Final school reunion

The school hall where we all sat exams

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A planned reunion for Rochdale Grammar School for boys and friends is to take place on Saturday 20 October 2012 in The Peacock Room at The Crimble Hotel, Bamford.

The school building became Balderstone Technology College, on Queen Victoria Street.

It is scheduled to be closed and regenerated soon, so this is a highly significant reunion. Former student and organiser, Tony Child said: “It will probably be the last reunion and some people are paying a lot of money to come.”

The school site will be vacant from August 2013 when Kingsway Park High School, which currently occupies the land, relocates to Turf Hill Road. Rochdale Borough Council is planning to dispose of part of the school site, for redevelopment but needs the Governments permission.

The reunion begins at 6.00pm and features a full gourmet, posh sit-down meal, minus the dinner hall food fights. The reformed rock band “The Exit” who formerly played around the Rochdale area, will perform on the night. The band is comprised of old boys, now in their 60s.

Mr Child hopes that he will be able to arrange one last tour of the school for the former students, before it closes down. The following day features a Sunday lunch, for those who want more time to talk after their 50 years apart. It is hoped that a photo shoot will occur on the school grounds on Sunday, where school photos used to be taken. Mr Child thinks that particular event “should be an emotional time.”

Mr Child said: “For some reason, many ‘Old Boys’ achieved greatness and have attained enormous wealth and status. I don't know why this occurred, but it is certainly a statistical miracle. Most pupils were, and many still are, great characters.”

He nostalgically added: “It was like some St. Trinians for boys. Two boys, on a field trip to France got a lift on a lorry delivering Weetabix to Marseilles and ended up joining the French Foreign Legion. Fortunately, modern languages teacher, Mr Hedges managed to sign them out. They were only 17!

“Google Earth also spotted a 20 foot painted sign on the school roof, stating ‘Fred's Café’, Fred was the nickname for William Arthur Eugene March, our illustrious headmaster.”

Noteworthy former students are flying in from all corners of the earth, including as far a field as Zambia. Professors, barristers, Sir Peter Ogden and Chris Ray, who is now head of Manchester Grammar School, are on the guest list. Bill Oddie is also an ex-pupil of the school; Mr Child is working hard to bring him to the reunion.

“Rochdale should be proud of what it gave us all: a unique opportunity that was voraciously seized upon by all of us. Probably about 2000 boys actually attended the school, and it plays host to a rich seam memories", added Mr Child.