I was quite surprised to find that I really, really enjoyed the school 20-year reunion this weekend. Walking around the school I experienced sporadic flashbacks:

• Walking out of a biology lesson (refusing to dissect a rat)
• The hair rebellion of second form (grade 8) when 'tails' were in vogue
• The day school hats were abolished
• The tree my best friend and I used to sit under
• The day my best friend dumped me
• Trying to produce butterfly cookies in housecraft (in second form, when it was compulsory for all, and before it was renamed home economics) which unfortunately, at the end of all my efforts, resembled roadkill
• Mind-numbingly boring counselling lessons
• Likewise, RE.
• With a friend, counting the number of times the Really Weird RE Student Teacher Who Apparently Never Cut Or Washed Her Hair And Wore Quakerish Clothes, said the word "ahem".
• Paddling in the fountain on the last day
• An outside art lesson during which a bird crapped on me
• The biology lesson which included a video on childbirth which grossed us all out

The school seemed like a happy place. The look was quite different though. For a start we were at school in the days of apartheid, and, it being a state school, there wasn't a single black face to be seen, other than the cleaning staff. Now, the demographics pretty much reflect those of the country. There was also the differences in the uniform. In our day, summer uniform and winter uniform were strictly for the summer and winter terms, respectively. Not it seems they can wear whichever they feel like - plus they also have an option of wearing trousers now. How cool is that.

It was quite confusing walking around the school. It has all changed so much. The old gym, with its high ceilings, is now a multi-level library, the library is now a multi-purpose venue (there was a drama lesson on the go at the time), and there is a huge indoor sports hall and an enormous computer lab. It felt strange and familiar all at the same time.

It was lovely meeting up with two of my favourite teachers and seeing that they remembered our class. Got rather a surprise when the principal put her head around the door to say hello. In our day she was just a teacher. She had a rather unusual, and unforgettable, cloud of raven black hair. Now, the style is the same, but instead of being raven black, it is, quite literally, snow white. It was sort of like seeing a picture in which the colour scheme had been inverted.

It was really fun to see school friends again - both at the tour of the school and on Saturday when we met for lunch at a fantastic restaurant in the midlands. It was a great venue - lots of space outside and stuff to keep the kids happy.

It was nice that the reunion weekend did not overdo the whole rah rah old school thing, but (apart from the tea and the walk around the school on the Friday) rather focussed more on just getting everyone together. It is very weird seeing people after 20 years - sort of like getting in the Tardis and travelling back 20 years, but the people have instantly aged 20 years as well... Very odd experience.

I hope the planned 25-year reunion materialises.