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Facebook party brings in hundreds Facebook party 'attracts 1,500'
(about 2 hours later)
More than 1,000 revellers were due to descend on a Denbighshire seaside town on Saturday night to celebrate a mass reunion. Around 1,500 revellers packed out a Denbighshire seaside town on Saturday night to celebrate a mass reunion which was organised on a social network site.
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. Organiser Andrea Smith said the night in Rhyl was "brilliant" and that every pub was packed out with queues outside.
These friends invited more friends and the event grew to the extent that 732 had confirmed their attendance. Ms Smith, 37, originally invited a few friends to enjoy a nostalgic night out in Rhyl via Facebook.
Ms Smith said people were travelling from as far as Ireland and Manchester. But the event grew to the extent that by Saturday morning more than 700 people had confirmed their attendance.
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, a school teacher, 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. She added that people who were not on Facebook joined the party and travelled from as far afield as Ireland and Manchester.
"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 She also contacted many of the venues and they agreed to play music from the '80s and '90s on the night.
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. "It was brilliant," she said.
"Everyone's talking about it in Rhyl," said Ms Smith. "All the pubs were heaving, there were queues outside the doors and I saw lots of old faces.
"A friend of mine phoned the other day to say she'd heard people in Sainsbury's talking about it. "All I could hear all night was people screaming and saying to each other 'I haven't seen you in ages!'
"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. "The atmosphere was excellent."
"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. Ms Smith said she would definitely be organising another Rhyl reunion for New Years Eve later this 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."