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A.O.S.A. 2000 ANNUAL REPORT |
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On to Bainbridge; and there on The Green was The Riverdale Country House Hotel with its assurance of Sunday lunch. But where was the village Hall? We drove twice round The Green but only found the Meeting House at the bottom and the Post Office near the top. It was the Postmistress who directed us to follow the Countersett road out at the top where we would find the village hall clearly labelled in stonecut letters "TEMPERANCE HALL.” The door was locked; no strains of "My drink is water bright....” issued forth; but no matter, we had located all the Reunion venues in Bainbridge. All that remained was to enjoy the delightful drive down the sunny dale to Middleham. On arrival, after a brief look round, we had to resort once again to asking for directions to the "Key Centre,” found well tucked away along a side road off the top of the Square. A modern building with plenty of car parking, which looked quite capable of hosting a goodly number of Ayton Old Scholars for supper on the Saturday night.
Mission accomplished, Beth and I retired to a delightful Tea Room with toasted tea-cakes before returning over the 'tops' to Gargrave. Saturday, June 26th, was sunny and warm as we drove down Coverdale to Middleham. By 7 p.m., the Executive Committee Meeting now over, the first arrivals for the Buffet Supper were entering the "Key Centre." Cool drinks were in evidence and soon the buzzing throng in the foyer was reminiscent of similar gatherings in the Small Meeting House at Ayton during past Reunions. At 7.30, more than 50 of us trooped into the 'dining' room and after Dorothy Dawson, our new President, had gracefully accepted the familiar badge of office from her predecessor, we were invited to help ourselves from the excellent cold buffet. It was good to see that so many had taken the trouble to drive the extra miles for the occasion and, judging by the volume of conversation, everybody thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Next morning, although greeted by light rain, a dozen or more Old Scholars joined local Friends in the peaceful old Meeting House at Countersett. What a beautiful setting for this l7th Century building, complete with raised Elders' bench, and the bird song bubbling in through the open door. Several were moved to speak, including John Douglas (l937-40) who told us of the effect that some of his experiences as Vicar of Kilburn had had upon his life. Another drew inspiration from the tapping of a little bird on the window. Coffee was served afterwards in the house of the kind couple who lived next door and provided a welcome opportunity to chat with local Friends.
Lunch was a much more boisterous affair at the Riverdale Hotel where Anne Harrison (Hindle) served a choice of dishes. I enjoyed perfectly roasted beef and Yorkshire pudding, followed by delicious trifle. Over 60 of us foregathered, many who had not managed to attend the Saturday Supper, and the chatter was constant as news and views were exchanged concerning happenings since last meetings. Some very familiar faces were absent, but it was good to see that so many Old Scholars, some from quite a distance away, had made the extra effort to attend. Penrhyn 'Sandy' Jones and his wife had driven up from near Sheffield but, sadly, had missed the turning off the A1, arrived late at Meeting and there was no help available to manhandle Estelle's wheelchair up those three steps! If only those of us who were inside had known! Intermittent showers deterred any serious walking in the afternoon, but several waterproof‑clad figures were noticed traversing The Green and exploring the lanes and ginnels leading from it. Around 4 p.m., we foregathered in the Village Hall where the first thing we noted was an excellent scale model of our old School grounds showing the conversions of the listed buildings and all the new houses on the playgrounds, along the Beckside, and in the old Biology lab. area (laundry area to older O.S.). It certainly looked attractive and perhaps its presence at the AGM will encourage all who saw it to come and see the real thing at next year's Reunion.
At 4.30 p.m., prior to the AGM, Dorothy Dawson held our attention with her Presidential Address. With her background as both pupil and, later, teacher of music at School, she had much of interest to impart and she spiced it with her sharp sense of humour. We already owe her a debt of gratitude for the tremendous amount of work she did in organising this year's Reunion, and we wish her a happy and successful year as President. The AGM followed and this is reported elsewhere. Finally, we enjoyed tea and delicious biscuits and cakes, courtesy of Mary Banks and her willing helpers. Our deep gratitude is due once again to Mary for her organisation of the weekend's meals (with Dorothy) and the handling of bookings and tickets. Whatever should we do without her?? If only her leg would get better and relieve her of the constant pain. 'Farewells' then became the order of the day and "with the sun, a golden orb, slowly sinking in the West ..” (at least, we presumed it was behind the bank of cloud) we said "Farewell" to fair Wensleydale! In spite of being away from Ayton, we all agreed that it had been a happy and successful Reunion. Joe Tillott |
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