Calling all former Nelson Grammar School pupils

The event will be held at the ACE Centre, Cross Street, Nelson, on Saturday, July 25th, from 2pm to 6pm.

There will be tea and biscuits on arrival and, besides the opportunity to meet old school friends, there will be exhibitions of photos and memorabilia.

Organiser the Rev. David Wiseman said: “A two-course tea will be served at 4pm, after which there will be the annual distribution of ‘School Prizes’. These will take the form of prizes to the oldest former pupils attending (and the youngest!) – prizes to those who have travelled the furthest, those married the longest, those celebrating particular birthdays or school anniversaries, and a prize to the year at school which has the most former pupils present.”

He said there will also be a grand raffle.

Tickets, priced £15, are available from the secretary of NGS former pupils, Mr Wiseman, whose address is 4 The Ginnel, Skipton, North Yorks BD23 2HW or telephone him on 01756 797443.

Before the afternoon event, a nostalgic car trip around the Nelson area is planned for ex-pipils who have travelled some distance. These will be organised from 10-30am at the ACE Centre. Lunch will be available at The ACE from noon.

More than 300 former pupils of the two schools subscribe to the six-weekly school magazine “Nelson Reunion” and complimentary copies are available from the Rev. Wiseman.

The schools were situated in Oxford Road. Nelson Secondary School ran from 1930 to 1945 and, in 1945, became known as Nelson Grammar School.

It was in operation there until 1972, when it became Walton High School, which was renamed Pendle Vale College in 2006 and a huge new school building was created next to it, at the end of Oxford Road between 2006 and 2008. And the old grammar school building was demolished.