A.O.S.A. 2004 ANNUAL REPORT

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As I threw my suitcase into the boot of my car, I mused that Ayton Reunions were rather like Christmas, when you are young you think the next one will never come around but when you are older you wonder where the last twelve months have gone. Three hundred miles and six hours later, I spotted the glorious sight of the sweeping Cleveland Hills, with Cook’s and Roseberry Topping making their usual remarkable impact on the senses. To think, I spent 7 years at Ayton, during which time, as I suspect did many Ayton Scholars, I accepted that scene as my right, but worse, not really appreciating the beauty and majesty.

For some OS the weekend starts on Friday when tents go up and mobile homes arrive at Whinstone Caravan Park while others more sedately book into B&Bs around Ayton and Stokesley. Dick Dennis had arrived, a table had been booked at the Whinstone Country Park Club and the weekend reunion could begin!! While enjoying Dick’s hospitality in his quite remarkable ‘van’, I recalled an evening in the ‘Tin Gym’ when a conjurer enthralled us with his conjuring tricks, one of which involved an engagement ring belonging to the mothers of two of the scholars. I vividly recalled almost every detail, at which Harry Snalam said, ‘You do know that was my father?’ Well Harry, after some fifty years I am delighted to put a name to the magician who enchanted me so long ago.

Get two OS together and conversation never flags, get a dozen or more together and you have a cacophony of lively, amusing, interesting and probably noisy banter. So it was during dinner at the Country Club that the outgoing President, Dick Dennis, the incoming President, Gill Jackson, along with several others from the 1940s/50s generation spent a typical OS evening with old secrets being shared, likes and dislikes revealed, and always memories of Ayton food. While we were having this delightful starter to our weekend other OS were arriving, pitching tents, securing mobile homes, booking into B&Bs or just ‘popping in’ to see if anything was happening. This was an Ayton OS reunion weekend and it was off the starting blocks.

The next morning, if you stood under the trees on the village green, you would see the gradual ‘collect’ of Ayton’s former scholars, not quite taking over the village, but certainly making an impact. Among many ‘hellos’, ‘hi’s’, ‘fancy seeing you’ and ‘who’s that?’, the main focus on the Saturday was the school Memorabilia Room in the Meeting House. How fortunate we are to have the top room of the Meeting House so that generations of Aytonians and their effects can be seen and remembered. How lucky we are to have Jane Campbell (Bye 1953-60) who has worked so hard to provide an interesting and fascinating Museum and exhibition. It is fun to see examples of the uniforms which children today would refuse to wear, the quite horrid tin drinking mugs, happily dispensed with in the late 40s, the Becksides and of course those photographs, over which there is much hilarity, incredulity, exclamations and laughter.

At 2.00 pm prompt, the energetic, stalwart and enthusiastic met Wendy Smith (Arnold 1959-65) outside the Meeting House for a ‘slave drive’ - only kidding Wendy! 22 Adults, 7 children under 7 and 3 dogs wound their way through Little Ayton and Fletchers’, and made it to the intended destination, Half Cook’s. Back to Ayton through Easby, where, with dismay, it was discovered that no longer do you noisily paddle through the Water Splash, but sedately cross a bridge. (What spoil sports some planners seem to be!) The walk was much enjoyed by all those taking part, and ended with pleas for a repeat next year.

While OS were enjoying themselves, catching up on news, being reunited and generally gossiping, the staff at Whinstone Country Club were of course preparing our supper to be served in the Marquee. Before we could eat however, a very important traditional ceremony had to be performed; that of handing over of the Presidential Badge to the incoming President. Having thoroughly enjoyed his year as President, Dick Dennis handed over the ‘crown’ to Gill Jackson, who looked forward to hers with happy anticipation.

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