GOING back to visit your old school always provokes a flood of memories and it certainly did for Eleanor Smale when she returned to Northlew and Ashbury Primary School for its 150th anniversary.

Eleanor, who is now 68, was a pupil at the school in the late 1950s and early 60s, and remembers her school days with affection.

Of her visit more than 55 years later Eleanor told the Times: ’The school has completely altered. When we were there all we had for heating was a big, cast iron stove, which didn’t give out much heat!

‘Back then the school only had three rooms and we had an outside loo, now it is so different, much more modern. There was a front yard we played in and we held our school sports’ day in the field at the back.

‘I remember we had to walk across the village square to the church hall for our lunch.’

Mrs Woods and Mr Gerry were our teachers, and his two boys were at the school.

Eleanor recalls being picked up at Gribbleford Bridge by a ‘school taxi’ driven by Mrs Warden, to be taken to Northlew. The children were mostly from the families of those working in the many small farms in the area.

Eleanor went on to enjoy a varied career including working as a nurse and in the Army, moving to London before returning to the Westcountry and now living in Launceston. She is still in touch with fellow pupils Brenda Jordan, who also lives in Launceston and Carol Jordan (no relation), who is in Barnstaple.

‘We were all poor in those days and used to wear hand-me-down clothes,’ she said, ‘but were all happy enough and had a good time. I remember my school days fondly.’