Old Swinford Hospital School 1968-75 Reunion

Who can name them all?

From https://greatist.com/live/most-common-regrets

Want to hear the strangest thing on earth?

Death is perhaps the most constructive fact of our existence. Being aware of death throughout your life can beget the healthiest attitude: one of perspective.

Countless people throughout history knew this too. The ancient Greeks used to “practice death every day,” and the Toltecs would use death as “fuel to live and to love.” The constant reminder ensured they would live more boldly, more kindly, and with less fear.

Here's how the morbid subject can actually benefit us: Our limited days on earth are the ultimate impetus to live with less fear and more intention.

The majority of the time, many of us live as if there will be no end to our days. We stay in unfulfilling careers. We remain in unhappy relationships. We will travel the world “one day.” We fail to tell people how much they matter to us. We hide our real truth, gifts, or talents from the world because we are scared of being judged and criticized.

Losing a parent when I was young made this much more real for me. I felt blessed to come to the realization of how precarious and precious life is while still in my younger years. But you don’t need a loss early in your life to take advantage of the wisdom that awaits you. Learn from people who know.

One of my favorite books is Bronnie Ware’s international bestseller The Top Five Regrets of the Dying. Ware was a hospice nurse in Australia for several years and cared for patients in the last few weeks of their lives. She writes with incredible clarity how similar regrets surfaced again and again.

Surprise, surprise: There was no mention of insufficient status; undelivered revenge; or sadness over not being the thinnest, prettiest, or most famous. These were the most common regrets. (Numbers one and five could make me weep.)

The 5 Most Common Regrets

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

"This was the most common regret of all," Ware writes. "When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made."

2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.

"All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence."

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

"Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks, and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved."

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

"This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content.”

The 5 Biggest Regrets People Have Before They Die And what they can teach you about life.

A few more pictures added to the 1969 page of the Reunion website.

Lee Nicholls, Peter Keen, Stephen Watkins and Duncan Crundwell cross country running or walking!

Can anyone help with suggestions for contacting the following classmates?

Anthony C Bill
Anthony Cooper
George P Drew
AD Hewitt
Tim Hobbs
Nicholas D Hurrell
DPC Jevons
Keith Jones
Peter Marshall
Paul Metcalfe
Nicholas P Parsons
C Petford
Tony MB Powell
Richard J Rogers
Mark S Rowley
Mark I Simmonds
Andrew J Simpson
Gary A Smith
JS Stubbs JS
Paul A Taylor
Martin Timms
Malcolm J Woodford

Looking to contact the following people who will be aged 60-61 and attended Old Swinford Hospital School:

Graham A Aldington
Anthony C Bill
Keith G Bradley
Tim S Bridgewater
Anthony Cooper
Lindsey R Davies
George P Drew
Paul J Forrest
Ian Hartgroves
AD Hewitt
Tim Hobbs
Nicholas D Hurrell
DPC Jevons
Keith Jones
Peter Marshall
Paul Metcalfe
Nicholas P Parsons
C Petford
Tony MB Powell
Robert A Richards
Richard J Rogers
Mark S Rowley
Roger Sharman
Mark I Simmonds
Andrew J Simpson
Gary A Smith
JS Stubbs JS
Paul A Taylor
Martin Timms
Malcolm J Woodford

Don't forget to visit www.markhammond.space for more reunion information.
Best wishes, Mark

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Please help find my classmates. They all attended Old Swinford Hospital School, Stourbridge, West Midlands, during the period 1968-75. They will be aged 60/61 now. Please share this page widely to help spread my search. We're having a Reunion, details at www.markhammond.space

Even if you can't make it, please let me know so I can stop my search for you!

These are the people I've contacted already:
Baptist Derek
Bossom Lance J
Bradley Terry A
Brettle Nigel S
Brooks Nicholas M
Crundwell Duncan J
Edwards David
Fellows Alan
Fieldsend David
Gordon Phillip R
Hammond Mark
Horton Peter J
Jackson David W
Keen Peter S
Lawrence Roger J
Lovatt Iain F
Mobbs David B
Nicholls Lee S
Partridge George AD
Price Richard (Basil)
Scollay I Stuart
Taylor Alston
Vaughan Paul A
Watkins Paul Stephen
Bowmer David
Crookes Christopher
Hawkes John D
Smith Andrew N Martin

I'm hoping to contact the following people:
Aldington Graham A
Bill Anthony C
Bradley Keith G
Bridgewater S Tim
Cooper Anthony
Davies R Lindsey
Drew George P
Forrest Paul J
Hartgroves Ian
Hewitt AD
Hobbs Tim
Hurrell Nicholas D
Jevons DPC
Jones Keith
Marshall Peter
Metcalfe Paul
Parsons Nicholas P
Payne David
Petford C Chris
Powell Tony MB
Richards Robert A
Rogers Richard J
Rowley Mark S
Sharman Roger
Simmonds I Mark
Simpson Andrew J
Smith Gary A
Stubbs JS Jamie
Taylor Paul A
Timms Martin
Woodford Malcolm J

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Its been 50 years since starting at Old Swinford - time for a reunion!
The Great Hall is booked for October 20th 2018. Tours of the school, school rugby, quiz, tea with Len Krukowski, lunch and evening meal. Full programme to follow.

Search for this page on facebook using , or visit this page using fb.me/oshreunion2018 and send messages to m.me/oshreunion2018

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