FORMER pupils of Farmor’s school in Fairford got together 50 years after they last saw each other with a reunion event.

The memories of school days were brought flooding back at the event last month where they were also joined by a very special guest – former teacher Miss Barker, who is now 99 years old.

About 70 people attended the event in Fairford with some guests coming from as far afield as Lincolnshire, Worcestershire and Salisbury to catch up with their childhood friends.

A chance meeting between two former pupils, local businessman Des Coates and former Wiltshire police officer Richard Staniforth, at a Gloucestershire Cricket Club lunch last year got the idea of the reunion underway.

Des, who lived in Lechlade as a child and after a career in the city retired to Fairford, said: “It was an amazing turnout.

“It was great to see our former teacher Miss Barker who still lives in Fairford too.

“She was our history teacher when we were there back in the late 50s and early 60s. She did ask if we had done all our homework!

“It delighted us all that she was there.”

The original school was in the village hall but was moved to its current location in 1962. Those who were at the event attended Farmors from 1958-63 and many were in the first class to make the move to the new premises.

Matthew Evans, the current headmaster of Farmor’s, attended the event.

He said: “It’s not often I’d give up a Saturday afternoon but I was happy to for this.

“It doesn’t happen often so I was keen to learn about the school from the former students, who left before I was even born.

“There were a few tales and we talked about how so little had changed but how a lot had also improved over the years.

“We had the first ever head boy and head girl of the school at the reunion, I’ve seen their names many times on the wall at the school so I was really happy to meet them in real life.”