow was taken by Neville Mckay, a friend of Roger's and an ex King's parent. Roger's brother Allen, was Cox.

After a ropey start we got better and our coach was very impressed (so he said). We went a decent distance and for me, as a regular squash player and pretty fit, I realised there were some muscles I had not used for a long time!

An après rowing celebration of beer and a meal was held at a good pub in Norton accompanied by wives where applicable and we were joined by ex King's David and Camilla Hope.

I wish to make mention of our then rowing coach and Classics master, the late Henry Beaumont who died aged 89 in 2016. He was a much respected and thoroughly decent man. He always referred to us, his crews of 1955/56, as "his boys". Throughout the years we kept in touch with him and his wife Anne. A number of us became members of the Henley Royal Regatta Stewards' Enclosure. For the last few decades of his life we had an annual reunion and took him as our guest. It was always an occasion we all thoroughly enjoyed.

We are now all 83 or 84. Maybe we'll do it again next year.......maybe! Any potential participants should contact Roger Hale.