Annual Reunion Dinner 2005

The 95th Annual Reunion Dinner was held at Taunton's College on Saturday 12 November 2005. Chairman of the Dinner was Tim Tremlett (1973–1975), the first ever student of Richard Taunton College to have that honour.

Tim is a member of the well known cricketing family. His father, Maurice, played for Somerset and England. His son, Chris, was in this year's Test squad and a member of the England one-day side. During his playing days, Tim played for Hampshire and England 'A'. Tim is currently Director of Cricket for Hampshire and a Director of Rose Bowl plc.

The Master of Ceremonies at the Dinner was Ron Allison, while Johnny Bathurst made the speech of welcome to the guests and proposed the health of Taunton's College.

Guests included Councillor Edwina Cooke (Mayor of Southampton), Jonathan Prest (Principal of Taunton's College), Mrs Carolyn Tremlett (Tim's wife), Margaret Stephens (Girls Grammar School Association), John Rogers (Old Edwardians) and Philip Lovegrove (Old Symondians).

In his first address as Principal, Jonathan Prest gave an entertaining comparison between a Board of Education Inspection of Taunton's School in 1938 and the kind of inspection faced by the College today. While the current curriculum is wider and the numbers of students greater, the call for better and larger facilities in order to provide excellence was evident in both eras. If the OTA could help in any way to improve facilities at the College, it would be most gratefully and willingly received.

Tim Tremlett, responding to Jonathan's toast to the Association, praised the help he received while at Richard Taunton College, particularly his sports coaching. He gave an account of his life as a young cricket professional – paid reasonably in the summer but necessarily working in a variety of jobs in the winter. These included working on a building site, in a department store (selling firstly toys and then soft furnishings and furniture) and becoming an expert fur cutter and salesman in his father-in-law's business.

In later years he was with Hampshire full time and enjoyed the company on and off the pitch of some of the all-time great cricketers. They included Roy Marshall, Gordon Greenidge, Chris and Robin Smith, Barry Richards, Andy Roberts and, of course, Simon Katich and the larger than life Shane Warne.

Tim gave an insight of the "happenings" on and off the field and ended by giving his selection of a modern World Eleven who he felt would have beaten all comers.