20 year reunion …. you haven’t changed a bit …. really?

Warning – long post with lots of pics.

I am just back from a great weekend (well, one night, but seemed like a whole weekend!) at the Slieve Donard Hotel.  It has been TWENTY years since we were at the very same hotel for the Graduation Ball of the Queens Medical class of ’91.

Ten years ago, I think about 150 medics and their other halfs met up for our first reunion. I remember then hearing lots say “you haven’t changed a bit”. Later in the evening there were photos and video back from their student days, and we thought …. we HAVE changed you know…. and there would probably be something odd (or lots of botox) if we hadn’t!

So this weekend, impressively there were 100 of us gathered to reconnect and reminisce. There was even someone who had returned from Vancouver, Canada for the event, and most impressive of all was a female doctor who had flown in from Perth, Australia  WITH ONLY HANDLUGGAGE for the event! Unbelieveable – I know!!!!

This is the first time we have left our kids at home with my parents staying over (thanks Mum and Dad) in a while, and 2 of my daughters now have ipads (thanks to their school’s initiative and our wallets). So as we were almost ready to go down for the formal dinner on the Saturday evening, my kids “face-timed” us with an ipad to my iphone, and I was able to give them a tour of the room!

In a rare moment of weakness and loss of inhibition, here is a RARE photo of us at the Formal.(a summer maxi dress and black wrap were my outfit of choice).

We will be twenty years married next year – we started going out after the first 2 years of medical school, so although I didn’t go to university, I have known most of his medic friends for almost as long as he has.

Here are a few of those “old” friends.

The meal was excellent. (This is the starter – I think I got away with taking this photo serrupticiously!)

There was a great band and disco, but much to my husband’s relief he was able to avoid dancing as we moved out to the foyer so we could chat and catch up with friends. (It’s obviously an age thing!). However we impressively managed to stay up past 2 am, which isn’t bad, considering we are all so ancient that we prefer to chat at normal volume as opposed to shouting above loud music.

It was strange to think that 10 years ago I had just 2 kids (not 3) and working in a bank and who would have thought that by the 20 year reunion I would be running my own business and about to embark on a trade mission with Lisburn City Council to Atlanta? – Certainly. Not. Me! (as they say here, I would have said “your head’s cut”!)

This morning breakfast was delicious (another sneaky photo)

and then to end a perfect weekend, we watched the 2nd half of Ireland beating Italy to get through to the quarter finals of the Rugy World Cup.

It was time to leave, but here is my husband and 2 of his 3 house-mates from those student days.

We ended with a walk in the rain along the seafront of Newcastle, with coffee and dessert (not as if we needed anything more to eat!).

I plan to search out a photo from Graduation, 20 years ago …. and when I add it I am sure you will agree ……… WE HAVEN’T CHANGED A BIT!

Have you attended any reunions (school/college/university/work)?

What have you been up to this weekend?

I don’t like to BEG for comments, but I am quite happy to HINT for them (hint, hint)!

Later this week I will be writing a review of our stay at the Slieve Donard – lots more photos to follow.