TRAVELS TO HONG KONG
It has been five years since Sedbergh sent its emissaries to Hong Kong, and to repair this oversight, a delegation was dispatched in June to convey our good tidings to our friends in the Far East.
Ben Collins and myself together with the Marketing Director, David Milner, were joined by the Headmaster, Dan Harrison, for a major event hosting parents (past, present, and prospective) and Old Sedberghians, at a grand ‘get together’ in Kowloon. It was wonderful to see so many old friends, many of whom had been taught by Dan over the years.
One person who couldn’t make the evening was Tyson Yoshi, a former Powellian, and now a Rapper of some renown in Hong Kong. He has a busy schedule and therefore David Milner, Ben Collins, and I sought him out at his new album launch where he was signing autographs.
The queue to see him was hours long and while I will do much for dear old Sedbergh, standing in a queue with a thousand excited teenagers is not my thing. Therefore, words were spoken with the management, and on announcing we were from Sedbergh, the queue was pushed aside and we were able to meet Tyson. The thousand excited teenagers were in awe and started taking photos of us. Tyson was most welcoming. ‘Call me Ben’ (his real name) he said and was the model of manners and politeness. Despite his evidential fame he had not forgotten his roots and we came away thinking what a genuinely wonderful person.
Well done Tyson, it was a great pleasure to meet you.
This aside, and if it were not enough for one trip, we were invited to dinner by Duncan and Sandy Pescod at the Hong Kong Club. We had also received an invitation for the following evening by Chris Page at the Hong Kong Football Club.
One can be forgiven thinking that these places are one and the same. Therefore, with Ben Collins and my boss, The Headmaster, in tow, we went to the Hong Kong Football Club to meet the Pescods. I announced ourselves on arrival to the receptionist who apparently had never heard of the restaurant at which we were dining. Neither did they have a third floor in which the restaurant resided. She must be new I thought, and asked her, politely, to check her records. She suggested I check mine.
That is when the horror of the situation dawned on me; we were in the wrong Club. To make amends the three of us dashed across the island, like Hugh Grant and Charlotte Coleman at the beginning of ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. We turned up half an hour late, and out of breath. However, Duncan and Sandy were most understanding and said I wasn’t the only person (I’m sure they meant idiot) to have made that mistake.
The Hong Kong Club is a splendid place and we soon relaxed and had a most enjoyable and entertaining evening. Thank you Duncan and Sandy, for your warm hospitality and your support. We still talk about the Hong Kong Club. In fact it came up in my staff review with The Head!
On the last night Chris Page entertained us at the Hong Kong Football Club. This time we knew where we were going. It was a night of merriment, of old school tales, and hugs at the end. Thank you Chris, and thank you Leslie Page, for allowing Chris to stay out later than advertised!
And thank you Hong Kong. A great visit which has done much good. We hope to return soon, or at least in less than five years.
Jan van der Velde
