On Monday the 15th of December 2025 eight former pupils of the Royal High School met in the familiar surroundings of the Iron Duke pub in London’s Mayfair for our traditional pre-Christmas party. We bagged our favourite table in the corner, near to the bar, and settled down for a convivial evening. Fond memories of our school days were interspersed with a deep discussion of the pervasive impacts of artificial intelligence – nothing was off the table. We excelled ourselves with this year’s raffle prizes: a bottle of Aberfeldy single malt whisky rescued from Fraser’s attic, a smooth red wine from Richard’s excellent cellar and, thanks again to Fraser, a hardback copy of Paul Beaver’s recent biography of former pupil and celebrated aviator Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown. We gradually said our goodbyes, headed off to busy tube stations and left behind the bright lights of the West End for another year.
