IT may be a little late, thanks to Covid, but a long-planned centenary reunion for staff and students of Nunthorpe Grammar School is set to go ahead later this month.

A dinner has been organised at the Merchant Adventurers Hall on Friday July 30 - and Millthorpe School, which now occupies the buildings that were once Nunthorpe Grammar, will be throwing open its doors to former Nunthorpe pupils and staff on Saturday afternoon, July 31. A buffet will be held at the school in the evening.

The reunion has been organised by former staff and pupils. One of the organisers is Darrell Buttery, who taught English at the school from 1974-1985, and has also published his diaries of life there. Copies of 'A Nunthorpe Diary' will be available free at the event.

Darrell's diary paints a rich portrait of a school that closed in 1986. It tells of visits to the crypt at York Minster, an encounter with former Prime Minster Ted Heath - and of the Nunthorpe schoolboy who skived off for the day to go and meet the recently-married Prince and Princess of Wales.

Charles and Diana were on an official visit to York in November 1981. Most schools had given children the day off. Not Nunthorpe.

One of Darrell's pupils 'escaped' to go and see the royal couple, however - and afterwards boasted about his exploits. "He was going to be on television, he told his form-mates," Darrell wrote. "He'd even pushed himself to the front of the crowd and shaken hands with the Princess."

The Diary also recounts a talk about ghosts given by a visiting lecturer. "They (the boys) listened quietly as if one was about to materialise," Darrell wrote. "He told them of the St Olave's boy who said that to get rid of ghosts you had to circumcise them." Now that's what you call an education.

No more tickets are available for the Friday night dinner. Tickets for the Saturday reunion and buffet can still be booked at sites.google.com/view/centenaryreunion/home