Posted: 7th January 2003
Two years ago at the Millennium Reunion the date for this year’s reunion was set although the venue had not been decided. However, it was thought that a venue which could provide accommodation for those travelling a distance as well as having the ability to serve food and with a room which was large enough for the evening would be preferred. Rhyl is not well blessed with such facilities and plans as far afield as Llandudno were discussed. After much searching however, Margaret Jones and Nev Jones established that the Kinmel Manor Hotel would satisfy all the criteria and hence a booking was made.
During this period, problems with the internet service provider who no longer trades meant that a restructuring of the website was necessary and the https://rhylgrammarschool.neilwilkinson.co.uk/ website was established. This international form of communication is particularly valuable for those of us who are temporarily or permanently overseas. It is certainly a good means of communication for the organisers of reunions and of making the database of photographs available to all. We will be maintaining the website as a communications medium between now and the next reunion in 2004.
Having decided on a venue it was necessary to decide upon whether to make food available and if so should it be a cold buffet, hot buffet or full table service. The decision on a hot buffet was made to ensure that food would be significant and not just a top up and that the maximum time was available for meeting people and that circulation was encouraged. We also decided that we should allow for those who didn’t want to eat at the event by having a reduced price ticket for them although, to avoid confusion, later arrival was programmed.
We received emails and letters from those who wished they could be there but who weren’t able to come due to either family commitments or being overseas. We put some of the emails and letters on the website in the Message Board section. We were really pleased when “The Harrisons” confirmed that they were coming from Canada, Barry Hughes from Germany and, on the day, a returnee from Australia.
When David Kinmont, our teacher in the 50’s and 60’s, confirmed that he was coming, he sent a brochure showing some of his work including many paintings and a sculptural head of Brenda Maynard. We felt that it would be great to put this on the website so after getting his permission his son emailed two of the images and we put them into the Photo Gallery section of the website.
Events outside the main reunion evening proved popular last time so Roger Nuttall arranged a golfing afternoon on the Friday and walks were arranged for Saturday and Sunday, both being associated with pub lunches. The weather was perfect for all these events. Walking or golf wasn’t compulsory so quite a few just turned up at the Rhuddlan Golf Clubhouse or Kinmel Arms pub as appropriate. For those who stayed at the hotel, chats over breakfast and at other times provided other opportunities to meet up.
In setting up the reunion, the organisers’ aim was to provide the venue and the environment in which everyone could meet up, relax and catch up on what has happened over the last 30 to 50 years since they last met. We provided the ingredients, those attending baked the cakes. From responses on the evening and subsequently some great cookery went on!
The time between 5.30pm when the photographs were put out and the checking-in arrangements were sorted out, and 1.30am when the last people left the time seemed to fly by. In my experience this in itself is evidence of a great evening. For those who were there, please let your RGS contacts know about it and encourage them to come to the next one in two years time and to register their names on the database so that they can be notified of developments.
Some of the photographs which were taken over the weekend are now included in the Photo Gallery. Those who are registered on our database are now essentially members of the Rhyl Grammar School Reunion Society and anyone who qualifies can have a copy of the database so that they can look up old friends who may live in their area or country.
The cost of organising the event in terms of stationary, printing, postage, website maintenance and Data Protection Act Registration are not insubstantial and the income from tickets has been and is being used for this purpose as well as for the venue and food. Hopefully there will be enough left over from the reunions to maintain and develop the database and website ready for the next event.
We wondered whether the event coinciding with the Bank Holiday would be a good thing or not. Perhaps next time we will arrange things so that it misses the holiday weekend when family commitments can be most common.
Feedback on the reunion would be most welcome and on what we can do on the website. For example some have commented that it is difficult to read black against blue on the website. Unfortunately this is a characteristic of the browser which is used. On the Microsoft version (Internet Explorer) it is white on blue! We’ll try to see if we can do something about it in the future to make it less sensitive to the browser used.
Few of the photos show names of who’s on them. We’ll try to find a means of attaching names to faces and linking them to the database.
We want to say thank you to those involved in ensuring that the event was successful. Margaret Jones was the pivotal character in the arrangements, in issuing tickets, dealing with numbers, enquiries and sorting out the finances and displaying the pictures on the night. Margaret also arranged the meal at the Kinmel Arms on Sunday. Linda Nuttall, Maureen Nuttall and Margaret Threadgold, none of whom were at Rhyl Grammar School did sterling services on the registration desk and dished out the name badges including those which stated, “I didn’t go to Rhyl Grammar School, I’m here with ………”. They should be now be regarded as honorary members of the society and are to be thanked for their efforts, tenacity and cool diplomacy whilst their husbands were drinking, chatting and just enjoying themselves.
The name badges were more essential for some more than others due to their changed appearance over the years (for example, at school I had hair, it was brown, I didn’t wear glasses and I didn’t have a beard!). Perhaps we should try to include a photograph of how they looked at school with the database to improve recognition!
I would particularly like to thank Anna Leigh who works at my office for her skill in setting up the new website and in keeping it up to date right up to the last day and for entering this report and photos. She also produced and sent out the notifications and reminders and formulated and printed the tickets. She also should have honorary membership!
For my own part I really had a lovely weekend. It was great to be with people I have known for so long and who experienced with me the ups and downs of school life. I am proud to have been a part of a great school and its community and hope that re-established links can develop over many years to come.
