On this day in history

When I left school in 1982 to up to Oxford, I wrote myself a note and put in inside a book that I was sure not to lose. That note was a list of names of people that I should not forget. So I had a look to see what had happened over 27 years, 4 house moves and over 20 long foreign trips:

[updated 2010, updated 2014]

Scouts

Neil Dallen – was still a GSL at 7th Epsom, so connected through Scouting

Norman Dallen – RIP, lived a long life of service

Robert Allen (Venture Leader), and his wife, Alison – lost touch

Mark, Lindsey, Spencer Blackford – lost touch (though bumped into Mark in the City 10 years ago)

Tim Hallet – lost touch

Paul Baker – lost touch

Brian Jackson – was still connected on Friends Reunited in 2010, but now RIP. Died far too young.

Karen Bramley and Mark, her husband – connected on Friends Reunited

Gary Bowyer – connected through my brother still and on Facebook in 2014

Mike and Judith Lovett – lost touch

Tony and Francis Miles – in touch (Tony is in Christian Media and an avid social media user)

Peter Townsend (Simon and Jane) – lost touch for a while.

Peter mcNeil – on Facebook

Dave Mitchell – lost touch

Kevin Reynolds (who famously blew himself out of a tree on a Scout event) – lost touch

Stephen Matthews – lost touch

 

Other Friends

 

Ian and Mike Thoburn – lost touch for a long time, now happily swapping fishing and cooking tales on Facebook

Sarah Kenyon – lost touch

Hillary Gunson – in touch via Friends Reunited

Mark and Jane Norris – keep trying to meet for a beer and failing! Have email address

Rob Norris – lost touch

Alison and Charles Hill – lost touch a few years back, now sharing letters by good old post thanks to a contact via social media with a mutual friend

Robert Hill – lost touch for a while, now happily chatting on FB

Tim Richards – lost touch (also, despite him being a daily friend, I forgot his surname for years!)

Jacqui Saviel – married Graham  – lost touch for a long time, but have now exchanged letters thanks to a mutual friend

Rick and Karen Player – still in touch regularly

 

Without email and social media I really would not have had a hope of finding any of them again. Social media does have a utility, but it is far, far from perfect or universal right now, and may never be able to bridge the gaps that our busy lives create for us.