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Facebook party brings in hundreds | |
(1 day later) | |
More than 1,000 revellers were due to descend on a Denbighshire seaside town on Saturday night to celebrate a mass reunion. | |
School teacher Andrea Smith, 37, posted an event on the social network site Facebook at the end of last year inviting friends out in Rhyl. | School teacher Andrea Smith, 37, posted an event on the social network site Facebook at the end of last year inviting friends out in Rhyl. |
These friends invited more friends and the event grew to the extent that 732 had confirmed their attendance. | |
Ms Smith said people were travelling from as far as Ireland and Manchester. | Ms Smith said people were travelling from as far as Ireland and Manchester. |
Ms Smith and her sister Tracey Heywood came up with the idea for the party while on a night out with their friends in Chester. | Ms Smith and her sister Tracey Heywood came up with the idea for the party while on a night out with their friends in Chester. |
"We were saying that we never went out in Rhyl anymore and started reminiscing about the good times we've enjoyed there," she said. | "We were saying that we never went out in Rhyl anymore and started reminiscing about the good times we've enjoyed there," she said. |
"We agreed we should organise a reunion not just for our old school but for the whole town. | "We agreed we should organise a reunion not just for our old school but for the whole town. |
"All I did was create an event on Facebook, send it out to my friends, who went on to invite all their friends and the whole thing snowballed. | "All I did was create an event on Facebook, send it out to my friends, who went on to invite all their friends and the whole thing snowballed. |
"732 people have confirmed they're coming, there are around 700 maybes and 600 haven't replied yet. | "732 people have confirmed they're coming, there are around 700 maybes and 600 haven't replied yet. |
"Quite a few of my friends who aren't on Facebook are also coming, so potentially there could be over 1000 people out in Rhyl on Saturday night on our event. It's scary!" | "Quite a few of my friends who aren't on Facebook are also coming, so potentially there could be over 1000 people out in Rhyl on Saturday night on our event. It's scary!" |
Instead of holding the reunion in a specific place, Ms Smith suggested people meet up in favourite bars and pubs in the town before ending up in one of two clubs. | Instead of holding the reunion in a specific place, Ms Smith suggested people meet up in favourite bars and pubs in the town before ending up in one of two clubs. |
I've been getting emails everyday from people thanking me because they're meeting up with people they've not seen for 20 years Andrea Smith | I've been getting emails everyday from people thanking me because they're meeting up with people they've not seen for 20 years Andrea Smith |
As the numbers of those attending increased, she contacted some of the venues and they agreed to play music from the '80s and '90s on the night. | |
"Everyone's talking about it in Rhyl," said Ms Smith. | "Everyone's talking about it in Rhyl," said Ms Smith. |
"A friend of mine phoned the other day to say she'd heard people in Sainsbury's talking about it. | "A friend of mine phoned the other day to say she'd heard people in Sainsbury's talking about it. |
"I've also been getting emails everyday from people thanking me because they're meeting up with people they've not seen for 20 years. | "I've also been getting emails everyday from people thanking me because they're meeting up with people they've not seen for 20 years. |
"I organised my sister's hen party for around 20 people and I'm usually the one who organises concert tickets for my friends but I've never done anything like this before. | "I organised my sister's hen party for around 20 people and I'm usually the one who organises concert tickets for my friends but I've never done anything like this before. |
"If it goes well on Saturday night maybe we could turn the party into an annual event and hold it on New Year's Eve every year." | "If it goes well on Saturday night maybe we could turn the party into an annual event and hold it on New Year's Eve every year." |