I missed this item at the time but there are various web references to it via Google, and I'm sure the North Wales press gave it full publicity. Perhaps I'm the last to hear about it but I thought it should be recorded on the RGS web site.

I remember John Houghton though he was further up the school. I certainly remember Hock and his famous parodies on well known poems. I think that most of the VIth form history class were victims of his wit at one time or another. He used to publish them in the school magazine and Ann Green was one of the best exponents (remember her parody of The Charge of the Light Brigade, written after the ignominious defeat of the girls' Hockey Eleven by the boys' Eleven? This must have been 1953).

Joan Head (was Hoy)

Greetings from Ontario Canada where I live and Michigan USA where I am currently doing some Management Consulting work.

In reading over the web site I see familiar names and I am wondering who else is out there from my the 57-64 era. For the Grammar School, and the tuck shop next door, I have many fond memories and a few not so fond ones. Anyway this is kind of a test message, please feel free to respond,

Brian. (Brian Annable - bannable@lsps.org)

‘Goff did struggle for 2 years after being diagnosed with ALS, but kept up his good spirits as much as possible. He died quietly in his sleep at a very nice hospice where he got round the clock care by several nurses.’

Alan’s reminiscences:

‘Goff, Derek Jones and I did A levels together under the critical eye of Ken Worthy. We had some great times, both at work and play. Ken took us to a field study centre outside Shrewsbury where we worked like fury for a week. But at the end of it, we had our first visit to a pub – followed by a 3 mile walk home! Goff and I spent many hours during the summer holidays playing tennis at the Gronant Road courts in Prestatyn. Why did the sun always shine in those days?! We were both very competitive – but always had enjoyed our matches.

Goff and Sally stayed with us 2 years ago, one month before he was diagnosed with ALS. He told me that he felt incredibly lucky to have had such a great career and a wonderful family. I’ll miss his enthusiasm and ready smile.’
28 September 2006

1) In the 1960s we often went along to the "College Hop" at a local Aberystwyth Church Hall. The resident band, made up of a few world-weary big-band veterans was, I think, called "Les Francis and his Band of Renown". However, since Goff, myself and other friends had not developed our charismas sufficiently to attract the girls, we gradually became hooked on various card games. These were versions of Brag and Poker and resulted in much jolly time-wasting & late nights in our Pantycelyn hostel rooms. Money exchanges were very modest, but a win could be sufficient to purchase an LP; I recall Goff having such a success. Despite such dissipation we obtained degrees and, in Goff's case, he progressed academically to finally become a Professor in the Indiana School of Medicine,Evansville .

2) I recall a holiday I spent with Goff and two other friends in our last Summer at UCW Aberystwyth in 1963 . We were to travel in Goff's faithful Austin Mini for a camping holiday in Brittany. Since Goff was about 6ft, another chap, Bob, was over 6ft , & Eric & I were quite tall , getting into the car with two tents, sleeping bags, luggage & some provisions was a skillful and challenging experience, even though a well-loaded roof-rack was in use. We had a very enjoyable time, though some of us suffered the consequences of unwise shellfish consumption and rough campsites. We were certainly most appreciative of Goff 's Mini, navigation & driving .

We understand from Howard Maltby that Edward Measham is now living in one of the units at The Alexandra Hospital in Rhyl and would welcome visits from ex-RGS pupils whom he taught.

Len Threadgold (23 May 2006)

Thank you to all who did so much work on the 2006 reunion. Although I was not there it was obvious that much thought and work went into this and I have enjoyed the website with all the information and all those old ( and more recent) photographs. Anyone making a trip to Western Canada is welcome to drop in for a visit.... don't come in the winter if you don't like the cold!!!
Sylvia Gillesie ( nee Francis)
sylviag@telusplanet.net

I’d love to attend an appropriate year’s reunion when able in the UK. However that may not be for a while but I will keep you informed. I have been trying to trace Doreen Williams (my years at RGS and lived in Prestatyn). Perhaps you have more info?

Best regards,

Mike Johnson

… John (Kortens) was my brother and it was indeed a huge blow when he died. They never did find the pilot who had a 6 month old daughter. Amazing the memories of RGS that come back when one thinks about them; going to Miss Rickets apartment to read The Cruel Sea, practising French pronunciation with Granny Newton, being sent to Mr Evans study to be told off, a glorious female PE teacher untangling a scrum of boys and girls on the playing field, it goes on and on.

Best of luck with the re-union.

Peter (p.kortens@clear.net.nz)

Vernon Evenson

Really sorry to be missing it. Do please remember me to old friends; if any of them want to chat by e-mail, I'll naturally be delighted. And see you all in 2006 maybe (if spared).

Meanwhile, I'm leading a truly fascinating educational television project in Uzbekistan, am off to Fiji again in June and have a couple of assignments in Jordan still in play. I have to say, though, that escape to the bolt-hole in Roussillon beats them all.

