Queensburgh Boys’ High School’s class of 1976 celebrate.

THE ‘old boys’ from Queensburgh Boys’ High School gathered on September 1 to reminisce about the old days they enjoyed at the school between 1974 and 1976.

Held at the Hillary Bowing Club, the reunion marked the fourth time the men visited their alma mater since they matriculated 45 years ago.

The organisers, Michael Du Plessis, Kevin Smith and Barry Sykes, said the men hailed from all parts of the country, including Krugersdorp, Pretoria, Benoni, Cato Ridge, Hillcrest, uMhlanga and Cape Town.

According to the spokesperson for the alumni, Arthur Bester, men from as far afield as Australia, Canada, America, Ireland, England and Saudi Arabia also joined in but via a WhatsApp group.

Among the ‘old boys’ was Vic Van Vuuren, director of the Enterprises Department at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva. Previously, he was also the director of the ILO in South Africa and the chief operations officer of Business Unity South Africa, which he helped establish. Van Vuuren started his working career at the South African Department of Justice as a public prosecutor and magistrate.

The alumni also included Kevin Smith who worked as a SAPS policeman for many years; Barry Sykes, a Nashua Copy Machines executive; the Funnell brothers who own Funnell Cars in Hillcrest and Bobby Duitsman who played for Durban City Football Club.

David Day is a lecturer and associate professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal while Arthur Bester, David Cloke and Darryl Ritson worked for Transnet for over 40 years.

Garth Van Loggenberg was the horticulturist at what was once known as the Durban Corporation, now the eThekwini Municipality. Peter Korff worked for Schlinder Lifts for 33 years. Michael Du Plessis was the managing director of Ezee Tile Adhesive and was, until recently, president of SA Hockey.

Reminiscing about the 70s, Bester said, “Although the 1970s were fun times with great achievements being made academically and on the sports field, they were also the years of corporal punishment and compulsory military service.”

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