RGS Reunion at The Beaches Hotel, Prestatyn Saturday May 15th 2010

The venue for the reunion changed this year following the demise of the Graig Park as a business (now reincarnated as the Dyserth Falls Resort!) and the need to look for options. A suggestion by Carole Deuitch (Harrison) in Canada led to a visit to the The Beaches Hotel in Prestatyn by Margaret Jones. The staff were extremely helpful and the venue ideal so we booked it for the 15th May. Announcements were made on the website, those for whom we have addresses were notified both by post and by e-mail and tickets were produced by Anna. Margaret Jones handled ticket sales and bookings for the event and Alan negotiated special terms for those staying at the hotel.

We always seem to be blessed with good weather at reunion time and this year was no exception, although it was colder than in previous years. A visit to Bodnant Gardens has become a tradition for the Nuttall and Threadgold families and it never disappoints, being as spectacular as ever but this time without the scaffolding structures which characterised our last visit – recognising of course that the place has benefitted from the services of the ex-RGS Anwyl family business!

On return to The Beaches work on preparation for the evening started with Margaret Jones finding the windows of the room where the event was held were the ideal size for the school photograph boards. The computer slide show of archive photographs created its own challenges but was eventually set up and made operational just as the first guests arrived. Name Badges with years of attendance at RGS, or showing linkages with ex-pupils were given out on arrival by Maureen and Linda Nuttall and Margaret Threadgold. Animated conversations quickly got underway and continued during the course of the carvery meal which was served from 7:30pm.

Alan Pennington introduced two significant components to the evening. Firstly he brought along his seagrass stool and letter rack which were a core part of the boys woodwork curriculum at RGS (I finished my letter rack but my seagrass stool was unfinished at the end of my year doing it and such was my latent woodworking talent that it was dumped; my woodworking skills have remained latent ever since!).

The second innovation was a show of computer images of Alan’s collection of picture postcards of Rhyl extending from late Victorian times until the latest part of the 20th Century. The biggest cheer went up when a photograph showing the basket chairs on the prom was shown. The facility to hide the goings on within them from prying eyes, when suitably arranged clearly brought back happy memories!!!

Attendees travelled considerable distances to the event and these included Faith Puleston and Barry Hughes from Germany. As is often the case the date of the event renders it impossible for some to attend, although they sent their best wishes and these names were read out. Some who have attended in the previous years are unfortunately no longer with us, including Anne Teasdale (Green), Carol Grig (Louis), Geoff Byrne and Robin Jones and so a toast was drunk to absent friends (see list of attendees and those sending apologies).

Photographs from the evening which I took together with some kindly sent by Faith Puleston accompany this report. The evening continued until about midnight when the most intrepid finally left.

Again a tradition has built up of having lunch at St Melyd Golf Club, for some allied to walks in the area and this year was no exception and 24 attended. It’s a great opportunity to relax and chat with those who you didn’t get to chat with the previous evening, or who couldn’t make the Saturday night event, and an excellent lunch was enjoyed by all. The new Steward there certainly did us proud. It was a great day to visit old haunts and to visit the newly re-furbished station and little engine at the Marine Lake for example. It is good to report that some work to preserve the memorial to those from Rhyl Grammar School who lost their lives in the 1939-1945 war which stands outside the current school buildings has been done, thus preserving the school name for posterity. My view is that the school has had an important influence on all our lives and is part of the DNA of our characters; That is why we return and it is great for those who shared it to be able to meet on the regular basis which the reunion provides.

These events didn’t just happen and thanks are due to Margaret Jones for her hard work administrating the bookings etc, to Maureen and Linda Nuttall and Margaret Threadgold for their work on registration and to Anna Leigh for her work on keeping up the website and preparing all the application/booking forms, tickets and badges. This year it was good to welcome her husband with his computer skills and her daughter Amalia who attended the last reunion in embryo form! We are also grateful to the staff at The Beaches Hotel for their help and co-operation before the event and over the whole weekend.

We have made a booking for May 12th 2012 at the same venue so put it in your diaries now! See you there then.

Len Threadgold