Former pupils of a Morecambe school were invited back for a special afternoon tea almost 50 years after it closed.
Ex-pupils of Euston Road Secondary School were offered the chance to pay a visit to what is now Morecambe Bay Community Primary School.
The afternoon tea was organised after current staff discovered there was a Euston Road Facebook group for pupils who attended the school in years gone by.
Euston Road school ran for around 70 years until its closure in 1973, then was replaced by Morecambe Bay school.
The event took place on Friday April 29 with current schoolchildren providing a table service of tea, coffee, sandwiches and cakes to around 30 former pupils.
LISTEN NOW to Morecambe Bay Primary School head teacher Sue Taylor, current pupils Lewis Dixon, Ellie Tippitt and Braydon Turner, and former pupils Hazel Spring and Rod Bell talking about the school
Hazel Spring, who attended Euston Road Secondary School in the late 1960s, before moving to a performing arts school in Liverpool, was one of those paying a first visit back to the school since leaving.
She said: “It’s strange stepping back into this place but it’s lovely to see the children enjoying themselves. It’s been nice to meet up with some old friends and I have some fond memories of my time here.”
Sue Taylor, head teacher, said, “The children have thoroughly enjoyed planning the event.
"They baked cakes and made sandwiches, the choir had chosen to sing songs from the period and they just wanted to give former pupils a good time.”
“Hopefully the children will learn how magical a place their own school is and the living history that is evident.
"I hope it sparks their interest in finding out why things have happened, how things evolved over time and that general interest in their life and their community. They’ll be able to see how it’s changed and evolved and the little part that they themselves are going to play in that history as well.”
Lewis Dixon from Year 5 took a minute out of his busy schedule of waiting on tables and enthusiastically chatting to former pupils to say why he was really happy to meet them.
Lewis (centre) is pictured below with other Year 5 pupils Ellie Tippitt and Braydon Turner who also helped serve afternoon tea
“I wanted to meet the pupils to see what our history of the school was years ago.
"It was a real pleasure for them to come back and tell us what the school was like when they were here.”
“I’d like to come back in 40 or 50 years time and see how the school is. When I leave the school I’m going to miss it, the teachers, my friends and this moment right now.”
Apart from afternoon tea, a recital from the choir and popular songs from a young pianist, former pupils were able to look at photographs and documents from the time they attended Euston Road.
Lancashire County Council had sent along an archivist and many visitors were able to search school records, registers and other documents. Many found themselves on class registers and reports.
Rod Bell who was at the school until 1958, remembers a teacher, Miss Thompson, reading stories on a Friday afternoon with two big tins of jelly babies, red and black in one and green and yellow in the other, which the children were allowed to eat as she was reading.
He said: “People used to say that your best times of your life are are those you spent at school, I suppose they were right!”
Through the afternoon tea the school has forged a strong link with former pupils and it is hoped further events will take place.
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