Future Reunions

This years main event will be again based around the Sculpture Park at Bretton, and the Friday night 'session' at the Black Bull in Midgley

The main evening event at the Sculpture Park Restaurant will be for £30 a head, as last year. This will cover the buffet, drink on arrival and the room hire.

NOTICE

The Bretton reunion booking and payment system in now active at the Sculpture Park for this years event.

This is a secure web based payment system and is for the full amount of £30

This is a huge improvement, and takes the responsibility away from me to gather in and chase up monies.

If you don’t wish to pay in this manner, then it is possible also to book by phone.

The website address is- http://www.ysp.co.uk/events/bretton-hall-college-reunion

All the details are outlined on the page and it is fairly easy to follow the payment procedure.

If you haven’t used the Park’s system before, then you need to register a user name and password.

Warning! There is a box on the payments page to allow an extra payment to be made as a donation. Please be aware and deal with the donation as you wish.

Accommodation

I have persuaded Melvyn at the Midgley Lodge to give a 5% discount to those attending if you mention my name. It’s not much, but every little helps!

We only need 30 people attending for the event to go ahead, but I have had extremely good feedback about attendance, so expect many more than last year.

Please book early, as it gives us chance to discuss entertainment etc.

Look forward to seeing you all again and get on with the booking!

Alan

Kelly Amos is happy to do a Saturday afternoon slot again. Not sure yet what the focus would be, but there is bound to be plenty to update people on. This will be online as well, people can book for either the afternoon, evening or both.

The event will be advertised on the YSP website, via their Facebook and Twitter feeds and also in our What’s On guide and the Bretton newsletter. Nearer the time it will be promoted onsite, such as with the table toppers (leaflets in holders on the tables in the restaurant and café)

Sally and Kelly from YSP were wondering about getting people to submit photos electronically? They could easily put them together as a PowerPoint and have them projected on a wall during the evening.

Entertainment will again be provided by the attendees, as in previous years. Just turn up with your instrument?

More to follow in the New Year 2012

Images of 2011 now published

Firstly, a date for the diary; The next reunion will be on the 18^th and 19^th May 2012 with the meal part of the event at the Sculpture Park Restaurant.

I think that everyone would agree that this year’s event went up a notch on the enjoyable scale! The Friday night meet in the Black Bull at Midgley was well attended and re established a lot of friendships developed the previous year. We reserved the old section of the pub so that we could all be in the same area, not that anyone else hung around for long last year after we all got started. The pub part of the meet gives us chance to catch up before the main event in the Sculpture Park.

The afternoon session was led by Kelly Amos of the Sculpture Park staff and as an old Brettonian, she has had a keen interest in helping to develop the Alumni. Firstly, we had a visit to the newly refurbished Kennel Block and had a look around to view the changes. Sadly, the smell of stale beer ingrained into the flooring had disappeared, and in its place was the smell of new woodwork and plaster. Having said all of that, the building has been developed very tastefully, with a very nice café underneath the old performance area. Something that we all remarked upon was the impression that the building had grown longer. All that we can think of is that part of the upstairs at least must have been used as a store, or blocked off in some way? Anyway, I think that we were all impressed and quizzing Kelly about how we could get back in there and have concert of some description. It has to be used for educational purposes, so we are about to scratch our heads and find a way to fulfil the restriction.

The final part of the visit was to view the work being carried out around upper lake. Much of the scrub and insensitive planting of the Leeds University era has been removed, to expose the landscape that was intended in the original plans for the house. The landscape sculpture is almost back to that design and the result is quite amazing. We can see the lake and the mature trees from Mansion again, as it was up until the late 1970’s I have put a panoramic view taken from the bridge, looking back to Mansion on the front page of the website. The work on upper lake has been substantially sponsored by Dr. Alyn Davies, a much respected past Principal of Bretton, and we feel as Alumni that we should help find the rest of the money for this project, having been very impressed with the work so far. Several features of the upper lake have been restored, including the Boat House, Greek temple / viewing point, monument to the original house and Shell House. All the lakes bridges are being made safe and renovated, as well as pathways cleared and surfaced. I hope that we can make a bit more of a presentation about this work as things progress. With a view to getting the Alumni to help raise money for the restoration, Kelly is going to put together a plan from our ideas. Finally, I would like to thank Dr Davies for his initiative and lasting commitment to Bretton, and hope that this gesture will inspire us, as Alumni, to contribute also.

