For a group of former Cromwell District High School pupils, the next reunion might just be too far away and so they have taken matters into their own hands.
This weekend, 17 of the 36 pupils from the 1956-58 classes are gathering to reminisce.
''We are all over 70 and our attrition rate will only increase and there may not be so many of us available to attend the next Cromwell school meeting,'' co-organiser Russell Murray said.
The idea for the special reunion was floated by Mr Murray and Merle Andrew (nee Mitchell) last September. They then contacted another former pupil, Earl Preston, who also thought a reunion was in order.
Festivities began at the Victoria Arms Hotel last night.
Today they will include a look through of the old classrooms, now part of Cromwell Polytechnic, followed by a ''pupils only'' semi-formal dinner.
Mr Murray said everyone was looking forward to the weekend as ''some of us haven't seen each other for 55 years or more''.
Of the 36 pupils, five had died and 12 could not attend.
