Monday 29 March 2021 For one set of former LGHS pupils, the pandemic has led to rekindled friendships with Saturday night catch-ups on Zoom. The OGs from the class of’93 or ‘SatZoomers’, as they call themselves, have been holding Zoom chats every weekend since March last year and also have a chat thread on Facebook Messenger. The friends are dotted around the country with Rebecca Bell (née Cruickshanks) joining in the chats from New York and Tanya Jacobs from her home in Israel. Several of the OGs initially reconnected while planning their 25th school reunion in 2018, when 32 of them got together to celebrate at The Grammar School at Leeds. When the COVID-19 pandemic first started in March 2020, a few decided to try a Zoom chat and picked 8 pm on a Saturday night as the best time to work with the various time zones. As well as regular attendees, others join in as and when they can. Rebecca said: “All of us agree that this weekly call has provided an invaluable source of connection during a time when in-person meet ups with friends have been severely restricted. This year we have supported each other through the deaths and serious illnesses of parents, cancer diagnoses, relationship difficulties, COVID infections, job searches, mental health issues, and parenting children with special needs. “There is something comforting about talking to people who have known you for more than 30 years. We have fun reminiscing about our school days, but we are now bonded by much more than that.” The photo shows regular ‘SatZoomers’ pictured (L-R) from the top: Josie Davey (née Shaw), Rebecca Bell (née Cruickshanks), Kirsty Halton, Rachel Lambert (née Turner), Paula Sykes and Alison Manning (née Grant). Alumni
