CHARNEY HALL Old Boys Breaking News from John Mathers and Tilak Paul

 The Twain Met!

 

Well it had to happen and now it has! This first inaugural unofficial Old Boys at Charney Hall “CH” Gathering or Get Together has taken place!

 

Unfortunately there were just two attendees and due to Covid Restrictions there was no “hugging or kissing” and “we did not bring the house down” nor “did we paint the town red afterwards” and whilst we two made a lot of noise we did behave ourselves and there was no need for the Police to be called and Bouncers to be in attendance.

 

John Mathers 1967-1971 and Tilak Paul 1967-1971 Charney Hall Old Boys after 18 months of communication by email eventually met for drinks and lunch at a “Pub” in Covent Garden Central London in August of this year. You will notice in the attached and annotated circled School Pictures and in one particular picture John and Tilak are at the opposite end of the back row hence the title of this little ditty being called “The Twain Met” eventually.

 

The pictures will show that the years have been much kinder to John compared to Tilak who is still sadly “on the shelf” and “way past his sell by date” and lost all his hair whilst John has kept his.

 

Since we both left CH in July 1971 over 50 years ago this would be only the second time either of us have met each other. Our only other previous meeting being another “Pub” Meeting circa 2000-2002 . (quite clearly John and Tilak must be trainee alcoholics for always meeting in a “Pub”)

 

Tilak introduced John to the solitary customer in the Pub as the Boy who used “to bully me at School”. (Which is not actually true!)

 

The Bar Staff again were told that we attended a “Juvenile Borstal” in Grange over Sands when we were both young and that was how we knew each other though we corrected this later on as we ordered more and more drinks.

 

By way of background John is from Windermere and Tilak whilst born in Singapore is from Barrow in Furness so both very local to Grange over Sands though we both live in West London now hence the ease of meeting up. John after leaving CH went onto Sedbergh School and Tilak after leaving CH went to St Bees School again both local to CH.

 

It was wonderful for both John and Tilak to reminisce and remember happy and sad moments and times at School and share memories and recollections.

 

It’s always amusing and wonderful to recall stories and anecdotes at School. John was able to vividly recall Mr McCullagh saying when John had complained “about a matter being unfair “ Mr McCullagh standard reply was “its not meant to be fair Lad!”

 

Many CH Pupils will recall Mr Cockshot who had fingers like sausages and would invite boys to view his Train Set at home.

 

We were both able to recall the names of the various School Houses being Beacon Priory Hospice and Yewbarrow and Mr Fawcetts Humber car called OUP! or was it “OOP” because of the Reg. No and how he would admonish boys for calling a Radio a Radio and how it had to be called a “Wireless”.

 

Like lots of Old Boys of CH Tilak still has the “Leaving Present” Works of Shakespeare somewhere with Mr Duncan’s dedication.

 

John explained that he was at school from a young age with Richard Harris prior to CH one of our contemporaries at CH and was Best Man at his Wedding.

 

John also knows John Lyons who used to live in Windermere and John would love to know of his whereabouts and incidentally John Lyons after CH was at St Bees School with Tilak.

 

John and Tilak’s contemporaries at CH were John Cranna whose elder brother is believed to have been at St Bees as well.

 

When Tilak first attended St Bees after CH the Head Boy at St Bees from memory was “Geoffrey Beedham” and generations of CH Pupils may recall firing a 0.22in Gun at the CH School Range called the “Beedham” which was gifted to the School by the said Geoffrey Beedham but I am not sure if this story and background and provenance is true !

 

Tilak’s Brother was called Dharma and at School as was the way with Brothers Tilak was known a Paul Major (shortened to Ma) and his Brother Dharma was Paul Minor (shortened to Mi) John and Tilak are also contemporaries of the three Glaister Brothers ( who also attended St Bees) who were known as Glaister Major Minor and Tertius! Tilak did actually meet up with Tom Glaister (Glaister Minor!) in 2004.

 

Other contemporaries would have been the Shannon Twins who from memory were Day Boys and the Lambert Brothers and the Thompson Brothers and the Whitehead Brothers and the Lyons Brothers and the Lyon Brothers and the Brown Brothers and the Jevon Brothers and the Lowden Brothers and we both recalled Andrew Homes-Higgins and Andrew Hood and David Vigodny and Booth and White and Dalton and Green and Grey and Paul Graham and Nigel Pemberton and Guy Whittaker and Charles Heron and Gary Wolstenholme and Harry Brunskill etc etc etc ! Apologies to those who have not been mentioned and temporarily lost with our memories.

 

Greetings to All.

 

John and Tilak