Australian wine merchant Ross Brown had a big surprise waiting for him when he paid a flying visit to the Lake District in 1987.

Mr Brown hadn’t seen old school chum and fellow-Aussie James Alexander for 15 years - until he stepped into the Grange Hotel and found Mr Alexander was the owner.

The surprise re-union for the old boys of Scotch College, Melbourne, was cooked up by Kendal wine merchant Frank Stainton. 

Mr Stainton was supplied with Australian wine by Mr Brown, who was representing his family firm, Brown Brothers, on a promotional tour of Britain.

And when he mentioned this to Mr Alexander, the 37-year-old Australian could not believe his ears.

Mr Alexander had only seen Mr Brown once, about 15 years ago, since he left school in 1966.

So he arranged with Mr Stainton to have Mr Brown brought for lunch to the Grange Hotel.

Mr Brown was almost speechless to be greeted by the surprise face from the past.

“In this wine business you are always meeting so many people but I never expected to meet an old school buddy in a hotel here,” he said.

The Heversham Grammar School Old Boys Society held its annual reunion at the Crooklands Hotel in 1987.

More than 40 members and guests attended the evening, which saw an honorary life membership conferred on Mr E R J Duckers, retiring deputy headmaster, in recognition of his 31 years’ service at the school.

The same honour was accorded to Mrs Nan Chinn, who taught at Heversham between 1941 and 1979 and Mr Basil Morley, who was deputy headmaster from 1933 to 1948, before and after his war service.

In 1939 the staff of Ashville College, Harrogate, brought 160 boys aged seven to 18 to the Hydro Hotel in Windermere because their school had been commandeered by the RAF.

In 1989 old boys members of the Ashvillian Society - unveiled a 50th anniversary commemorative plaque at the hotel, which was a ‘school’ from 1939 until 1946.