Monday, October 22, 2007

Irving Leung

I checked out the reunion photos and can't believe how much you guys have changed over 30 years! I don't think I'd recognize 10% of you if I ran into you in the street today.

I really did wish we had connected earlier as just so happens I was in transit at Heathrow on Oct 6th!!! What a funny coincidence; I could have easily stayed over a few extra days.

I now live in SF, am married (Pauline), and have 2 daughters; Erika (2 1/2 yrs.), and Morgan (4 weeks). Life is great.

I've settled in America quite well, and think I'll stay in SF for good.

I went to Univ. of Texas for my undergrad in Mech Engrg., and Vanderbilt Univ. for my MBA. I took up tennis and play competitively about 3X/week. I also played semi-pro paintball for a while...such a rush.

Work-wise, I did some consulting (alot of flying!!!) and then wised up and stopped after meeting my wife. I now work at a BioPharma company called Novo Nordisk (largest producer of insulin in the world). It's challenging, but very exciting at the same time.

Sara Hornsey

After BHS I went to boarding school in the UK. Not great but not ghastly! Would have rather been in HK with family enjoying dim sum, Ocean park etc than cooped up in an all girls boarding school in rainy England!!

After “A” levels completed a Law degree in London. Had no idea what I wanted to do with it so dabbled working in a Law firm for a while before going to Law school. Passed all the exams and started looking for a job during the last recession. Training contracts were very hard to come by so moved into Telecoms. Worked for AT&T for the last 10 years until they started outsourcing to countries in Eastern Europe particularly Slovakia and I could not compete with a young graduate earning a third of my salary!

Have had a great time travelling over the years to many places with a soft spot for Africa. Mum and Dad left HK in 1985 and moved to Singapore for 6 years so I was blessed with many more exotic holidays in Asia before they returned to the UK in 1991. I have only been back to HK once since leaving and that was just for a week in 1993. Would love to go back and see the old haunts. I have such special memories of the place and know how lucky I was to have been brought up there. How I miss authentic Chinese food!!

I currently live in Gloucestershire in the UK surrounded by beautiful countryside and picture postcard Cotswold villages. It’s a world away from the skyscrapers in HK!! My main hobby is trying to keeping fit! I enjoy circuit training, skiing and walking. I started learning tennis while at BHS and have loved it ever since, it’s my passion!!

I have done some daft things in my time including river rafting down the Zambezi and jumping out of an aeroplane. The scariest challenge I have ever undertaken but ultimately the most rewarding was working in an orphanage in Romania for Autistic children in 2004.

The best decision I made was to marry Lawrence which we did in 2005. We are currently busy sorting out our new home and would like to have a child. I am planning to set up my own business.







Sunday, October 7, 2007

Reunion dinner - Saturday 6th October 2007

The participants, from left to right, starting from the front (sitting/kneeling):

FRONT: Jeanette Holland, Helena Coles, Digby Falkiner, Audrey Gunby, Doug Lowe, Terry Fong, Stephanie Grimstead.

BACK: Debbie Bray, Mandy Lowe, Sara Hornsey, Julie Smith, Helen Fernando, Anil Mohan, Antoinette Cooke, Andrew Oliver, Phil Gibson, Simon Tse, Esther Crawley, Andrea Dixon, Damon Reigate, David McNaughton


The Menu
The main event - mingling before the photo shoot



Terry and Jeanette




Pre-dinner drinks in the bar



Lads: Simon, Andrew and Phil



Simon and Terry

Phil and Jeanette


Mandy, Andrew and Antoinette


The Lowes, Aud and Simon


Helena and Doug


Helen - Edinburgh Airport - on our way!


The shoot: half coz the photographer had one too many glasses .....


Aud, proving she has arrived back in Edinburgh with 80 roses courtesy of the Lowes... intact!



The diehards - back in the club at the hotel at 3:30am. Aud, Anil, David, Andrew and Damon


Damon demonstrates Canadian pole dancing techniques


Aud and Digs congratulating themselves on getting the reunion from the table into action!
Jules, David and Esther


Esther

Esther, David and Jules
Debbie and Helena


Digby, Helena and Rupert (Esther's husband aka "the group photo man" he had about 16 of our cameras!)
David, Stephanie and Terry
Anil and Aud




Damon and Antoinette




Group variation on the theme - can't quite see Doug's tonsils - everyone say "Sha Tin"!


Aud and Terry



Aud and Digby

Antoinette, Andrew, Mandy and Digby









Anil, Jeanette and Helen



Digby - morning before outside the Cumberland hotel - having his pomegranite juice.
Anil - morning before - also with pomegranite juice!
David and Andrew


Andrea, Sara, Mandy and Debbie


Another variation of the theme - Doug leaning right


Antoinette and Andrew

Jules, Digby and Helen

Simon and David

Terry, Jeanette and Phil


Simon and Terry

Terry, Jeanette and Phil

Doug polishing his specs


Esther, David and Damon

Antoinette and Andrew


Helen, Jules and Rupert

Esther and David

Anil and Esther - with Doug advancing....ready to check their spelling?
Debbie and Helena - and a young man they picked up who wants to ply them with wine...

Stephanie and Andrea

Andrea, Aud and Sara
Esther and Jules

Helen, Andrea, Antoinette and Aud - about to go shopping on Sat afternoon - not buying dodgy rip-off football strips - honest!

Antoinette and Aud on Oxford Street
The Morning After - Helen and Antoinette

Doug and Digby




Anil and Andrew



Aud and Andrea





THAT'S ALL FOLKS ... IT WAS A GREAT BUZZ TO RECONNECT AFTER THREE DECADES IN MANY CASES! AND WE HAD A FANTASTIC NIGHT. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE EARTH.



AUDREY AND DIGBY



Next targetted event is March 2008 in Hong Kong



Event organisers - volunteers pending ... go on....you know you want to!