CHARLES and Diana had been married for less than a year when this group left East Bergholt High in 1982.War raged in the Falklands and England were about to flop in the World Cup in Spain as these fresh faced youngsters stepped out into the big wide world.

CHARLES and Diana had been married for less than a year when this group left East Bergholt High in 1982.

War raged in the Falklands and England were about to flop in the World Cup in Spain as these fresh faced youngsters stepped out into the big wide world.

Memories of early 80s came flooding back at a reunion held at the Belstead Arms in Radcliffe Drive on Saturday.

It was not the first time they had met up since putting the days of exercise books and pencil sharpeners behind them as organiser Gillian Thorpe explained.

She said: "This is the second reunion we've had – we had one ten years ago in 1992 and we wanted to get together again this year. We had a good turn out then and it's great to see everyone again."

Glenis Norrington, who was a 16-year-old Glenis Goodchild twenty years ago, said she had good memories of school, but not all of them were consigned to the classroom.

"The one thing I remember and I think everyone else remembers is the cross-country run. We used to hate it and do everything we could to get out of it. I can remember trying to sneak off for a cigarette during that!

"It's great to see all these people again – quite a lot of these people I haven't seen for a while and there are people here who didn't come to the reunion in 1992."

Glenis said she remembered her English teacher with great fondness.

"Roger Read was the teacher I remember best of all. It's quite nice because my children go to the same school now and he teaches them.

"I also remember Mr Armstrong, who taught Geography and was an excellent teacher."

Andy Self, 36, was a prefect at East Bergholt High in the early 1980s. He said he had good memories of being at school even if his overriding recollection was doing all he could to avoid going.

He said: "We used to wait for the school bus to turn up and hoping that it wouldn't. If it snowed or was late we tried to avoid going!"

Andy had come all the way from Somerset for the chance to meet up for a chat with his old school buddies.

"I recognise a few people here, but I didn't go to the one in 1992, so it is interesting to come back and see how they are all getting on" he said.

Apart from swapping stories about their school days, the old school pals enjoyed a buffet and some of the music of their youth.

N See Tomorrow's Evening Star for details of another reunion when the Farlingaye High class of 1980 got together at the weekend.