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Well, I haven't posted anything in a while—and nobody else has either :-). However, the school's 250th anniversary deserves a mention, even if we didn't quite manage to decipher the "buy a brick" money raising scheme and how to purchase a block linked to the class's aggregated contributions!

Tim Smith sent the attached photos from the gala evening on Saturday 16 June, attended by some of the class. It seems a 50th class of 76 reunion was mentioned with some interest. Hoping it happens!

Tim's message that accompanied the pictures:

Hello and greetings from Lisburn. A number of us attended the FSL Gala dinner last night. The school said they’ve raised £330,000 during the campaign which is great. Here are a couple of pictures. George, if you want to add more to the website let us know.

People are keen to investigate a 50th get together next year. There is talk of combining the get together with the Old Scholars golf day - maybe consecutive days. The golf day is apparently normally at the beginning of June, so that would seem to set the date. So far no volunteers to organise, but I’m sure some adventurous soul will take this on.

Just passing this on... 2020 school magazine "Past and Present", old scholars version (we only get part of it).

I was particularly struck by this news brief on page 11:

"Arthur Chapman, Brown Shaw and Noel Clarke were spotted in Hillsborough recently having a celebratory lunch. Noel celebrated his 90th birthday in August. Let there be rejoicing throughout the land!"

Power to you gentlemen, great to see you are all still going strong!

George

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I'd just like to add to messages that others have sent by email with my good wishes to all of you for 2021. As we get older and still in the grip of a nasty virus pandemic I wish you health. With age we should have learnt more and I wish you wisdom. And those two qualities are probably more important than most, so I wish you contentment :-).

I have attached here a gem of a book that another old scholar has pointed out to me. A book by our headmaster, Arthur Chapman: "Memoirs from ten decades". An easy and very interesting read. Enjoy!

OK class, here's the playlist submitted by your classmates to date relevant to our current situation. Thanks Maggie, George, John, Marty, Anne, Frank, Pam, Brian, Madeline, Jane, Tim, Helen, Jenny, Robert, Alma, Julie, Jane!

