The proceedings began at 11 a.m. when our current Head, Penny Cooper and former Head, Geoff Richards, cut the blue and yellow ribbon. They were joined by ex Deputy Head, Alan Townsend (Mayor of Shrewsbury); Mayoress, Judy Townsend; Event Organiser, Tracy Weaver; Teacher, Peter Braddick; School Governor, Claire Wild (not in photo) and MP, Daniel Kawczynski.

Both Heads gave a welcome speech to visitors in the Main Hall at 12 noon, reflecting on the past, present and future of our school. The Dining Hall began filling up shortly after that, as the Hog Roast became available.

At 1 p.m. it was time for Music and Memories, as one veteran student of the school humourosly re-lived his five years here before handing the mic to ’Soul Band’ front man Martyn Pridmore. A string of hits from the sixties to the modern day entertained young and old alike, until it was time for the auction.

From classroom door signs to ornate clocks, Egyptian inspired ceramics to garden benches, there was everything but the kitchen sink. No, come to think of it, there was a kitchen sink. In fact, there were two! Meanwhile, the Dining Hall staff have turned our attention to Cream Teas (for those of us who might already have a kitchen sink).

People continued to arrive throughout the day and enjoyed looking around their old classrooms. Arguments were breaking out all over the school - “This was definitely the metalwork room. No doubt about it”. “No, it was woodwork… woodwork, woodwork, woodwork, and that’s the end of it!”. “Where have all the sewing machines gone? And why are there all these French flags on the wall?”

Hundreds spent hours hunting down pictures of themselves, their teachers and friends, whilst others simply sat and reminisced. Many visitors were keen to keep in touch and gave us their email address to keep them abreast of life at William Brookes. But, perhaps the most noticable feature of the day was the number of smiling, and often overjoyed faces, milling around the familiar spaces and laughing with old friends.

Professional photographers were on hand to take photographs of friendship groups in the Foyer, African drumming workshops were held in the Edge and the opportunity to take a nostalgic swim or play a game of badminton was also on offer.

Dozens of staff and students joined the Friends of William Brookes School to help make the event the success it was.

In excess of 900 people joined us on the day and the Friends of William Brookes School have raised over £3,000 to directly benefit our students. That incredible figure could rise again, as FoWBS are asking you to sponsor a brick! There is to be a sculpture at the new school, and we are inviting students and teachers, past and present to have their name ’stamped’ on a brick, to be used as part of the sculpture.

If you would like to be immortalised in this clay creation, please contact wbs2010reunion@yahoo.co.uk to register your interest, or click here for more info., or click here for an order form.. . The brick will cost you £10 - a lot of that goes towards the fundraising efforts.

If you came along on the day (or even if you didn’t), and you’d like people to know what you’re up to these days, why not join us on our alumni board at www.williambrookesschool.co.uk/formerstudents.php where you can spot old school friends from last year to 50 years ago.

Much hard work has gone into the preparation of this event and we would like to thank all those involved: Mr Geoff Richards (his idea, apparently), Tracy Weaver, Joyce Pridmore, Stephanie Bellowes, Sue Gibbs, Ellie Peters, Debbie Marks-Rumble, Janet Good, Sylvia Taras, Carolyn Abberley, the FoWBS committee, Angela Jones ( J L Edwards Trust ) and her helpers, Simon and Paula Gibbons, for the hog roast, Fotologic event photography, St. John Ambulance, our VIP guests and the many staff and students from the school.

Sue Gibbs did a lot of groundwork on the sponsorship front and found a lot of local support for the school and students. We were so pleased to have attracted so many sponsors for the event, familiar names to most of us and generous to the last.

Here’s our roll call:

Cakes and Groceries:

Copper Kettle, Much Wenlock

Wenlock Flowers, Much Wenlock

Catherine’s Bakery

Sainsburys

Tesco

Raffle Prizes:

Wrexham and Shropshire Trains - 2 x First Class return train tickets to London

Wolves F.C. - Signed book by Steve Bull

Toni & Guy - cut and blow dry

White Hart Inn, Ironbridge - 2 x £25 meal vouchers

The Shakespeare Inn - £25 meal voucher

Paddy Ryans Butchers - 2 x £20 vouchers

Telford Ice Rink - 1 Family Skating Pass

Subway - Meal Vouchers

Blue Ginger Indian Restaurant - £40 Meal Voucher

The Shropshire Golf Club - 18 hole round of golf for 2

Fotologic

Ironbridge Gorge Museum - 2 Adult Passes

Thanks again for your support for William Brookes School.