A remarkable Angus old boys’ reunion has chalked up another very special milestone.
For three decades, Forfar Academy’s class of 1953 have been rolling back the years at regular get-togethers.
Since 1983, they have held no less than 14 gatherings and on every stage of that journey down memory lane, the classmates have been joined by their first form teacher George Peters.
Having celebrated six decades of the class being together in 2012, the weekend saw the lads now all in their 70s toast their own “diamond geezer”, as George celebrated 60 years of his first form teacher appointment at the academy.
A celebration cake was made for the event in Letham Hotel, where about 20 of the pupils were present. They included Bill Pattullo, who was making his first appearance at the reunion dinner since attending the first two events in 1983 and 1988.
Bill was able to enjoy a catch up with Angus family during his visit to Angus, as well as viewing the changing face of Forfar and its surrounds after a quarter of a century away.
Organiser Jim Bruce said that, although many of the class still live in the Angus area, the reunion was a great chance for them to enjoy a catch-up.
“We might see each other from time to time in the street but when we get together, there are always plenty stories which come out from our time at the academy,” said Jim.
Mr Peters, now 86, relishes the annual opportunity to catch up with lads, who have become firm friends after they made a very early lasting impression on him.
“They were quite a boisterous group,” he recalled.
“They were my first form class and I’ve said to them before that the other years were easy after getting a baptism of fire like that!”