| 2/2011 I left Kodai when it was decided I should come to England; that was in 1956 when I was 12. It was here that I finished my schooling and settled permanently. From age 13 to 18 I went to what is called here a ‘public’ school but is, in reality, a private school. It had old and strict traditions and the environment was the complete opposite to Kodai. For starters, it was a boys only boarding school. It was very very different to Kodai and it took me longer than the average to settle in. One interesting aspect of the school - it was originally founded for the sons of clergymen and, like Kodai, there was a strong tradition of the church. Many years before I arrived, the entry restrictions were dropped so that pupils were from many backgrounds. But there wasn’t the variety of nationalities as in Kodai. All very English and I was in a minority of 3 foreigners. But it’s all very different now. Having left Kodai so young I had not developed long term friendships with any of my contemporaries. The camaraderie you all now enjoy as former pupils of Kodai, I have enjoyed for many years with guys with whom I went to school here in England. After leaving school, there was a period when my career was unsettled but eventually I found my niche in IT and settled into that for 30+ years. Although not in IT any longer, I am still working at 67+ and enjoying it very much. Someday I shall have to try this pastime called retirement. I am married to Diana (Dini for short) and we have 3 children and 6 grandchildren, the latest addition arriving just 5 days ago to our eldest daughter, Emma, who lives in Sydney, Australia. Our other two children (Sara and Nick) and their families live with half an hour’s drive from us. We enjoy our family life very much, the only drawback being Emma’s distance from us. I should very much have liked to join you all for the reunion but I shall not be able to make it, I’m afraid. A pity, as I’m sure it will be a great occasion and it would have given me a wonderful introduction to America, not having been there – not even to Disneyland in Florida! I still harbour an ambition to visit the States and if I see nothing else I want to go to a baseball game between the Yankees and the Red Sox. That much (and more) Kodai did for me – it nurtured in me a lifelong interest in America - its history, culture, sports etc. |
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