Thanks to Brigitta Case, who first suggested the idea when she visited New York in the autumn of 2022, and to Stan Ince, who hosted and chose the ideal location, a group of us met at The Churchill for an evening of reminiscences and drinks on Thursday, May 9th. It was the first Berko NYC reunion in a number of years and the alum represented both schools, from the 1980s all the way to 2010s.

The Churchill is considered the finest English tavern in the Big Apple and its décor and cozy atmosphere are as British as you can find in New York. Memorabilia and historic photographs add to the authenticity and you can get a decent Sunday roast among other British staples. Five OBs met and spent a delightful evening there. The group included: Stan Ince, Michael Lee, Diya Sagar, Tamara Knezevic and Toby Sylvester with his wife Taya. The weather couldn’t have been more ideal—it was a perfect New York spring evening and we sat by the long open windows right by the street (The Churchill doesn’t have outdoor seating but it felt like it).

There was much to talk about and remember, our different paths of how we came to the United States and New York, some of the immigration processes involved and what it entails to live a somewhat dual existence in terms of geographic locations and families on different continents. As is usually the case with such changes in environments, we made comparisons and among other things came to the conclusion that the much-lauded food of New York, isn’t really superior to all the varieties of international cuisine available in London and the pork pies. Except for New York pizza slices which are truly one of a kind.

All of us noticed the many changes the school underwent, the added modern and sleek buildings, recalled anecdotes about favorite teachers (in my case the history teacher Mr. Henderson, who inspired my lifelong interest in history for which I signed the Excellence Book) and the high quality of the curriculum and variety of extracurricular subjects.

In a city as multi-cultural and global as New York, it is no wonder that there were OBs to be found, and it was a pleasure to connect and hear everyone’s stories of how their lives went from our Berkhamsted school days to the Big Apple. Meeting in person, not merely online, and sharing not just recollections but much else we could relate to, was very special. Memories of a place connect people, especially memories from formative years, and our conversation stirred up quite a few.

We decided to make these reunions more regular and hope to have more people join. Any alum out there passing through NYC should get in touch. We are very grateful to The Old Berkhamstedians (TOB) for the initiative and organization of the event as it couldn’t have been done without them.

At the end, if there are any boarders from Berkhamsted School for Girls (The Beeches, Russell House and Churchill House) from the early eighties, as well as day students from Upper II J (Mrs. Rafter’s form) please contact me through Berkhamsted Connections for more reminiscences.