1. Queen and David Bowie “Under pressure”:
   https://youtu.be/YoDh_gHDvkk
2. Metallica “Nothing else matters”:
   https://youtu.be/tAGnKpE4NCI
3. Pharrell Williams “Freedom”:
   https://youtu.be/7oE1SYlEcVg
4. Handel Messiah Overture first performed in Dublin April 13 1742:
   https://youtu.be/9YYvyznsqe8
5. Horslips “Everything will be alright”:
   https://youtu.be/1X816WjTl6w
6. Aslan “Crazy world”:
   https://youtu.be/fDtVbWzZatw
7. Bill Withers “Lean on me”:
   https://youtu.be/f7P8wusL1Z0
8. David Bowie "Changes":
   https://youtu.be/IJSv6JXKS_I
9. America "A horse with no name":
   https://youtu.be/oEHBTjIYejE
10. Electric Light Orchestra "Mr Blue Sky":
    https://youtu.be/aQUlA8Hcv4s
11. Gloria Gaynor "I will survive":
    https://youtu.be/ARt9HV9T0w8
12. Killers "Mr Brightside":
    https://youtu.be/gGdGFtwCNBE
13. Andrea Bocelli "Amazing grace":
    https://youtu.be/-0l5dGiaXCo
14. Gerry and the Pacemakers "You'll never walk alone":
    https://youtu.be/OV5_LQArLa0
15. British Sea Power "Man of Aran":
    https://youtu.be/iBDPuPqtDKw
16. Captain Tom and Michael Ball "You'll never walk alone":
    https://youtu.be/wUP-ty-Tj5E
17. John Prine "Sound of the speed of loneliness":
    https://youtu.be/eFvenjll1Bk
18. Winifred Atwell "The black and white rag" ("Pot Black" theme tune, remembering Gruk):
    https://youtu.be/-nXUPHR17FI
19. The Undertones "Teenage kicks":
    https://youtu.be/PinCg7IGqHg
20. Prince "Purple rain":
    https://youtu.be/TvnYmWpD_T8
21. Jimi Hendrix "Angel" (Gary Moore cover):
    https://youtu.be/raZWhRYfhMo
22. Pink Floyd "Comfortably numb" (Dave Gilmour at Pompeii):
    https://youtu.be/LTseTg48568
23. Pink Floyd "Wish you were here":
    https://youtu.be/NE2mQfq_j8A
24. Led Zeppelin "Stairway to heaven":
    https://youtu.be/GPkwsZ5N_Qg
25. The Police "Don't stand so close to me":
    https://youtu.be/EuuX_t3c_2A
26. Van Morrison "Into the mystic":
    https://youtu.be/cpPSBzGEklE
27. Simon and Garfunkel "Bridge over troubled water":
    https://youtu.be/WrcwRt6J32o
28. Rolling Stones "You can't always get what you want" (from "The world at home concert"):
    https://youtu.be/N7pZgQepXfA
29. Lindisfarne "All fall down":
    https://youtu.be/GVBq1nQDGfs
30. Drake "God's plan":
    https://youtu.be/xpVfcZ0ZcFM
31. Neil Young and the Band "Helpless":
    https://youtu.be/J2z7LXpAX3Q
32. Lindisfarne "No time to lose":
    https://youtu.be/UgLs2w_po84
33. Lindisfarne "Fog on the Tyne":
    https://youtu.be/tm_KZSYSiGc
34. The Cars "Who's gonna drive you home":
    https://youtu.be/xuZA6qiJVfU
35. Journey "Don't stop believing":
    https://youtu.be/1k8craCGpgs
36. Miley Cyrus "The climb":
    https://youtu.be/NG2zyeVRcbs
37. Ellie Holcomb "Do not worry":
    https://youtu.be/QhbK2GpbKTY
38. Jonny Cash "These things shall pass":
    https://youtu.be/6rFHEbf4Gnw
39. Mumford and Sons "Guiding light":
    https://youtu.be/K9jmjXDQ5MQ
40. The Kinks "Days":
    https://youtu.be/tuUoSuO_hfg
41. Elton John and Kiki Dee "Don't go breaking my heart":
    https://youtu.be/z0qW9P-uYfM
42. Friends School Lisburn Orchestra "Spring 2020 concert":
    https://youtu.be/Xsux0khlc4Y
43. Don McClean "American Pie":
    https://youtu.be/iX_TFkut1PM

From: anne.moody2@btinternet.com
Date: 17 April 2020 at 13:12:14 GMT+4
Subject: Playlist

Great choices!

I have a more relaxing choice!

I heard this for the first time in probably 40 years!

Please don’t smirk... it’s America's "A horse with no name"!

It go’s on forever but just listen, relax and breathe!!

America "A horse with no name": https://youtu.be/oEHBTjIYejE

Take care,

Anne

X

From: Martyn Bird
Date: 17 April 2020 at 12:17:02 GMT+4
Subject: Re: Love from BC

Some great choices coming up here. When the Thursday NHS Clap was announced, I immediately thought of Tina Turner's "Simply The Best". I then reworked some of the words and sent them to a tribute act, as you can see, I'm no Bernie Taupin.

https://www.facebook.com/254498794572749/posts/2946904831998785/

As an aside, for those of you in NI, I am on the third leg of 4 NHS virtual climbs. Having completed Scafell Pike on Wednesday and Snowdon yesterday, I'll be doing Donard today and Nevis tomorrow so keep a look out for me :). I don't have a sponsorship page but feel free to text CLAP to 70507 to date a fiver to the NHS.

I think my personal song choice would be Bowie and Changes.

