Reunion 12/11/11 Smuts Hall, UCT

The dinner at Smuts Hall, UCT, was superb, and very reminiscent of College House.

Smuts Hall, showing the slide show of old 1969 photos

The evening kicked off with drinks on the balcony overlooking the sports fields towards Hottentots Holland.

The slide show was a great hit for many Witsies.

Fascinated by old photos

Mick Fynn was MC and thanked Prof Bob Tait, Dean of Smuts Hall, and his wife Robbie for hosting the reunion dinner in Smuts Hall.

He introduced Bob, who gave a very interesting talk on life in residence for today's Smuts students, with new traditions as well as old.

Prof. Bob Tait

Bob proposed a toast to the University of the Witwatersrand, and Gaudeamus Igitur was spontaneously and lustily sung by everyone.

The dinner was delicious, and after the starter, Mick introduced Prof John Truswell, who responded to Bob's speech by toasting UCT, and who spoke in a lighthearted vein of his time as Dean of Mens Halls of Residence.  He felt that after those interesting times, he departed feeling that the experience had left him able to face almost anything life had to throw at him.

Prof John Truswell, looking great having celebrated his 80th birthday two months before.

The wines that accompanied the meal were supplied by Adrew Gunn, who explained how his wine estate, Iona, came about near Bot River.   As a 69er, his wines were supplied, but Max Hahn (Judy Nottingham's husband, and also a Witsie - EOH) is also a vinter, selling his wines under the label Elgin Vintners.

Andrew Gunn describes how he played rugby for Mechanicals even after he'd opted out and left Wits...he later completed his civil engineering degree at Pietermaritzburg.

This photo is the formal one of the 69'ers.

1969

1969 above.   Reunion men today, below.

At the end of the evening Russell Moore proposed a toast to absent friends.

Photos can be viewed on a slideshow at http://www.flickr.com/photos/65643227@N08/sets/72157628115592324/show/
and at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65643227@N08/sets/72157628113809102/show/