FORMER students who attended Richard Aldworth School travelled from far and wide to attend a special reunion – 50 years after it first opened its doors.

The sold-out reunion was attended by 400 past pupils who dressed to the nines and filled the hall at what is now Aldworth School.

The event was organised by four friends, who were prompted to make the arrangements by a jokey Facebook posting.

Glynda Amos said: “I saw a posting on Facebook about the fact it had been 50 years since the school opened, and I put a jokey comment on there suggesting we should hold a reunion.

“I completely forgot about it until days later, when someone contacted me to say it was a good idea.”

Glynda, along with fellow former students Tony McCarthy, Lorraine Phillips and Cheryl Purt, set up an organising committee and set the wheels in motion for the reunion at the school, now known as Aldworth School, in Western Way, South Ham.

All of the pupils who went to the Basingstoke school from 1974 onwards were invited.

Glynda said: “It was a lot of work but we were able to get in touch with hundreds of people. It was easiest to get in touch with people through Facebook and we are really pleased that we sold all of the tickets. People really made an effort.”

Past pupils of all ages travelled from far and wide to attend, with one travelling from South Africa and another flying in from Spain.

At the reunion there was an opportunity for everyone to catch up with old friends and former classmates. There was also a buffet and a raffle with prizes donated by local companies.

All money raised from the event will go towards the Ark Cancer Centre Charity, which is raising money for a new cancer treatment centre in north Hampshire.