Portsmouth High School’s class of 1990 enjoys ‘nostalgic’ reunion with plenty of ‘familiar faces’

More than half the class visited the school to enjoy a tour of the site while rekindling friendships and reminiscing over their school day memories from the 1980s.

Tracey Simons, who instigated the reunion, said: ‘It was so lovely to see many of our class again and we managed to reach out to many in our year and gather them together.

‘We loved the structure of the day; coffee on arrival, group photographs and a lunch in the dining room.

‘This was followed by tours of the school with current sixth formers.

‘The whole day was so nostalgic and it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces again.’

Tracey gave all of her classmates a crème egg, a tradition celebrating the school’s birthday every spring.

This tradition has been going since before Tracey had started in 1983.

Freya Pearson said: ‘I remember a pottery class with Mrs Duckworth.

‘We were listening to Simon Bates’ Our Tune on Radio 1 with tears rolling down our faces.

‘I remember it so vividly and returning to the art block made the memories come flooding back.’

Jane Prescott, headmistress, shared some of the future plans with the alumnae including the refurbishment of the netball courts this spring, and Daffodil House, an adjoining house to the school, which is to be redeveloped into a wellbeing centre.

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Kat Graham (née Sadler) remembered: ‘Mrs Washington was our deputy headmistress at the beginning of our time and she used to say to us as we sat in the hall ‘if there is any fresh air between you and the girl in front of you there is too much space.

‘My memories of her are so intense, particularly as we are all gathered in this hall today.’

Portsmouth High School is celebrating its 140th birthday this year.

It was founded on February 21, 1882, opening at Marlborough House in Osborne Road before moving to Kent Road in 1928.

When the war started in 1939, the school was evacuated out of the city to country houses Hinton Ampner and Adhurst St Mary, and returned to Southsea in 1945.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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