Appreciation shown

On Thursday 19 June , OSOBS was proud to present Aya and Motoki Hirai with Honorary Membership to OSOBS.

Who are Aya and Motoki ?

Maybe their names remain unknown to most of our members, but they are a wonderful couple who have an appartment at the Mansion in what was once the assembly hall. 

They met and made frinds with one of our members many years ago during an Old Boys visit to Ottershaw and Aya subsequently arranged a visit to the Mansion for the Social Group where she provided a tour of the mansion and later inviited them all into her splended home where the group instantly recognised the white marble staircase with black railings which led down from the East House toye rooms to the assemply hall.

Since then, and especialy after the previous Mansion Residents Group Chairman died, Aya has became our soul link to the Mansion. She has arranged a variety of visits over a good many years for us by liaising with the residents committee to get all the necessary approvals and permissions for us to be there,  the arrangements for ceremony for the 75th anniversary being only one example. In addition she have given or arranged guided tours of inside of the mansion and on almost every occasion these have resulted in an invitation to their apartment where we have always been so warmly received by Aya and her husband.

Nothing seems to have been too much trouble for these people and so their inclusion in OSOBS is very much deserved.

An article about Aya and Motoki and the presentation to them appears The Gazette number 81

You can also see the many photos taken on the day  by clicking here.