The main event was the evening meal and impromptu performances by our Alumni group. The meal as always was excellent but the contribution by the other members was really memorable. Marcia Philips (nee Corefield) was over from Canada and after a little encouragement, put a set of folk, pop and whistle music together, which mentally sent us all back to our student days. Last year we tried to formalise the music a bit and it didn’t really work, but this time it was deliberately ‘ad hock’ and it worked. Musical contributions were made by Marcia, Rick Jerome, Dave Holland, John Stones and even myself and Alan Beecham. This is probably the first of the reunions that I have attended where there was a genuine ‘Breton feel to the proceedings. A very good weekend, and I look forward to the next one on the 18/19^th May 2012.

Dear All, 20th April 2011

Happy Easter and the final preparations and programme for the 2011 reunion are being made.

Please accept my apologies to anyone receiving this mail who has previously asked to be removed, and could they indicate further if I should remove them?

I have to hand in final numbers to the restaurant by 2^nd May, and so I would appeal to all of those who have indicated that they are coming, to send their deposits a.s.a.p.

The final menu and also the people who have sent their deposits are at the bottom of this letter.

The programme is as follows:

Friday evening 13^th May: meet up for a drink in the Bull at Midgley from 7.30pm

Saturday 14^th May: meet up at the Sculpture Park Restaurant at 2.00pm for a guided tour of the upper lake to look at the plans and progress restoring the landscape. This will be immediately followed by a walk up to Kennel Block to view the refurbishment of the building for educational use. There is a possibility that we might, but only might, get a walk around inside the Mansion. This is currently under negotiation.

Please indicate if you wish to join this afternoon walk. It would be advisable to have good outdoor footwear for this activity!

The visits are being kindly hosted by Kelly Amos at the Sculpture Park and she has now started an Alumni news bulletin http://bit.ly/hlWkCF A link to this site will be also on our website www.bretton-hall.com . This link also features some of the things that we will be looking at on Saturday.

The ‘Bash’ will start at 7 for 7.30 and go on until midnight or so. The location is the Sculpture Park Restaurant.

The balance of payment is £25 per person and payable to Moira and Dianne on arrival. Cash please, as we have no other way of taking payments.

Please pass the word around again for this final time!

Menu:

Hot Fork Buffet Chicken & chorizo pot roast
Baked salmon
Spinach & wild mushroom cannelloni (v)

Accompaniments: Jacket wedges and fresh vegetables

Salads:

Three kinds of tomato & basil
Waldorf – celery, apple, walnuts, Yorkshire blue, baby leaves
Pasta, pesto, pine nut & cherry tomato

And finally! – Dessert selection:

Fresh fruit salad
Apple, rhubarb & ginger crumble
both served with Fresh Cream & Fruit Coulis

List of attendees:

Susan Gidman

Alan Parker

Margaret Bolderstone nee Andrews

Jill Bury

Dave Holland

Rhian

Graham Walsh

Sarah Fane Forester

Dave Sing

Jennie Palin nee Carter

Alan Beecham

Lorraine Beecham nee Aitken

Vicky Cafrey Smith + 1

Marcia Philps (Corfield) +1

Joy Coulbeck (Marples)

Dianne Butterfield

Duncan Oxley

Rick Jerome

Janet Daniels + 1

Kath Richardson nee Sutcliffe

Sandra Green + 1

Chris Jones

Jean Edwards +1

John and Dawn Stones

Rich Keys

Gill Harrison

Moira Long

Liz Tunnard +1

Richard and Ann Flowerday

Donna Jones +1

Rosemary Milne nee Bass

Andy Rashleigh

Brenda Dickinson nee Coulson +1

Maureen Worsley nee Farnell

Dear Bretton Mail Group member, (13th Jan 2011)

Happy New Year to you all, and its time to get on with reunion 2011.

This year Sue Gidman (nee Batcheler), Moira Long, Dianne Bosley and myself will be organising the ‘bash’

Again, the venue is the Sculpture Park restaurant, after the very successful one last year. The date will be Saturday 14^th May 2011 and the total cost, again £35

I have paid the deposit for the restaurant rental and so would request a £10 deposit again to secure a place. Cheques made payable once again to myself and sent to my address below. The receipt for your deposit will be added on the website www.bretton-hall.com I will also place the menu on-line again and be aware that John Woods requires a ‘pudn’

I have had expressions of interest from a wider range of year groups this time, which is very promising for the future of the event. I again urge people not to be put off by the fact that the organisers are from the years of 1967 to 1972. We have all had the same, or similar experiences, and it is good to share them with others from different time frames!

The exact plan for the Saturday has yet to be arranged, but again, I am going to try and get access to the Mansion as part of the afternoon event.

Also, we will be meeting for a drink on the Friday night (13^th) as last year in the Bull at Midgley. On that subject, please book early if you are staying at the Lodge next door.

