Join 150th anniversary celebrations of Rushden's Alfred Street School

Pupils past and present of a popular Rushden school will celebrate its 150th anniversary in March with a reunion, picnic and a time capsule.

Alfred Street Junior School opened its gates to 59 pupils on April 8, 1872, and now ex-students have been invited back to take a trip down memory lane.

Reunion organiser Geoff Wiggins, a pupil from 1947 to 1954, has asked former Alfred Street pupils to dig out photos and memories of their school days.

He said: "Part of the celebrations will be an exhibition of former pupils' memories, stories and photos of their time at the school.

"One of my memories of the first class was when we had to collect a camp bed from a cupboard and go to sleep in the afternoon - no-one did sleep.

"Up to around 1950 there were two concrete bomb shelters in the middle of the playground where we would sneak into at playtime. This was breaking all the rules, but it was an adventure."

A full programme of events is being planned including a reunion of former pupils in the evening of March 31 from 6pm to 8pm.

During the day a programme of events will include tours of the school, a tree planting and the burial of a time capsule.

Later on in the year, to mark the anniversary of the deadly bomb raid that killed seven children on October 3, 1940, it is hoped a Spitfire will fly over the school.

Already signed up to attend are Geoff's older sister Barbara and her best friend Jean, both now 81, who met on their first day at the school. Jean's dad was the headteacher - Mr Lawrence.

Barbara said: "On my first day at school I saw a little girl and asked if she would be my best friend. We still are all these years later."

Anyone interested in attending the reunion, at the cost of £5, or providing items for the exhibition, should contact the school on 01933 353762.