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Our Honoured Guest, The Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester then rose
to propose the Toast to the Association. In his speech which included some thoughts on his roles as a Bishop, the Queen's Lord High Almoner and Honary Chaplain to the Royal British Legion were some amusing accounts of problems which can and do arise, even on the best rehearsed occasions.
He told the audience that the invitation from the Association was the first he had received
after the announcement of his appointment as Bishop of Manchester and that he had one major advantage over the majority of Old Sals. He actually lived in Salford!
The Chairman thanked the Bishop for making time to be with us and presented him with an
Old Sals tie and the book by Old Salfordian Ron Greenhall, The Making of Victorian Salford.
The President then took wine with different generations of the School, including two Old Sals
who left School over seventy years ago. A bottle of champagne was then presented to George Moore, from Perth, Western Australia, for being the Old Sal who had travelled furthest to be at the Dinner.
The toast to 'The School' was proposed by Cliff Diamond, committee member and former
Chairman of the Association, who reminded the audience that a great deal of work goes on behind the scenes in the running of the Association and the organising of a function such as the Annual Dinner. He pointed out that the A.G.M. was fast approaching - at which the numbers rarely reached double figures - and felt it appropriate that those gathered at the Dinner should should show their appreciation to the Chairman, Hon Sec Bill Turner, Hon Treasurer Bob Porter and Assistant Sec/Web Master Stan Andrews, for their efforts throughout the year.
Cliff was thanked by the Chairman who expressed his appreciation of the contributions, wit
and advice, Cliff offers to the Association as a committee member.
The formal part of the evening was than brought to a close by the singing of the School Song
- Forty Years On.
The remainder of the evening was spent renewing old friendships, catching up with news of
old school friends, taking the occasional alcoholic beverage and in one area of the restaurant a book sale appeared to be taking place, with the author signing copies in his best victorian copperplate hand.
All too soon the taxis were arriving to disperse the Old Sals their various ways, many making
a note in their diary of the 82nd Dinner and Reunion on the 1st April 2004. |