Below is a brief update from our contact at the Sculpture Park. News from the developers will follow later

News from Kelly Amos at the Sculpture Park:

Work here on the nature reserve and Kennel Block is going well. I’ve just been for a walk down to the front of the mansion and it looks fantastic. For the first time in years you can see right across the lake from the mansion!

With regards to the reunion, do you want to go for the same format as last year? - those who want to can come along in the afternoon and speak to me and have a bit of a tour round the archive, KB, nature reserve etc? The refurbishment of Kennel Block is due to be completed in April so, as long as we are on schedule, I should be able to take you inside the new education centre for a tour before it is fully open to the public.

If this is the way you want to play it, here is a bit of text for your invite letter:

Kelly Amoss, Development Officer at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Regards to you all and keep passing the word around! Menu below

Alan

Alan Parker.

Explore Scotland

Sealladh Resipol

Dervaig Road

Tobermory

Isle of Mull

PA75 6PY

01688 302075

Main courses – Choose any three from the following selection:

Meat

Chicken & chorizo pot roast

Free range chicken breast fillets roast with chorizo sausage, red onions, peppers, cherry tomatoes & fresh oregano

Venison kofta kebabs

Local Round Green Farm venison mince flavoured with a blend of spices & fresh coriander, served on a skewer with flat breads, houmus & fresh tomato salsa

Beef stew & dumplings

Chunks of Yorkshire highlander beef slow cooked with Yorkshire ale, herbs & root vegetables, topped with thyme dumplings

Meat & potato pie

Chunks of Yorkshire highlander beef cooked with Ossett brewery treacle stout, thyme, onions & potatoes, short crust pastry & Henderson’s relish

Moroccan lamb tagine

Yorkshire lamb shoulder slow cooked with Moroccan spices, tomato, dried apricots & flaked almonds

Lamb & mint pie

5 hour braised Yorkshire lamb shoulder with fresh mint, rosemary & root vegetables, topped with puff pastry

Slow roast duck leg

Prime duck legs rubbed with Chinese five spice & slow roast until tender, served with sweet & sour rhubarb

Fish

Fish market fishcakes

Home made fishcakes made with the freshest fish available, examples are; smoked haddock & leek, honey roast salmon & dill, white fish, parsley & chorizo

Baked salmon

Salmon fillet baked & served with lemon & tarragon butter

Luxury fish pie

Salmon, smoked haddock, queen scallops & prawns in a cream, dill & white wine sauce, crispy crumble & cheddar topping

Grilled sea bass

A fillet of grilled fresh sea bass with either chilli & lime butter or tomato & avocado salsa

(A surcharge of £3.00 per person applies to this dish)

Pasta

Spinach & wild mushroom cannelloni (v)

Fresh pasta sheets filled with creamed spinach, garlic & wild mushrooms, finished with parmesan & cheddar cheeses

Penne with pancetta & peas

Organic penne pasta with pancetta, garden peas & parsley in a cream sauce, served with grated parmesan

Lasagne

Classic lasagne made with Yorkshire highlander beef ragout, sun blushed tomatoes, olives, fresh egg pasta sheets, creamy béchamel sauce & fresh mozzarella

Vegetarian

Butternut squash & Yorkshire feta pie

Roast butternut squash with caramelised onions, toasted pine nuts, Yorkshire feta & sage, encased in crisp filo pastry

Roast Mediterranean vegetables & goat’s cheese

Selected Mediterranean vegetables roast with olive oil, rosemary, garlic & sea salt, topped with warm goat’s cheese & balsamic syrup

Spinach & red onion pie

Fresh spinach encased in crisp filo pastry with balsamic roast red onions & toasted pine nuts

Bean & spinach crumble

Mixed beans in a spicy tomato sauce with fresh spinach & a savoury crumble topping

Accompaniments – Choose any two accompaniments:

Potato gratin

Slice of potato baked with onion, garlic, thyme & cream, finished with mature cheddar

New potatoes

New potatoes with butter & chives

Roast potatoes

Potatoes roast with olive oil, sea salt & black pepper

Jacket wedges

Crispy fried jacket wedges with sea salt

Roast root vegetables

Selected seasonal root vegetables

Fresh vegetables

Buttered seasonal vegetables

Minted green vegetables

Seasonal green vegetables with minted butter

Garlic sour dough bread

Sour dough baguette slices with garlic & parsley butter

Home made chips

With Maldon sea salt

Salads – Choose any three from the selection:

Traditional coleslaw

Tomato, parsley & red onion

Beetroot, cherry tomato & dill

Cucumber, radish & watercress

Mixed baby leaves

Shaved fennel, orange & rocket

Three kinds of tomato & basil

Waldorf – celery, apple, walnuts, Yorkshire blue, baby leaves

Pasta, pesto, pine nut & cherry tomato

Cous cous, roast vegetables, lemon, cumin & coriander

New potato, parsley, spring onion

Rocket, apple & celeriac

And finally! – Dessert selection, choose two dishes, all served with fresh Cream & fruit coulis

Fresh fruit salad

Fruit salad using only the best seasonal fruits available

Baked cheesecake

Classic home made vanilla cheese cake.

