One hundred and sixteen people, eight of them under the age of eight, gathered at Carrs Lane Church, Birmingham, on Saturday 11 September 2009 to celebrate the ninetieth anniversary of the first Oakley Holiday held at Ardingly, West Sussex in 1919.

Oakley members who first started almost sixty years ago mingled with those who attended their first party this summer. Old faces were recognised, sometimes after much squinting and searching through the memory cells followed by a closer look at the name label, hugs were exchanged between those in their middle years and younger members moved between them all chatting to those who, like them, had fewer parties and fewer years to recall. Smiles, laughter and the Oakley handshake were everywhere to be seen, heard and felt and despite the passage of time and the differences in ages people were soon chatting as if they had parted only yesterday.

The service itself, a mixture of words, singing, music, laughter and photographic images, reflected all aspects of Oakley, the creative, amusing, inspirational and emotional. Specially commissioned works of poetry, song and music, were interspersed with the familiar hymns, “Praise to the Lord” and “The Hymn of Oakley”. Reflections and recollections of Oakley members, past and present and a reminder by Graham Davey and Peter Downes of the lives and inspiration of Eggs Willis and Sunny Henderson, the “founding fathers”, together with prayers and readings completed the ingredients. And finally, a reading of Eggs' poem “Ardingly 1919” brought the service to an emotional conclusion.

Afterwards celebratory cake and refreshments were served whilst people talked on, exchanging past reminiscences, present news and future hopes and plans. The Oakley Record Book was signed, Oakley mugs were donated and people promised to keep in touch. At five o'clock the church emptied, the caretakers moved in to prepare for the next day's service and the building settled down to await the next Oakley Celebration in September 2019.