OC Derek French (58) has written to tell us about meeting up with two of his friends from Churcher's, OC Lionel Marten (58) who travelled over from Australia, as well as his long distance but enduring friendship with OC Stuart Rees (58).

Derek told us that 'When I joined Churcher's 72 years ago my Hayling Island contemporary friendships were strongly enjoyed and developed in the Churcher's family and two of the furthest dispersed, both in Australia, have survived to this day.

Whilst much travelled Stuart Rees and I met again in person at Churcher's year group reunions, my best man at my wedding in 1963 , Lionel Marten, made his first return visit to the UK in Summer 2023 and we celebrated together in my home town of Harpenden, Hertfordshire, having failed to make in-person contact when I led a project in Australia for my NatWest Bank employer in 1985 - distances!  

Lionel qualified as a dental surgeon and soon after the wedding took up Australian Government posts firstly in Papua New Guinea and, after his marriage, in Toowoomba, Queensland where he remains to this day. He is widowed but with son Peter living and working nearby.’

Derek goes on to say that ‘now Lionel is retired he spends more of his time breeding Clivia plants, for which he has received accolades from all over Australia and beyond. Every Christmas I receive a Clivia calendar from Lionel for the following year’.

Of Stuart, Derek told us that he 'is much honoured and is Professor Emeritus at the University of Sydney Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies where the current Israel/Palestine issue is commanding much of his attention.'

Remincising about their time at Churcher's, Derek remembers that 'Stuart was into Scouting in a big way and in 1956 arranged all the gear and loan of a lorry to enable a Form 5 New Forest camp: one student insisted on a camp bed!'

Congratulations on over 60 years of friendship!