French lemon

Tangy light lemon tart in a sweet pastry case

Dark chocolate tart

A sweet pastry case filled with dark chocolate ganach

Apple, rhubarb & ginger crumble

Warm dessert with apples, local rhubarb, stem ginger & crunchy crumble topping

Yorkshire cheese board

A selection of the finest locally produced cheeses with chutney’s & speciality biscuits

Pecan & nut pies

Whole pecans, walnuts & hazelnuts baked in a sweet pastry case with gooey toffee sauce

Eton mess

Classic dessert of whipped cream with crushed meringue, fresh vanilla & strawberries, served in a glass with a shortbread finger

£23.00 per person

Report on 2010 reunion at the Sculpture Park

Reunions (If you are new to this information, then please view the emails that have been sent out about the event. For email history, click here)

I have booked the Sculpture Park Restaurant for the evening of Saturday the 15^th May 2010

The Sculpture Park venue was clearly a popular favourite by almost everyone, and it certainly is a magnificent place to hold the event, with views over the Deer Park and a good reputation for food. On a good evening, the veranda will be a good place to eat and drink

The projected cost will be about £35 (excluding drinks) which will include a good buffet meal and the hire of the venue.

I have personally paid the deposit for the restaurant, and am now collecting in a £10 deposit (now due)

At this stage I would like to have a good idea of numbers, and also ask for a little help? Please could you indicate your attendance and secondly, get the word around. I would like the event to be open to all, even though it is likely to be dominated by years between 1966 and 1973. Also, I would like to request help with entertainment? Could anyone do an acoustic number or two, or even a limited electric version? (New Rich Keys + Ric Jerome and John Clark have offered to perform)

I intend inviting a few ex staff this time, now that I have a few more contact details. If you are personally still in contact with any of them, then please let me know? ( New Dr. Alyn Davies and wife are attending )

There is a maximum number of 100 for this venue. Partners and escorts are welcome!

More information will be circulated to those who indicate an attendance. Also, information will be placed on the website.
Activities for the Saturday afternoon are also in the planning stage

The secret to the success of this event is networking. If all those who attended last year bring two others, we have an event,

Regards, to all, and spread the word! Contact me on tobermory@mull.com or ring 01688 302075

Questions: Where can we stay? Midgely Lodge is the largest and closest. I have already booked in. (Good idea to share a room? ) 'bit like the old days?

Where do we send our £10 deposit? To me please this year. Alan Parker, Sealladh Resipol, Dervaig Road, Tobermory. Isle of Mull. PA75 6PY

Programme for the evening now accepting ideas. At the moment we have three performers and of course, Wild Mountain Thyme at the end of the reunion.

Free range chicken breast fillets roast with chorizo sausage, red onions, peppers, cherry tomatoes & fresh oregano.

Prime diced leg of Yorkshire lamb marinated in mint, rosemary, garlic & sherry, grilled on skewers with peppers, served with tzatsiki, humus & flat breads.

Locally produced venison or Yorkshire highlander beef sausages braised in red wine, thyme, mushroom & cranberry sauce.

Fresh tuna steak marinated in lemon oil, coriander & lime zest, grilled & served with guacamole.

Prime duck legs rubbed with Chinese five spice & slow roast until tender, served with sweet & sour rhubarb.

Salmon, smoked haddock, queen scallops & prawns in a cream, dill & white wine sauce, crispy crumble & cheddar topping.

Chunks of Yorkshire highlander beef cooked with Osset brewery treacle stout, thyme, onions & potatoes, shortcrust pastry & Henderson’s relish.

Roast butternut squash with caramelised onions, toasted pine nuts, Yorkshire feta & sage, encased in crisp filo pastry.

Organic penne pasta with pancetta, garden peas & parsley in a cream sauce, served with grated parmesan.

Fresh pasta sheets filled with creamed spinach, garlic & wild mushrooms, finished with parmesan & cheddar cheeses.

Selected Mediterranean vegetables roast with olive oil, rosemary, garlic & sea salt, topped with warm goat’s cheese & balsamic syrup.

Slice of potato baked with onion, garlic, thyme & cream, finished with mature cheddar.

