There are hardly enough words to describe the emotions and excitement in the lead up, preparations and finally the big day of the major RN School Tal Handaq Reunion 2004.  The final Committee meeting takes on a sense of urgency and anticipation as calculators measure the numbers signing up and the sudden influx of costs against the Tal Handaq Reunion Bank Account - large stocks of memorabilia, new clothing ranges, cases of Maltese refreshments and beer, not to mention deposits on the tentage to fill a large Colerne hangar!  Viv taps away on the computer making comparisons on previous events and Rog gives essential final numbers to meet the 'break-even' goals set by the Committee.  These indicate a close call and once again we must rely on the inevitable 'late bookers'!  Sounds like hard work, but Anne & Rog Wilkin provide us with an excellent barbecue and we relax with pastizzi and Maltese 'imbit' to the sounds of the 60s, relatively confident that our concerns are unfounded.

This has been a regular pattern for the Committee.  Suddenly with only two weeks to go, phones are 'red hot', e-mail boxes overloaded and the doormat covered in applications.  The jungle drums of Tal Handaq school memories and the distribution of joining instructions by the Committee has stirred Association members into last minute action as they search for the paperwork mailed out in February in the hope that they aren't too late.  The panic is heightened by a red notice on the web saying targets have been exceeded and Rog seeks authority to raise the maximum allowed to attend - Suddenly we are at 400 and the numbers continue to rise as we try to slide a few more 'under the door'!

In the early hours of Thursday 23 September we set off for Colerne, telephones still ringing in our ears and a hope that those on e-mail will appreciate our inability to respond.  Throughout the journey new applicants call Viv's mobile and the 'waiting list' continues to grow beyond 450, with some members agreeing to attend after lunch in order to ensure their place at the Reunion and in the group photograph.

At Colerne Rog and Bernard have already been incredibly busy and the hangar has been transformed by an enormous marquee.  Over the following two days, with the support of the Bristol University Air Squadron and other Colerne Units, the full team of committee and partners tackle the multitude of tasks to convert an aircraft hangar into a comfortable welcoming venue.  Bar stock, seating, picnic tables, catering, memorabilia, flowers, delegate badges, fire plans, balloons, Malta posters, flags..... the list was endless.  The hours fly by and with an occasional break for a Kinnie and NAAFI sandwiches, another fabulous RN School Tal Handaq Reunion comes together.

As a Committee, although accepting that these events raise our workload, we consider ourselves incredibly fortunate. The nostalgia, emotion and excitement generated at the Reunion is something which runs through every aspect of our Association management and administration.

Every new member has a story to tell, the excitement of every Tal Handaq telephone call or newly established contact of friends via the web site and the Internet makes the whole venture a truly remarkable experience throughout the year. The Major Reunion events reunite dozens of those individual experiences into a single venue.  Suddenly the day arrives, the hangar doors are opened and the excitement and emotion as our first members arrive is indescribable.

Thank you all for attending, this most certainly was

"A Superb Event"

• REUNION 2004 Photograph in sections

We are assembling photographs and expect to publish a full report of the RN School Tal Handaq Reunion 2004 within the next few weeks.  If you were there and have photographs of your group, we would love to hear from you with the relevant details and copies of your photographs of the day.  Meanwhile, Viv is collecting names for our new line in 'uniform', the Fleece Jacket and to avoid large costly stock holdings, orders will be placed with the suppliers in groups of 25 or more.
 
The details and a photo are with the memorabilia on The Notice Board and if you are interested in ordering one
contact Viv by e-mail giving your details.

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