Bien des choses, as ever,

John PT (jptmedia@compuserve.com)

Thank you so much for the news of the upcoming reunion. Unfortunately it was too late for me but would have been great to be there.As it happens I am flying to Montreal that weekend and would have been half way.!!! ( I am in Western Canada). I was in the Class of '41 and I flew to that 50th reunion in 1991 . There are one or two RGS ex students in these parts to the south of where I live, in Red Deer ( younger than I am )and a flourishing Welsh community to the north in Ponoka. I wish you well and happy times at your reunion. I am planning a trip to the U.K in September and hope to visit old friends in Rhyl. Sylvia Gillespie( nee Francis)

Sylvia Gillespie sylviag@telusplanet.net

I doubt very much anybody will remember my sojourn at the school during the 1954-61 period. I dabbled at cricket and football, and also did some school work at times. After three years of undergraduate work at Aberystwyth in 81-64, I did my masters in urban and regional planning at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, U.S.A.

I have subsequently spent my working life with the Canadian federal government and am currently working for the Canadian Enviornmental Assessment Agency in Ottawa, Ontario.

RGS was a good school and I have positive memories of the school and town. I was pleased to come across the web page and would like to keep in contact with anybody who still remembers me. Best wishes to all those attending the forthcoming reunion

Ian Ferguson vernaferguson45@sympatico.ca

Regret was unable to make the RGS re-union this time, due to circumstances beyond my control. Attended a couple last century(!) though, along with old school pal Paul Espley (of butcher's family fame), who lives quite close to me in Ruislip. Would very much like to contact anybody else who was in my year at RGS, tried to do a bit of networking after the last re-union but to no avail, but that was pre internet. I was at RGS between 1964 and 1971. Amongst the names that spring to mind are Laurie Jones, Phil Shepherd, Howard Cox, the Heath brothers plus many others. Perhaps the next RGS re-union could target the 60s and 70s. Hope the bash went well.

Regards, Steve Sharpe (sharpe04@hotmail.com)

Used to live in Russell Road, now in Berkshire.

Dear Len,

Greetings after more years than I care to remember! I was Hilary Brooks and I came out to New Zealand in 1964 to lecture to students traning for Occupational Therapy. It was planned as a working holiday but I fell in love with a Kiwi and am still here! My father was Les Brooks who taught maths for many years at RGS. He passed away 12 years ago but my mother is still alive. Looking through some of their photos yesterday I found the two I have attached to this message. They may be too dark to be useful and I am not an IT expert but thought I'd send them in case you can improve them. Some folk might be interested in the people they show.

Hope you'll have a wonderful reunion - just wish I could be there!

Sincerely, Hilary Sussex

Hi Len,

Thanks for the invite to the Festivities in May. I'm afraid I'll have to pass on this one as I live "underneath" so as to speak. Had I been over in "The Old Dart" I would have thrown my hat into the ring. Hope your get-together is a success and that you have plenty of people attend,

Sincerely, Clive Williams, Hamilton , New Zealand . Pupil: 1946 - 1951

Many thanks for the notification of the coming RGS reunion, unfortunately it is a little expensive to fly from Darwin to the UK so please tender my apologies.

To all those attending - have a good one.

Cheers, Mike Lewis-Jones - Left in 1951 (I think!)

Dear Len,

Thanks for the reminder.Unfortunately I cannot attend this time. Hope you all have a great time on 4-5 May.

Best Wishes, Joyce Patterson (née Dutton) 1949-56

Dear Margaret,

I was pleased to receive the invitation to the Reunion even though I am unable to attend. Distance is a problem being in Western Australia . I have looked at the web site to see who is attending so far, and recognise a few names. I attended Rhyl Grammar School from September 1950 to May 1953 when we left to migrate to Australia. I have been back to the U.K. once, in 1991.

I have very fond memories of my time at school there and it would be great to talk over some of those memories of both students and teachers. Also interesting to see how far across the globe we have travelled and what we have all achieved. If you have any information from students in the period that I was there, and can put it on the web site, I would be interested to find out what they have done or are doing, if they are happy to share that.

I married Don Whisson, a West Australian, and we have three children and 4 grandsons. My husband is a teacher and I am a Nurse Manager of a Neurosurgical Ward. I am working full time and have been at the same hospital for 26 years and hoping to continue for a few more years yet.

I do hope you all have a wonderful time meeting up with 'old' friends and that everything works out well. It must have been a huge undertaking arranging such a reunion.

Regards to any who may remember me. Margot Whisson (née Witcombe)
margotdon@westnet.net.au

Won't be able to make the reunion. Feel quite sorrowful about missing it for I so much enjoyed the one 2 years ago. Hope you'll be able to schedule another one for 2004. Only reason I am not coming is that I am leaving in a couple of weeks to spend 5 months in Alaska working as a guide/interpreter in one of the national parks - at a site that is functionally a grizzly bear sanctuary. Getting ready to leave for such an extended period is leaving me very short on time.

This year Edward Messham will be 90. Although he is increasingly limited in his ability to get around, he is as sharp as ever (I stay in touch with him letter and phone - and when my parents were still alive I saw every him. Don't know what form a RGS Old Girls/Boys Messham recognition could take, but it would be wonderful to think up something that recognizes the immeasurable contributions he made to the school and to so many of us individually. I am sure there has to be someone with sufficient imagination to devise something appropriate for such a wonderful man.

Best to all, Howard Maltby