Keeping the spirit of 'The Weald' alive, and its members in touch, is the main endeavour of the Association, through the 'News and Views', and all our various reunions, including of course the big one annually in April. That we have in our membership so many people who were there in the early years is a great thing - and the most valuable of resources, in that they know what it was actually like to be there, then.

All the annual reunions are fun, and full of talk from start to finish, but there have been some particularly epic ones over the years, often to mark particular anniversaries.

In 1983, in an event to mark the school's 50th birthday, and which lasted from 2.00pm until 10.00pm, members played tennis and cricket whilst others roamed nostalgically through classrooms and corridors, and browsed the displays of Old Wealden arts and crafts, school archives and various memorabilia. In the evening was a grand concert,  performed by Old Wealdens, for Old Wealdens  - and their guests - and of course lead by Irene Pyke.  It concluded with a memorable rendering of the school song, a tradition which has been enthusiastically upheld at every annual reunion since - although now just after the notices, and just before lunch.

The 1983 event was so successful that we decided to have another bumper one in 1993, although just in the evening, and sadly not with cricket and tennis, as during the intervening decade the school had lost its playing fields and tennis courts to the further expansion of Harrow College on the site. This notwithstanding, over five hundred Old Wealdens and their guests attended.  It culminated again in a concert, given by Old Wealdens with the indefatigable Irene Pyke, and immensely enjoyed by an audience crammed into the now truncated Hall and spilling out into the corridor.

In place of holding a big 70th birthday event for the school in 2003, the membership voted instead to celebrate the year 2000 Millennium in grand style.  Again, around 500 Old Wealdens and guests attended. By popular demand, Irene Pyke was again on the podium leading the also indefatigable Old Wealdens in a suitably grand concert.  During the afternoon, a commemorative tree was planted in the quad. An excellent dinner was provided with everyone sitting at year tables and thus able to spend time with their contemporaries. On sale at this reunion was a CD-ROM produced by member Peter Brigginshaw, and containing numerous copies of the Weald Chronicle and the Sixth-Form College publication named 'News of the Weald' - of course - as well as some school photos. This proved very popular and soon completely sold out.  NB  However, technology having moved on, and those old CD-ROMs having not been able to keep up, you will find a link to the entire contents - a wonderful resource - courtesy of another generous Old Wealden, on the Archive page.

The school’s 75th birthday was celebrated in 2008, with over four hundred Old Wealdens and their guests attending.  It was wonderful that no fewer than twenty-five members from the 1930s were present, amongst whom were seven founder pupils. As can be imagined, the decibel level in the marquee rose as, fortified by an excellent lunch and supporting bar, members continued with their lively exchange of news until reluctantly calling it a day. 

Time and logistics did not permit a concert on this occasion - and indeed, we had by then sadly lost our lynchpin, as Irene Pyke was no longer with us.  She had been Head of Music at Harrow Weald from 1946 until 1972, and she died at the age of 96.  She would, though, thoroughly approve that we still sing the school song, and the school hymn, lustily and with feeling, at each reunion, big and not so big, with or without a piano! We are grateful to musical Old Wealdens for now leading us in this, our enthusiasm for making musical noise undimmed.

As a footnote, in addition to that CD-ROM, we have, over the years, produced some souvenir merchandise, including T-shirts, sweaters and ties with the school insignia - and three different designs of commemorative mugs.  These are now collectors' items!  ie  there are none left!