Former students at a now closed farm school are being sought for a re-union marking the college’s 100th anniversary.

 In 1913 Madryn Castle Farm School, between Dinas and Rhydyclafdy, became the first agricultural education institute to open in Wales.

 It shares the distinction with the Monmouthshire Institute of Agriculture, Usk, now part of Coleg Gwent, which opened the same year.

 Caernarfonshire County Council closed it in 1952 and moved the college to Plas Glynllifon, once the seat of the Newborough family, having bought the site from timber merchants William and David Tudor.

 It was renamed Glynllifon Agricultural Institute and later became Coleg Glynllifon and is now part of Grwp Llandrillo Menai.

 Each year former students stage a re-union which, in 2013, has been given added impetus by the special Madryn anniversary.

 “We know several Madryn students are still alive as some have agreed to share their memories of thier time at the college at this year’s re-union,” said Megan Jones, secretary of Madwyn and Glynllifon Ex-Students Association.

 “But there may be others who we don’t know about and we’d be delighted to have them at the reunion.”

 Documents from 1911 show that money was being put aside by the Caernarfonshire education  committee towards the “Madryn scheme”.

Three Royal Inspectors who visited Madryn thought it would not need much refurbishment to  become a college.

 However they expressed reservations it might be too remote and perhaps somewhere more  central would better serve the area.

 Nevertheless the college opened two years later.

 During WW11 women from the Land Army were taught there and from 1945 the student intake rose again  as soldiers returned from the war.

Rather than extend Madryn, the local authority bought nearly 600  acres at Glynllifon.

 Plas Madryn is now a ruin.

 On Saturday, October 5, a two-course meal is being held at Nanhoron Arms Hotel, Nefyn, from 7pm.

 Local historian John Dilwyn Williams will be giving a talk on the colleges’ histories.

 Tickets are £18 and partners are welcome.

Details: Megan Jones, 01286 830679.