2 former Isle of Wight College employees, both over the age of 100, were treated to a Christmas dinner at their former workplace earlier this week.
Bill was Head of Food and Fashion from 1971, at the same time as Ken was Registrar of The Isle of Wight College.
Amazingly, during their celebratory lunch, another former employee, Leslie Vernall-Levins (aged 84), who was enjoying Christmas lunch in the college restaurant with a group of friends, came across to say hello; Ken had interviewed and appointed Leslie as a switchboard operator at the college, a role which she subsequently held for 6 years.
During their lunch Ros enjoyed hearing stories about the college.
Bill spent his honeymoon on the Isle of Wight in 1950, having travelled by train from Gloucester.
He recalls that “the seawall at Ryde was completely full of couples, who had come to the island to spend their £47 end-of-year tax refund”.
Ken Killeen was born a stone’s throw away from the college, at the junction of Hunnyhill and Banner Lane, where his family ran the Castle & Banner pub (demolished in the 1970s).
Bill says that the secret to his good health and longevity is swimming every day and push-ups. To celebrate his 100th birthday he swam 136 metres to raise money for the NHS.
Ken and my father very much enjoyed the time they spent with the principal, Ros.