THE clock was turned back at Tavistock College recently, when it held a drop-in session for people to come and see photographs of the school, dating from 1921.

Former students and staff were able to put names to many of the faces and it was remarkable how people remembered their friends and peers from decades ago – naming everyone in group photos from 1939 and 1940, and almost all the pupils from whole school photos of the 1940s and 1950s.

The oldest ex-student present left Tavistock School in 1939 and there were many fascinating anecdotes from the past.

Standing in the same school hall, several remembered prize day there in 1963, when President Kennedy's assassination was announced during the interval.

The college expressed thanks to all who came and worked so diligently to put names to faces.

The morning was organised by teacher Helen Harris, who is now looking for more photographs from the history of the school.

She said: 'If you have any old photos, perhaps from the 1970s or 1980s, we would love to see them and add them to the digital archive.

'In time we plan to have the whole photo archive available online, so that ex-students will be able to see them wherever they may be — we had one visitor from Montreal this week, Philip Harrison, but in future he will be able to see the collection at home as well.'

College principal Helen Salmon was delighted with the response to the archive drop-in session: 'The Tavistock community has a rich and fascinating history and it is interesting to see the part that the college has played in the development of the town.  It is great for us to have this fantastic historical record. 

'We also want the people of Tavistock to share their memories with the younger generation.'

The morning was such a success the college has decided to host another 'drop-in day' in the autumn, when there will be more photographs on show, and more people from the past to be named.