Setting off from Verity’s home [she’s no longer known as Spig these days!] near Holmfirth on the Saturday morning I confess to a few anxieties – would we recognise people, would we have anything to say to each other, would everyone look younger/thinner/less grey than us??.

As we approached Manchester Road, the memories came flooding back, - there’s the flat where Ingrid lived with her two young daughters, there’s Wardley, there’s the Alhambra, there’s the Odeon [now closed], Jacob’s Well roundabout and finally the Victoria Hotel, scene of our 21^st birthday party [and many others no doubt!]. Definitely posher than it was in our day with a nice public square opposite the new courts, but vestiges of a British Transport Hotel remain albeit now adjacent to the new Bradford Interchange.

We noticed two respectable looking gentlemen checking in but assumed they had nothing to do with us until one of them ventured ‘that must be Pam and Verity’. Yes it was Andy and Rod, - sorry boys but we did not immediately recognise you without the hair!

Thereafter we repaired to the bar and people began to drift in – that tentative look, mystified expressions then gradual dawning of recognition, hugs all round, drinks, more drinks, your life story in 2 minutes, out with the photos, the ‘do you remembers?’ ‘whatever happened to…? It was soon buzzing and any qualms quickly banished. After a quick snack, photos all round we went our separate ways, keen to rediscover our own personal territories and memories of the 70s.

Verity, Sue, Heather & I did a whistlestop tour of first the University precinct – Wardley now being converted into student flats, lots of new halls behind Bradford Hall where V & I spent our first year, photostop at the Italia on Great Horton Road, on to Nimble Fingers, above which we lived in the third year, now a mobile comms shop, plus our local watering hole the Bentley Arms. Sue’s local knowledge was invaluable as we cut across to Manningham, Cleveland Road where Heather & Jan had lived, Mornington Villas where V & I lived in the second year with Jane & Sheila and lots of mice and then our lovely house on Manningham Lane now a care home for the elderly [no change there then] .Seeing these places again triggered so many memories – most not for publication! Manningham is surprisingly smart these days with many of the large houses spruced up and used for officers or nursing homes.

Sadly the same cannot be said of the city centre – a shadow of its former self – many of the shops are empty, markets gone and the town centre does not yet seem to have experienced the renaissance of urban living common in other northern cities. The Asian population has grown exponentially and the recent disturbances and TV programmes like Band of Gold have done little to improve the image of the city. This has taken its toll on the appeal of the University, student numbers for Mod Lang have declined – the Russian department closed down several years ago and there are only a handful of people studying German this year. This is as much a result of the dearth of language teaching in our schools these days and it not just a Bradford problem. When you think how competitive it was when we went it’s hard to imagine. On the positive side, there seems to have been substantial public investment in the town centre and some good quality public spaces, students still clearly enjoy the University life and the nightlife around the Alhambra is ‘kicking’ as they say in Liverpool.

By 6pm, more people had arrived, including those coming from the south who had interesting diversions via Leicester and Derby but made it in the end. We trooped en masse to the Student Union Bar, named after Steve Biko, and very smart these days – the area where we used to play table football is now a separate space. We were made very welcome, Kath was already propping up the bar [only joking!] and the last few friends arrived. Last to arrive was Diana [Norris] who had hot-footed it from East Midland Airport where she had been due to meet Derek off his plane from Geneva – unfortunately Derek missed the plane [why does this not surprise me?] . Derek, we are really sorry you didn’t make it and I know you tried so hard to be there – we do appreciate your efforts, tho in vain.

Now who was this man with snow white hair approaching – Arthur Williams of course – still part-time involvement with the department and looking great. It was great to see you Arthur and do pass on our best wishes to the rest of the staff. We all have a lot to thank you for.

By 10.30pm we were all ‘tired and emotional’ and ready for a curry so headed off to the Kash – not the Kash as we knew it but the new smart Kash, now incorporating the Taj, where the curries are much the same but cost £4.50 instead of 25p! Excellent value still.

Back to the Hilton this time for night caps – all seriously flagging by now – even the die hards . My prize for stamina goes to Kath who drove to Keswick that night – hope you made it OK Kath.

Special praise also to Michel [Mary’s husband ] and Crombie [ Helen’s husband to be] who were amazingly patient and great photographers.

Somewhere along the line my specially-borrowed digital camera switched itself to manual focus without telling me so none of my interior shots are any good!

Please send let me know if you have any photos to add, - I don’t think I managed to get one of Margaret Knowlson – who only joined us for lunch.

Sunday morning, farewells began but not before we had time to meet Ingrid’s two youngest – Imogen and Josclyn and had a quick visit from Al Bridger [formerly married to Sue] and known to many of us from drama at Bradford.

So that was it – but not quite – after a city centre walkabout, we promised Heather a quick visit to Denis Bellamy Hall before she got her train back to Pembrokeshire – time was tight but we just managed a quick photostop and all would have been fine had I not had to do a prohibited U turn in front of the police station to avoid getting stuck in the one-way system. I don’t make a habit of driving dangerously and I can only put it down to the Bradford effect, transporting me back to my reckless youth. Still, being more-than-middle-aged does have some advantages – the police officer took one look at us and realised we were no real threat to humanity and let us go and Heather got her train with all of one minute to spare!

Thanks to all who came and all who wanted to come but couldn’t – if you want to get in touch with anyone I have quite a few contacts now – there was talk about another re-union some time some place – over to someone else for that I think but I’ll be the first on the list!.

All the very best to you all

Pam