ROSA Reunions

1970s Reunion – 21st October 2023

The 1970s Reunion took place as planned on Saturday 21st October at the Rye College. The numbers attending were sadly disappointing. However, those that did attend had a great time!
The attendees enjoyed an excellent buffet lunch with a licensed bar and a chance to catch up with old friends! Former teachers Lois Benton, whose birthday it was, and Paul Martin were also able to attend and it was great to be able to talk to them both about the “old days”.
Tours of the school were provided by the current college head girls which gave those attending a chance to see changes to the premises as well as enjoying a touch of nostalgia as regards the classrooms that still remain.
The evening was excellent with some of the best entertainment ever provided at a reunion event through The Rockitmen thanks to ROSA member Tim Phillips.
Grateful thanks to all of the ROSA committee members who worked extremely hard to put the event on ably led by Chairman Richard Moore.
Photos will be shared when available.
Here’s to the next event!

60s Reunion – October 2022

A hugely successful ROSA 1960s pupils reunion was held on Saturday 15th October. The daytime event at the Rye College attracted 100 attendees and consisted of tours of the premises provided by the current head boy and girl. This allowed those attending to reminisce and see the changes made to the building over the years as well as enjoying a buffet lunch.

Former pupils of the former Grammar and Secondary schools were present and 60 of them managed to survive for the evening event! This was organised by former student, Kevin Williams, and held at the former Secondary School site in New Road. He played music consisting of many old 60s favourites.

The photo below shows those attending the daytime event in the college hall.

The next 1970s reunion will take place on Saturday 21st October 2023 when it is anticipated that an all day event will take place consisting of a lunch followed by live music in the evening with the Rockitmen.

60s Reunion – June 2006

Photo courtesy of Lois Benton – from the late Maureen Getley’s collection

60s Reunion – September 2018

On a wet evening on Saturday 22 September 2018, some 90 old scholars (and staff) who had attended either Rye Grammar School, Rye County Secondary Modern School and/or Thomas Peacocke School in the 1960s gathered together for a reunion at the Sidney Allnutt Cricket Pavilion, including the Richard Merricks Room, on the Salts in Rye. It was an appropriate venue given its connection to two well-loved and resected figures from the history of Rye Grammar School: teacher Sidney Allnutt and former pupil Richard ‘Rick’ Merricks.

Despite the weather, and the consequent inability to use in full the marquee which had been erected specially for the event, the general consensus was that a good time was had by all. Special thanks go to the following members of the ROSA Committee for making the event a success.

  • A wonderful buffet – Judith Blincow , Claire Spacey and Shirley Bannister who worked so hard. And the pavilion looked suitably festive.
  • Richard Moore’s sterling efforts with the raffle made a valuable contribution to our funds.
  • Margaret O’Neill had been tireless in drumming up support for the event and the results were evident on the night.
  • Sue and Tony Moore did a fantastic meet and greet job under very difficult conditions and we have some more emails to add to our distribution list.
  • Thanks to Martin Blincow for enabling us to use the pavilion and for putting up and taking down the marquee.
  • Our official photographer (!) Andy Spacey spent the evening taking photos, some of which will appear exclusively in the forthcoming Bulletin. But hopefully a few of the others will be put onto the website in due course. If anyone has any others that they feel able to share, please could you email them to me at timrothwell9@gmail.com

In the meantime, here are a few efforts taken with my iphone.

The list of attendees (in order of arrival) is also set out below.

Thanks so much to all those who supported the event – we are very grateful to you.

Tim Rothwell, Chair, ROSA Committee

Braving the elements and getting ready

 . 

  

Arriving

In full swing

The official (!) photographs by Andy Spacey – with grateful thanks to him for his hard work all evening

 

 

Attendees

Eleanor Hunter

Philip Hunter

Mark Jarvis

Pam Jarvis

Richard Coleman

Virginia Hill

Will Eldridge

Sam Ford

Peter Eade

Robert Davies

Lois Benton (Staff)

Maureen Getley (Staff)

Marie Breeds

Anthony Breeds

Jill Elliott (Staff)

Peter Holliday (Staff)

Euan Thomson

Fiona Thomson

Liz Cornelius (nee Ewart)

Richard Rimmer

Tony Hall

Tim Grant

Ted Blundell

Linda Bailey

Janet Carree

Martin Carree

Dave Howley

R. Osborne

Sam Lambourne

Janet and Alan McInnes

Anne Newstead

Nick Marshall

Howard and Mary Jones

Andrew Bennett

Mary Bennett

Sally Burke

Jenny Hadfield (nee Burke)

Richard Wright (Staff)

Colin Swan

Geoff Hughes

Roy Forward

Nigel Foy

Colin Hills

Bob Carter

Jim Holmes

Janet Holmes

Christine Tree (nee Bourne)

Malcolm Tree

Mark and Rosemary Bianchi

Andy Chapman (nee Lewid)

Graham Bourne

Andrew Keen

Colin Dickenson

David Goodlet

Alec Tiltman

Barry Fuller

Heather Barnett

Peter Barnett

Keith Matthews

Carol Bourne

Roy Bourne

Barbara Moody

David Moody

Gilly Winterbottom and Michael Eagle

Beverley Creed (nee Gill)

Anne Avery

Peter Ewart

Ricky Turner

Yvonne Turner

Kevin Williams

Derrick Baldock

ROSA Committee

Shirley Bannister

Judith and Martin Blincow

John and Geraldine Breeds

Richard Moore

Sue and Tony Moore

Margaret O’Neill

Tim and Libby Rothwell

Claire and Andrew Spacey

 

ROSA Reunion held at the Kings Head. Exact date unknown

 

List of attendees at a 1970s ROSA Reunion event (not clear when this was held)

In order to view the list copy and paste the below link into your own search engine e.g. Google

1970’s Reunion Attendees.pdf

 

Programme regarding the ROSA Reunion held over the weekend of 24th, 25th and 26th July 2009

In order to access and view the programme copy and paste the below link into your own search engine e.g. Google

70’s Programme 2009.pdf

 

Bedford Reunion held in 2004

In order to view the photographs, copy and paste the below link into your own search engine e.g. Google

Bedford Reunion Photos 2004.pdf