MEMORIES of hopscotch in the playground, jam roly-poly as a treat for lunch and getting the dinner ladies to swing the skipping ropes were all shared at St Mary’s Infant School as part of their 40th anniversary celebrations.

Pupils and staff past and present gathered at the school in Marlborough on Thursday afternoon (June 2) to see how the school has changed over past the four decades. The classrooms were transformed back into the different time eras including the 80s and 90s with classic pop hits being played.

Photographs of former students and members of staff were also scattered around for people to relive their youth and see how their classmates used to look.

Former pupil Joelle Pike, 38, said: “Coming back everything seems so tiny, but when we were here everything felt enormous. I can remember sitting in the hall singing The Sun Has Got His Hat on. It brings back loads of happy memories.”

Originally the school opened in Herd Street in 1847 but it was felt the school should move to more modern premises and away from the busy main road.

Headteacher at the time was Liz Turner, now 84, who persuaded the builder to finish it in time for the New Year in January 1975. The Mayor of Marlborough officially opened it on January 15 and it was dedicated by The Bishop of Ramsbury.

Mrs Turner, who was headteacher for 20 years, said: “We really were a school for the town's children.

“We were invited to bring the whole school down one morning and they had marked out the plan of the school in sand so the children could see where classrooms were going to be. They had a JCB down here and they got me in it to dig the first turf.

“It was jolly hard work moving because I had to chose furniture and talk to the architect, argue about where the loos were going to go and all sorts of things like that. But it all got done on time and we moved in and it was great.”

On seeing her former headteacher, district nurse Alison Offer, 45, said: “It’s brilliant, she doesn't look any different.

“My two daughters have been here so I’ve come back and it’s not unfamiliar but it’s grown a lot in the last 40 years. I got lots of lovely, happy memories from here.

"Mrs Osborne taught me and my daughter whose 20 this year, my daughter whose ten and my brother, so she’s taught all of us, so it’s amazing to think that.”

The anniversary is also the last milestone the school will celebrate as they are set to amalgamate with St Peter's Junior School in the next 18 months.