Amazon exiles discussion

I got a Facebook friend (a small bunch) invitation a few days back to join a group of former pupils at my grammar school - i hesitate to use the word alumni - who wish to share memories and catch up with their old schoolfellows. Already there are a lot of old black and white snaps posted of rugby, hockey, amateur theatricals etc asking if the subjects can be identified. There is something grimly fascinating about them and i confess to having briefly been tempted to join in. I have many happy memories of school but equally many things and people (mainly teachers) i didn't like and i'd be nervous of offending somebody. I reckon i keep in touch occasionally with about 6 former schoolmates and there's too much water under the bridge for it be be an appealing prospect of meeting others, in the flesh or over the web. How do others feel about this sort of thing?

seems you wanna! no?

apart from a couple of enduring friendships, i haven't had a meaningful exchange with anyone i went to school with for 40 odd years, and y'know, i could barely give a rat's pecker about them. teachers? i imagine most are resident in the nonce wing, which is where they'd be heading if they taught today!

Until I was well into my 50s I used to return my old grammar school on an annual basis to play in the Old Boys v School 1st XI football match, so I had that contact with fellow ex-pupils and a few ex-teachers who regularly turned up to watch. A propos of not a lot, one of those teachers, Alan Saggers, was the father of the sports journalist/radio presenter, Mark Saggers.
Apart from that I also still keep in touch via FB and WhatsApp with a number of mates from both primary and grammar schools (a handful were at both). We even meet up occasionally, normally at sporting events.
That said, there are many ex-pupils who I have absolutely no desire to ever meet again!!

SussexWelsh wrote: "Until I was well into my 50s I used to return my old grammar school on an annual basis to play in the Old Boys v School 1st XI football match, so I had that contact with fellow ex-pupils and a few ..."

Fair play Sussex - the schoolpals i miss are probably the guys i played rugby with and i regret that i lost touch fairly soon after leaving - many emigrated, as is common here. And i guess we don't get to pick who are classmates are - we are all bundled in together, whereas later we choose our own friends and make more genuine bonds. Has anyone had the experience of meeting a former pupil years after school and both of you feeling the need to rekindle some sort of non existent camaraderie? Awkward and amusing really when both memories are hazy and you're fairly sure you weren't particularly close back in the day? A few times when someone has approached me with - "Hi, I think we went to school together" i regretted not saying, "Sorry pal, I think you're mistaking me for somebody else"