And finally! – Dessert selection, choose two dishes, all served with fresh cream and fruit coulis.

A selection of the finest locally produced cheeses with chutney’s & speciality biscuits.

Update 8th May 09

My plans are that I will be staying at Midgely Lodge on both Friday 15th May and Saturday 16th evenings. Anyone fancy a pint on Friday evening and a chat, then I will be there!

Saturday morning meeting with the Sculpture Park manager at 11am to look at a possible venue for next year. Looking at both restaurant and hall for a concert/lecture/entertainment. Anyone interested to join me? Let me know please?

Reunion 09 to be held on Saturday 16th May (Venue -The Cherry Tree at High Hoyland) Click here for a Google map

Urgent! I have found that many of my mailouts are getting caught up in email filters, which must be leading to much frustration to those concerned. I will therefore, place these emails on this site.

Please contact me tobermory@mull.com 01688 302075 if you have been missed out!

Report on the meeting at the Black Bull at Midgeley on the evening of Saturday 17th of May 2008.

This meeting/reunion was called with the purpose initially of doing something, however modest, to start the ball rolling with get-togethers, and also to get some ideas for the future. This we achieved!

However, before making my suggestions for the future, it is important to give an update of what we found during our walk about, and after my talking to the security officers guarding the grounds and buildings. Click here for this part of the report

As described in the linked report above, a small group of us went walk-about in the grounds and had a good look around the exterior of the buildings. The immediate surrounds of the hall are cordoned off for obvious security reasons, but the grounds are still open for access. See map.

In the evening we met for a meal in the Black Bull at Midgely and had a chat about future reunions. Apart from a good excuse for a social, the purpose of the meeting was to get ideas together for future reunions. Mission accomplished, apart from the year groups represented were only from 1966 to 1973. Here are some of our ideas: The first set has been emailed back from one of the attendees.

It was a lovely reunion. It was so nice as I felt so relaxed as Bretton was a bonding thing and it was like meeting friends even though I had never met the others before and only vaguely remembered seeing two.

'Bretton is in our hearts always, so it doesn't really matter where we meet up. Now a suggestion. Each one of us could take it in turns to organise a reunion. It could be in a local pub, with decent food (no real complaint, but have tasted better food than at the Black Bull) and we could attach to it each year the possibility of entertainment as well as nostalgic chatter. Bretton is such a bonding thing and brings back nothing but joy, but this could be a fresh new start to making friends and socialising and enjoying good company with the nostalgia thrown in. It could also involve spouses on occasions possibly. It could also grow into eventually when we are all not working and retired sort of weekends away or the odd holiday where we could hire lodges or whatever and enjoy sheer good company, walks, bird watching, photography, folk bands and singing etc etc, the possibilities are endless. At the moment I suspect people are worried about the recession, are winding up or at least planning retirement and unfortunately some of us might be battling with illness, so good company and socialising would bring so much joy, and the Bretton thing, don't forget is in us and in our hearts and minds, not just the actual grounds.

Other suggestions were to venue. I think that we all favoured somewhere close to the College, and a walk around the grounds is almost mandatory. I like the idea of Kennel Block and a folk night, but there may be problems there for a least next year. One very good suggestion, which I have now followed up, is to hire the Sculpture Park Restaurant and conference facilities. The facilities are very good indeed and look out over the park. They can only accommodate 100 people, but in the immediate future I think this will not be a problem . If more people are interested, then this can be looked at. The cost for the afternoon of the Conference facility is £500 and for the Restaurant from 6-12pm is also £500. On top of this would be the cost of meals etc. So, for £20 a head, you could hire the lot and have a lecture about the Park or folk performance etc etc. This is a very distinct possibility! Have to book by Christmas.

The ideal situation is to be back in the Hall again, but we are a couple of years off this one!

For this to be successful we need other enthusiasts to be involved. Sue Batchelor (Gidman) has expressed an interest and she would be invaluable, as she has organised previous large scale Bretton reunions. People prepared to either perform and contribute 'content' would also be good.

If all else fails, and interest is limited, then we go back to the Black Bull and do the same as this year. Its advantages are that it takes little organisation, accommodation (good quality) is available next door. The meal is OK, fair priced, and everyone pays for themselves.

Anyway, lets go for the big idea next time! I'm sure it will grow for a while until we are all too bloody old! Whilst we are all still breathing, lets keep Bretton alive! Please contribute to ideas

Bretton reunion 18th 19th May 2012

Images of 2011 now published

Report on 2010 reunion at the Sculpture Park

Reunions (If you are new to this information, then please view the emails that have been sent out about the event. For email history, click here)

Update 8th May 09