Australian Reunion
16/03/2015
One of Wellington’s best known former students, acclaimed actor David Suchet, CBE has spent the past six months travelling in Canada, America and Australia starring in the gripping drama The Last Confession and while in Australia David caught up with several OWs.When the play was in Perth, David met his Wellington tennis team colleague Ken Gotfried (Willows 57-62) and later when the play moved to Sydney he and his wife Sheila, who is also in the play, were guests of honour at a lunch given by Old Wellingtonians.The lunch, held at the Royal Automobile Club, was attended by 19 guests of whom seven were OWs, including the school’s second female student Ros McCool (formerly Ros Hutchins) (Lippincott 72-74).John Flower (Overside / Darks 61-64) who had been in the same class and in three school plays with David introduced David and Sheila and on behalf of fellow OWs presented them with an Australia “care package” containing items considered vital for any overseas visitor. In the package was an Australian calendar for 2015 so every month the Suchets would see stunning views of sunny beaches and tropical islands to remind them of their visit, a bottle of Australian wine, some pheasant pate and biscuits, some chocolates, a jar of the Australian delicacy Vegemite and a packet of Australian chocolate biscuits called Tim TamsIn addition the Suchets were presented with a book of Australian views signed by everyone at the lunch with the message: Presented to David and Sheila Suchet in thanks for being guests at an Old Wellingtonian lunch held at the Royal Automobile Club, Sydney Friday October 5th 2014 in the hope that you enjoy what you read and will return!In his reply David said he was very moved by the gifts and the fact that his fellow OWs had arranged the lunch for him. David spoke of his belief that a person’s roots are most important and have to be nurtured. Whether the roots were family or school they were important to a person’s development and he was immensely grateful that his roots included having been at Wellington. He had very happy and positive memories of the school and was delighted to have been invited to the lunch while he was in SydneyAs David and Sheila were both performing that evening the speechmaking was kept short but David was very happy to sign autographs and be photographed with the guests. For the guests at the lunch it was a chance to meet and talk to David and Sheila in a very relaxed atmosphere. In his twenty five years on television as Poirot, David has become one of the best known actors around the world, but on this occasion he was an Old Wellingtonian, delighted to catch up with fellow OWs and their friends.Lunch organisers John Flower and Ian Henderson (Richards 75-77) are very grateful to the OW Association for their support in organising the lunch.