Priory Heath's pupils gather for reunion

DASHING across the playground to the outside toilet, Christmas plays, school trips and career outings…these were just some of the memories aired at the Priory Heath School reunion.

By Amanda Cresswell

DASHING across the playground to the outside toilet, Christmas plays, school trips and career outings…these were just some of the memories aired at the Priory Heath School reunion.

Some 200 ex-pupils and teachers got together at Ransomes Sports and Social Club on Sidegate Avenue, Ipswich, to reminisce about the old days and catch up with their news.

Margaret Cook of Ipswich who organised the reunion with Linda Dennes and Jan Treadawey, all aged 53, said: "We had about four reunions.

"The first was three years ago and this is our biggest yet because it was to tie in with the Golden Jubilee. But it will be one of the last reunions we will have having for some time.

"I remember the school trips to Lavenham and Kirby, plus career trips to the power station. We also used to walk every year from Nacton Road to the Suffolk Show.

"We also used to have an outside toilet and we used to have to run across the playground dragging the toilet paper with us."

She attended with her daughter Claire Collison, 33, also a former Priory Heath pupil whose age group was also represented.

People from as far afield as Scotland along to Saturday night's gathering, where one of the special guests was former English teacher Molly Snell from Norfolk.

Miss Snell, 84, who taught at the school from 1958 to 78, said: "We did our best and I am pleased with the way they have turned out. It was a good 20 years as far as I am concerned."

Cookery teacher Mattie Cochrane taught at the school throughout her career. "When I started there it was like a family and everybody knew each other," she said.

"My favourite memory is when we went to University of East Anglia in Norwich for four days and they stayed in the students quarters."

The school even had its fair share of celebrities. Ipswich born National Theatre Director, Trevor Nunn, spent a year there as a student after he left school and before he went to college.

Among the former pupils at the gathering were Geoff, 56, and Peter Tancred, 52. Geoff, from Altrincham, outside Manchester, was a former Olympic hammer thrower and Peter, from London, was a former Olympic discus thrower.

Peter, a teacher, said: "My favourite memories were that I loved sport and cold showers and cross country running, all sorts of things. I liked the traditional form of teaching, chalk and talk. Now it is all meetings and bureaucracy. It is not the profession I entered into. When I look back I realise how nice the teachers were."

The evening, in aid of St Elizabeth Hospice and Priory Ward at St Clements Hospital, included a buffet and disco, and featured band Remix, made up of former pupils.

Former Mayoress of Ipswich, Margaret Alderton, presented all the former teachers who attended with clocks.