I’ve always liked Church Avenue in Sidcup. It’s a great little thoroughfare. I’m not sure why particularly – it just has a really good feel. Even if you’ve never been there, you probably know where it is, as it’s just a stone’s throw from St Mary’s and connects The Green to Sidcup High Street.

It also has strong connections with St Mary’s.

It was where Neville ‘Spike’ Wilkinson, his wife Norma and their children Ralph (St Mary’s, 1972), Francesca (St Joseph’s Convent) and Adrian (St Mary’s, 1977) lived.

It was also where Rod Turner lived for a while and Dermot McMahon had his lodgings. I suspect quite a few St Mary’s old boys lived there too down the years.

Now it’s the home of John Arundel who arrived at St Mary’s in 1972 from St Stephen’s, Welling.

John, older brother of Tim (1976), is a proud St Mary’s old boy who is the instigator of regular catch ups for a group of friends from that year. He’s the glue that seems to keep this year together even after so many years.

Which brings us to the main photograph above which shows the group of 1972 lads and one ‘imposter’ who joined five years later.

It was an evening of friendly banter, well-judged sarcasm, constant gags and one-liners and (briefly) some serious issues too like how Charlton are doing and whether the huts had bells in them or not.

It could have been the St Mary’s sixth form common room in 1978. Not that I ever made it there.

No matter. The spirit of St Mary’s lives on in Church Avenue.

• Richard Brightwell who started at St Mary’s in 1966, wrote to me after this was published to say: “My parents bought a house in Church Avenue in 1965. I lived there until I bought my first house in 1981. I sold the house after my mother died in 2004, hardest job I ever did. I remember Spike and family, I remember repairing a motorcycle for his son. I still feel emotional driving past the place.”