Fall River Woman Reunites with Classmates After 75 Years

On September 23, 2023, Elizabeth Myers experienced a unique reunion at her former elementary school, Urmston Primary School near Manchester. Seventy-five years after her graduation, she met with several classmates from the 1950 graduating class, marking a poignant moment in their lives.

Reflecting on her journey, Myers noted, “I’ve come back a different person,” after her recent trip to England. She described the reunion as “heartwarming” and “life-changing.” Together with eight other graduates, she revisited the site where they had spent their formative years during a tumultuous period, as the country was still recovering from the Second World War when they first attended school in 1944.

As Myers recalled, wartime conditions included rationing and air raid shelters. “There was rationing, air raid shelters, bombs dropping, all of those kinds of things happening as young people,” she said. The end of the war in September 1945 brought significant changes, leading to improvements in daily life and social morale.

Myers spent her early years in Flixton before moving to London for work at the age of 20. After starting a family, she relocated to Canada, arriving in Toronto in November 1964. Despite the geographical distance, the classmates maintained their connection through monthly virtual meetings over the years, culminating in their decision to return to their roots as they approached the 75th anniversary of their departure from primary school.

Classmates travelled from various locations, including Canada, Spain, and across the United Kingdom, to attend the reunion. Myers humorously remarked, “We’ve all aged considerably,” and emphasized the day was filled with laughter and reminiscing. “Humour is a big part of it… We can laugh about old times, obviously, and we can laugh about the fact that we are very old and facing a very fragile future.”

During the reunion, the group engaged with a class of 11-year-old students from the same school, creating a bridge between generations. “It was a special experience to be able to connect with another generation, who are almost like our great-grandchildren,” Myers said. The interaction included sharing personal stories, with the children asking thoughtful questions.

Myers fondly remembered a childhood game called “curb or wall,” which resulted in an injury that left her with a lasting scar. “I ran straight into the wall and had to be taken to hospital for stitches,” she recounted.

As the reunion concluded, Myers expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to reconnect with her childhood companions. “Life throws all kinds of punches at you as it travels along. And I feel very fortunate, as they do, to still be here… still of sound mind and curious.”

Plans are already in motion for the group to meet again in three years, while they will continue their monthly video calls in the interim. “I’m so glad that this has happened, to know that this is possible as an aging person,” Myers reflected. “And I would recommend to anybody, if given the chance, go find your old elementary school friends.”