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The Sydney Dream Team
Steve 'Jonesy' Jones

It is my sad and solemn duty to officially dissolve

“The Sydney Dream Team”.

To Wendy, Miles and Gina, my heartfelt gratitude for your hard work, help and support over this amazing journey these past 13 months. I will miss our “meetings” but am sure we’ll continue on with small, but lively  Sydney gatherings. The smiles, unabashed laughter, hugging, kissing, dancing, cheery and sometimes raunchy banter and the tears that flowed when it all came to an end, the kind words, messages and emails of gratitude that followed. This will be our legacy.

I’ve been asked whether the Reunion was a success and why? Undoubtedly, For 2, simple reasons...

Having good clear thinking people around you when organising. Like Gill, with her fabulous work on the booklet, Lorie Jean for her DVD and being our eyes, ears and transaction lady for all the kiwis, Al Cooper for finding those wonderful Teachers, Jo for help with music DVD and overseeing all, Miles with his much needed, tough, but fair business acumen, Gina with her youthful, no nonsense approach to everything and of course Wendy, cool headed under pressure, knew when to smack people up around the side of the head ( usually me ) and always took the right options and decisions with the minimum amount of fuss.

YOU PEOPLE. That easy going, caring nature of the Military Brat. Nothing was a problem, and if there was a small problem, you allowed us to fix it quickly. No dramas, no worries, no hic-cups, well maybe a couple of wee ones ( like Cheeky Bloody Simmo making us miss the ferry, or Shaz and Vicky Rastus accosting the bar manager about his supposed 2 way mirror in the ladies Lou and of course Swanny having problems with his ferret, bat and parrot. )  It was this, light hearted always helpful approach, over these last 12 months, along with Miles and Wendy that allayed my fears and panic and allowed everything to flow smoothly.

On a personal note, I thank you all for taking me back to a time and place, I thought, long forgotten. And while sadly my memories of Singapore are slowly slipping away, (even the ones I made up) they are being replaced by new ones from these unforgettable reunions. Old friends, new friends, new drinking partners, uncontrollable laughter, undying respect and friendships and of course, being able to call the teachers by their first names.

All make up, for what I am eternally grateful.

We must now get behind “The Christchurch Dream Team” (please feel free to create your own identity) and focus on helping them in any way we can. There are still many brats out there to be found and corrupted. I hope to see new faces in that Dream Team photo array very soon.

Our sparkle and halos are beginning to fade.

So on behalf of Wendy, Miles, Gina and Jonesy, the Sydney Dream Team warmly thanks you all for making the Sydney Reunion exactly what it was, a disgraceful, mid life crisis driven, drunken, sleep depraved, dirty dancing wonderful memorable 3 days.

Cheers My Fellow Singapore Brats.

Just Jonesy...Sadly, but Proudly Signing Off.

Where does one begin? As a first timer to a reunion I must admit to not knowing what to expect. I wont make that mistake again!! Arriving Friday 7.30 am at Seednee airport with my wife, we made it through customs without the sheep that I smuggled in being detected. I was asked about the velcro gloves but explained that they were for a friend I had never met called Traci, who was picking us up from the airport and taking us to the Hotel! So we were sent on our merry way. After not finding anyone in the airport by that name my wife and I made the unanimious decission to get a taxi to the Hotel. (Traci missed us by 5 minutes we later found out.) Anyhoo, from the moment we arrived at the Hotel we found friendship at every turn. Mike Ellis offered his room for our bags until checkin at 2pm. We hung around the foyer for a couple of hours and met a number of other BRATS who I new by name but not by face. Bronwyn, Jonesy, Jo, LJ and hubby Brian, Candy and Glad, The Gee 3, a lass called Traci (hey simmo), Robyn, Colin the flag pole holder and soo many more. And also Peter Keene who I have known for 14 years from indoor cricket fame and never knew he was a BRAT.

Friday night at the Watershed was not my finest hour, after being awake for the beter part of 20 hours from travel, combined with more than just 1 pint of Tooheys Old. The venue was amazing with the Darling harbour night lights and the atmosphere of 50 plus drunks doing a great job of partying. I managed a 9pm finish before the fat lady sang me a solo tune.

Saturday was another day of sights and sounds of a beautiful city, the Rocks, Paddys markets, Pitt st and countless other places to spend the hard saved drinking money. The main event rolled around all too soon with pre match entertainment in the Hotel ba-aa-aar before a short walk to the resuraunt. Cameras at every turn and not a single Asian holding one (funny considering the location). Well after an hour of what looked like a papparazzi convention, and the Ode in leiu of the reath laying ceremony, we settled down to a  six course meal ranging from the Peking Duck to the flied lise, prawns and Calamari. A slide show going on in the background made a few people choke on the odd morsul. I think Sandra Gee almost lost the lot when she saw herself in a school photo wearing the long socks with Roman sandals. What a staement that made. The food side of the evening done, the music was turned up and the dancing began. Oh the humanity, such long forgotten moves such as the shuffle, the bus stop, The bump and other long forgotten mating dances were revived with much gustto and blushing of cheeks. Slow dances cheek to cheek to the strains of  long forgotten love songs, wild head banging to newer more energetic rock anthems and general frenetic gyrating of body and waving of lims. Jonesy and Robyn modeling the school uniforms while doing a rock and roll number was a defanite moment that will stick in the memory banks. It just looked so....um......time warpish. The flash back was intense. Joking aside they did a brilliant number in what looked quite uncomfortable a situation. Tight shorts and a school smock that was almost a belt. Nice legs too, the pair of you!! The evening was wound up with a rendition of  Now is the hour-Haere Ra. But wait, theres more! No I here you say... but there is. Not being satisfied with drinking the resturant dry of Tiger beer and upsetting the Crabs in the tanks, we how were still functioning made a b line for the pub that is across the road from the hotel. I think the poor publican had a minor corinary (at 24ish or so) when his quiet pub of four lonely hearts was swamped like a dockside nightclub by 40 or so very excitable and thirsty revellers at 1.30 am. (The boss will have liked the takings though.) His quiet easy shift was gutted. I made my way to bed about 3am ish knowing that we had a ferry to catch at 10am to Watsons Bay for yet another day of bread and water. At breakfast which I extended from 7.30 to 9.30, I had to giggle at some of the differing degrees of hangover and the sunglasses club emerge from the lifts. Some of the more responsable BRATS got to bed after the pub closed at 6 am, only to emerge 3 hours later. Hats off to you for making the ferry for Watsons bay. Just to be different we spent the day talking and drinking about the night before, and saying goodbye to Brats making their way home to reality for another year.

A big thank you to The Sydney Dream team, Jo and all the Brats who put their time and effort into making this weekend a memorable and fantastic time. I have made friends with people I was friends with 30 years ago. I even have names on some photos now. My wife Mel cant stop talking about you lot and how much fun she has had. Thank you one and all, and we will see you all in Christchurch 2006.

Beyond all reason we will be always and ever together in our dreams of singapore.

Roll Call