Future Reunions

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!

Dear All,

I have now received a number of responses for the meal at the Cherry Tree. However, many of the responses need clarifying a little. PLEASE could all members of this mail list respond to this mail and say either yes or no and if yes, how many will be present, and their names? I have put up a sample menu at http://www.bretton-hall.com/future-reunions.htm Further detail will be issued to those who respond positively.

Also, I have had no response from some members, from whom I would have expected a response. This could be to do with this 'mailout' getting caught in spam filters etc. so I will try mailing them individually later.

Anyway, must keep this short and sweet.

Regards,

Alan

Reunion 2010

Proposal that it should be held in the Sculpture Park Restaurant, using also their conference facility. We have the chance here to hold a 'biggy' with a concert/peotry/stories/film show etc.

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

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