"Rock Reveille"

[Wagga]

The final ‘Rock Reveille’ came. This was played by Boy Friend, the best bugler in the school. It was such a sweet sound and as usual everyone cheered. It was a great moment which I wish to hell I could relive.

I didn’t get a lift that day so I went to Bangor station with everyone else. There was a great atmosphere. Even the duty officer, the cricket bat wielding Mr. Bond was in good spirits. He was a ‘scouser’ like many of the boys. I returned to the other platform where there were only a handful of us locals. The platform opposite heaved with dozens of Inde’ boys in full uniform. The summer holidays of 1969 had begun.

[Don Rafferty]

A very similar memory to you, but it would have been the Christmas holidays 1965. The Bugler would have been a boy called Woodhead, who joined around the same time as me, he had only started playing the bugle just a few weeks previously, but he was so good that he fast became Lead Bugler. There was much speculation going round whether it would be Reveille Rock, which was strictly frowned on, or the straight Reveille - luckily it was the 'Rock' version, and he got away with it.

[cappy]

great memories wot lifes part about

[Wagga]

By the way "Boy" Friend got a lot of stick because of his name. Does anyone remember when the mail was handed out in the dining hall? I recall Mr Bond having the knack of "flicking" the letters towards the named recipient often with astonishing accuracy. Often, there would be a cheer when the letter would find its target.