Appeal as school reunion set up for 1980 Market Drayton students

Classmates who studied together 40 years ago are going back to school - organising a reunion four decades on.

NORTH COPYRIGHT SHROPSHIRE STAR STEVE LEATH 01/02/2020..Pic in Market Drayton at The Hippodrome (Wetherspoons) where old school friends, Class of 1980 from The Grove School, were having a meet up ahead of a big reunion where they are trying to get as many fellow pupils together as possible. L-R: Tracy Whitehouse, Donald Eley, Karen Eaton (nee Rutter), Chris Eaton, Lorraine Jones (nee Tomkinson) , Geri Dal Col (nee Adderley), Sarah O'Connor (nee Hickman), Mandy Sutton (nee Olding)..

Those who attended Market Drayton's Grove School in 1980 and are now 55 or 56 are invited to get in touch and make the reunion on August 22 a success.

One of those students, Sarah O'Connor, née Hickman, began organising the reunion a year ago and has already gathered more than 100 of those who attended in 1980.

She said: "I made the decision to put on a reunion in February 2019. I started a Facebook group for our year and posted a save the date in a local Facebook page and also posted some notices about town.

An old picture of a Grove School sports team from 40 years ago

"We now have a thriving Facebook group numbering 75 people. Those who aren’t on Facebook are being traced by other means as far as possible and in contact with me through email.

"The starting point for tracking every one down was by using a paper cutting I had saved. In August 1980 a list of our exam results was printed in the Market Drayton Advertiser.

"This provided a great starting point as most of our year were named in the list. Without that we would have been reliant on what names we could remember.

"We really need people to be in touch through Facebook, phone or email so tickets can be allocated when they are released."

She said that contact has already been established with about 120 of the school year but that another 100 are still out there.

To get in touch, email sarah.oconnor4@btinternet.com or call 07483 219784.

Alternatively, join the Grove School Class of 1980 Facebook group.