David Bowie, "Changes": https://youtu.be/IJSv6JXKS_I

Stay safe everyone, Martyn

From: "Barr, John"
Date: 17 April 2020 at 00:10:44 GMT+4
Subject: RE: Love from BC

Bill Withers (recently passed away)—Lean on me

Bill Withers “Lean on me”: https://youtu.be/f7P8wusL1Z0

From: George Munroe
Date: 16 April 2020 at 19:30:26 GMT+4
Subject: Re: Love from BC

You’re a star Maggie. Thanks for the inspiration!

Best wishes to you and Vick. Thoughts with you in all you’re going through and doing. Admire your spirit and so proud to be part of this unique class that you are such a key member of.

Some great songs there too. Class video from Cecile. And cool diverse mix of tracks to help us through and bind us with the great equaliser and medicine of music.

I’m not just as cultured as some but here’s a couple I’ve shared with my girls over recent weeks.

Horslips “Everything will be alright”: https://youtu.be/1X816WjTl6w

I saw them perform this in the Sir William Whitla Hall at Queens in the late 70s and the words have come back to me through many a crisis ever since, not least since the current pandemic hit us.

Aslan “Crazy world”: https://youtu.be/fDtVbWzZatw

A song my eldest daughter introduced me to (or more correctly a former boyfriend of hers). A sentiment that reaches across all human experiences and transcends the reality of where we are and what the world might do to us.

Come on class of 76, any more songs that can help get us through these crazy times...

Stay safe everyone and thanks again for all updates.

George

From: Maggie Thompson
Date: 15 April 2020 at 21:59:55 GMT+4
Subject: Love from BC

Dear Friends,

Isn’t it wonderful to know we’re thinking of each other during this time - how cool is that? Julie, you are amazing and an inspiration, your bags, each with their own unique heart, are a perfect metaphor for this crazy Corona Virus Era. Thanks to others too for their messages and to you George for your efforts to keep us connected.

Here in British Columbia (pop 5.1m) we have had 1517 positive cases with 69 deaths. We lived through the SARS epidemic in 2003 and we seem to have learned from that. Overall Canada has a 2.4% mortality rate compared to the UK’ 12.8% and Belgiums’s 13.4% Ireland, with a pop of 4.8m has 11,407 cases and 406 deaths. I also track New Zealand where my younger sister lives. They have a population of 4.7m with 1386 positive cases and 9 deaths so far. While imperfect we have years of learning from all the data being collected and I trust we will continue on the trajectory of making Health Care a Human Right.

Last year I was diagnosed with an motor neurone condition which is being treated with immune suppressants, so I’m in a vulnerable group. Its hard for me not to run around helping others as I usually would, so I’m finding new ways, sharing plants from our garden and talking to folks struggling with mental health issues on the phone.

Our daughter Cecile (formerly Caila) was in London rehearsing for a band tour when travel restrictions were applied. She flew to Victoria rather than LA where she has been based for the past several years. She has been sound engineering in our converted garage and released a new single last week. Aptly named Pick up the Phone listen at: https://youtu.be/p7RsqVcCxrk

Here are a few other pieces that offer me music therapy right now...

Queen and David Bowie “Under Pressure”: https://youtu.be/YoDh_gHDvkk

Metallica “Nothing Else Matters”: https://youtu.be/tAGnKpE4NCI

Pharrell Williams “Freedom”: https://youtu.be/7oE1SYlEcVg

Handel Messiah Overture first performed in Dublin April 13 1742: https://youtu.be/9YYvyznsqe8

Stay well, love from Maggie

Dear All

It's heartwarming to read all the messages and to hear what everyone is doing in these strange times.

Other than shopping for elderly/vulnerable neighbours I can't claim to be making much of a difference, unlike many of you.

We are very lucky to live in a village on the edge of the countryside, and to be able to take our permitted daily exercise in the fresh air with only the birdsong for company. Life has definitely slowed down.

Let's all stay safe and sane, and hope this will be over sooner rather than later.

Jane