September 2012: Courts re-opened at Rydal Penrhos

Fives at Rydal Penrhos School in Colwyn Bay has been on the up over the last few years and Sunday saw the official re-opening of two courts at the school that had previously been used for storage for many years, bringing the total number there back up to four.

Rydal Headmaster Patrick Lee-Browne started proceedings with a reminder of the glory days of Rydal Fives in the early seventies and then spoke of what he hoped would become the second great era of Fives at the school, with all four courts back in use and the presence of a real enthusiasm for the sport among staff and pupils alike thanks to the efforts of Master-in-Charge Mike Leach and succesive gap year coaches John McLean, Abs Bhattacharya. George Thomason and now Aroop Bhattacharya.

The refurbishment of the courts was made possible partly by a donation from the Eton Fives Charitable Trust and the invaluable behind the scenes work of Paul Bowden from the EFA. Richard Black, Chairman of the EFCT, was on hand to unveil the plaque and expand on the Headmaster's vision of a sports facility that is unique in Wales and that will hopefully prove to be of benefit not just for the boys and girls at the school but also for the wider community in Colwyn Bay and North Wales.

The large group of staff, parents, former pupils and current players were then treated to an exhibition match featuring John Reynolds, Howard Wiseman, Seb Cooley and George Thomason followed by coaching and matches for all.