27th June 2025

The Rev. F. J. McGuiness, S.T.L., M.A.,
Head Master,
St. Augustine’s Grammar School,
Manchester, M22 4PJ

Right Reverend and dear Monsignor,

I must ask your forgiveness as I admit that I have let the name of this great school fall into disrepute.
As you are aware, it has been my responsibility, albeit of my own making, has been to maintain the Old Boys website.
This was created in 2000 and quickly expanded to become the virtual home of all ex-Augustinians.
Through gates of PERL (sic) streamed in the countless anecdotes.
Sadly, due to pressures of work and heath, I have allowed the site to fall into disrepair.
The internet and the communication media moved on dramatically. The website did not follow. In 2024 it was no longer fit for purpose.
The domain name staugs.org was allowed to lapse and was taken over by a foreign party.
For this I ask your forgiveness.

I am pleased to say that I have now taken matters into hand and I have completely rebuilt the site from the foundations up.
It is now resplendent again on the hallowed ground of sharstonmount.uk.
While acknowledging your fondness for magenta and the traditional ways, the site is ready for the challenges that 2025 brings upon us.
The site has not only been treated to fresh décor but is structurally sound once more, with a firm foundation.
It uses the principle of "Enter Once, Use Many" and should be easier to keep up to date.
You will be pleased to hear that Sine Nomine can now be heard with the full splendour of Hereford Cathedral.
You may also be pleased to know that the start and end of the school day is once again announced in the traditional style.

I would like to thank
1. Mr Foley for my appreciation of precise syntax.
2. Mr Rigby for an understanding of Boolean algebra, non-decimal number systems and even a little trigonometry, which have all been used in the rebuild.
3. Mr Scrowston for ensuring the development of my limited prose skills.
4. Mr Addis for the wisdom to avoid any stark colour clashes
5. Mr Creighton for my limited linguistic knowledge

I hope this mitigates for my past demeanours.

However, although my syntax has become highly tuned, I am now inclined to end all statements with a semicolon and to use parentheses (wherever there is any doubt);

Asking your blessing,
	I had the honour to be,
Right Reverend and dear Monsignor,
	Your humble pupil,

the webmaster