If a year ago you said that 18 gentlemen who started at St Mary’s in 1970 would be drinking beer in a clubhouse with Rod Turner, no one would have believed you.

Yet that is exactly what happened on Saturday at the social event at Sidcup Rugby Club after the launch of We Did Our Homework on the Bus.

Several hundred former pupils of St Mary’s College, St Mary’s Grammar and a number of friends from St Joseph’s Convent and St Mary and St Joseph’s came together for a day which proved to be quite magical.

Rod also arrived at St Mary’s in September 1970 and immediately set about driving up the standard of rugby. An enthusiastic supporter and contributor of the whole book project, Rod enjoyed his day immensely and told me:

“I was looking forward to the re-union – but I am not sure what I quite expected. I had my pre-thought strategies / questions / responses sort of prepared but not properly or coherently formed.

“When Matt asked me to speak to the masses it was as though I instantly was transformed back to the hall / gym / playing fields of the 70s. I knew not to tell any individual pupil stories but to go with my established strategies of being generous in my praise – as in my opening remark of ‘how old you all look.’

“Sticking to ‘staff nicknames for each other’ seemed like safe ground. My remarks re memories of numerous school incidents that I could not recall was genuine – significant incidents to pupils were just fleeting events to me and other school staff.”