Hillside and Paulsgrove infants: Classmates from the 1950s set to hold a school reunion in September

Robert Rowe, who is a retired building contractor, is holding a school reunion where 26 of his old classmates are set to attend.

The meet-up will consist of men that attended Hillside infants or Paulsgrove infants schools, from 1952 to 1954, regardless of where they went onto at senior level in 1959.

The group is celebrating 70 years of friendship since starting school and plans are well underway for the meet up.

Robert said: ‘We just thought that with the 70th anniversary coming up, It would be a good idea to get everybody back together.

‘I am quite optimistic actually. I am one of those people that all through my life I have been a bit of a doer.’

The group is meeting in September at the Victory Indoor Bowls Club for a late lunch when they will catch up and reminisce.

One of the classmates is travelling from Spain to attend the meet up but Robert said that, on this occasion, it will mainly be people who stayed relatively local.

The group, who used to be known as the Bench Gang because they all used to meet up at a particular bench after school, are currently looking for a few people to join them in their meeting.

The names of those they are missing are Michael Aylmer, Brian Green, Michael Hewett and Alan Merritt, and the group welcomes anyone else that attended those schools during the same period to get in touch.

To get in contact with the group, email Robert Rowe at [email protected]