Len Threadgold
Lens Reflections on the RGS 2002 Reunion
Two years ago at the Millennium Reunion the date for this year’s reunion was set although the venue had not been decided. However, it was thought that a venue which could provide accommodation for those travelling a distance as well as having the ability to serve food and with a room which was large enough for the evening would be preferred. Rhyl is not well blessed with such facilities and plans as far afield as Llandudno were discussed. After much searching however, Margaret Jones and Nev Jones established that the Kinmel Manor Hotel would satisfy all the criteria and hence a booking was made.
During this period, problems with the internet service provider who no longer trades meant that a restructuring of the website was necessary and the https://rhylgrammarschool.neilwilkinson.co.uk/ website was established. This international form of communication is particularly valuable for those of us who are temporarily or permanently overseas. It is certainly a good means of communication for the organisers of reunions and of making the database of photographs available to all. We will be maintaining the website as a communications medium between now and the next reunion in 2004.
Having decided on a venue it was necessary to decide upon whether to make food available and if so should it be a cold buffet, hot buffet or full table service. The decision on a hot buffet was made to ensure that food would be significant and not just a top up and that the maximum time was available for meeting people and that circulation was encouraged. We also decided that we should allow for those who didn’t want to eat at the event by having a reduced price ticket for them although, to avoid confusion, later arrival was programmed.
We received emails and letters from those who wished they could be there but who weren’t able to come due to either family commitments or being overseas. We put some of the emails and letters on the website in the Message Board section. We were really pleased when “The Harrisons” confirmed that they were coming from Canada, Barry Hughes from Germany and, on the day, a returnee from Australia.
When David Kinmont, our teacher in the 50’s and 60’s, confirmed that he was coming, he sent a brochure showing some of his work including many paintings and a sculptural head of Brenda Maynard. We felt that it would be great to put this on the website so after getting his permission his son emailed two of the images and we put them into the Photo Gallery section of the website.
Events outside the main reunion evening proved popular last time so Roger Nuttall arranged a golfing afternoon on the Friday and walks were arranged for Saturday and Sunday, both being associated with pub lunches. The weather was perfect for all these events. Walking or golf wasn’t compulsory so quite a few just turned up at the Rhuddlan Golf Clubhouse or Kinmel Arms pub as appropriate. For those who stayed at the hotel, chats over breakfast and at other times provided other opportunities to meet up.
In setting up the reunion, the organisers’ aim was to provide the venue and the environment in which everyone could meet up, relax and catch up on what has happened over the last 30 to 50 years since they last met. We provided the ingredients, those attending baked the cakes. From responses on the evening and subsequently some great cookery went on!
The time between 5.30pm when the photographs were put out and the checking-in arrangements were sorted out, and 1.30am when the last people left the time seemed to fly by. In my experience this in itself is evidence of a great evening. For those who were there, please let your RGS contacts know about it and encourage them to come to the next one in two years time and to register their names on the database so that they can be notified of developments.
Some of the photographs which were taken over the weekend are now included in the Photo Gallery. Those who are registered on our database are now essentially members of the Rhyl Grammar School Reunion Society and anyone who qualifies can have a copy of the database so that they can look up old friends who may live in their area or country.
The cost of organising the event in terms of stationary, printing, postage, website maintenance and Data Protection Act Registration are not insubstantial and the income from tickets has been and is being used for this purpose as well as for the venue and food. Hopefully there will be enough left over from the reunions to maintain and develop the database and website ready for the next event.
We wondered whether the event coinciding with the Bank Holiday would be a good thing or not. Perhaps next time we will arrange things so that it misses the holiday weekend when family commitments can be most common.
Feedback on the reunion would be most welcome and on what we can do on the website. For example some have commented that it is difficult to read black against blue on the website. Unfortunately this is a characteristic of the browser which is used. On the Microsoft version (Internet Explorer) it is white on blue! We’ll try to see if we can do something about it in the future to make it less sensitive to the browser used.
Few of the photos show names of who’s on them. We’ll try to find a means of attaching names to faces and linking them to the database.
We want to say thank you to those involved in ensuring that the event was successful. Margaret Jones was the pivotal character in the arrangements, in issuing tickets, dealing with numbers, enquiries and sorting out the finances and displaying the pictures on the night. Margaret also arranged the meal at the Kinmel Arms on Sunday. Linda Nuttall, Maureen Nuttall and Margaret Threadgold, none of whom were at Rhyl Grammar School did sterling services on the registration desk and dished out the name badges including those which stated, “I didn’t go to Rhyl Grammar School, I’m here with ………”. They should be now be regarded as honorary members of the society and are to be thanked for their efforts, tenacity and cool diplomacy whilst their husbands were drinking, chatting and just enjoying themselves.
The name badges were more essential for some more than others due to their changed appearance over the years (for example, at school I had hair, it was brown, I didn’t wear glasses and I didn’t have a beard!). Perhaps we should try to include a photograph of how they looked at school with the database to improve recognition!
I would particularly like to thank Anna Leigh who works at my office for her skill in setting up the new website and in keeping it up to date right up to the last day and for entering this report and photos. She also produced and sent out the notifications and reminders and formulated and printed the tickets. She also should have honorary membership!
For my own part I really had a lovely weekend. It was great to be with people I have known for so long and who experienced with me the ups and downs of school life. I am proud to have been a part of a great school and its community and hope that re-established links can develop over many years to come.
Len Threadgold