Fifty year reunion for Bicton students
Newton Poppleford tutor cuts cake at Sidmouth gathering
STUDENTS from Bicton Agricultural College held a reunion in Sidmouth recently, to mark 50 years since their college days.
In 1960-61, 65 students joined the college, most of them to study agriculture for the year course that culminated in the National Certificate in Agriculture.
Their tutor was John Brasier, who lives in Newton Poppleford, and who was guest at this year’s reunion, held at The Bedford Hotel, Sidmouth, over the weekend of November 19-20.
John, 79, who once taught animal husbandry and agricultural zoology to the 67-year-olds, cut a celebratory cake, made by Marcia Mytton, at the formal dinner.
It was he who, 10 years ago, suggested trying to trace the class to hold a reunion for its 40th anniversary.
Reunion co-ordinator Melville Rowe, said: “I believe we traced about 57 of them, scattered in the UK and around the world.
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“At the first meeting we had to guess who people were after 40 years. Since then we have a meeting each year and get 30 to 40 people to attend.”
He said the weekend was taken up with stories of their days at Bicton College.
John is pictured centre, cutting the cake with (left) Mary Jones, reunion treasurer, and right, Melville Rowe, co-ordinator.
Melville said: “We believe we are the only year to have organised such a re-union, unless someone know different.”
