50 years is celebrated at Gawber Primary

FORMER and current pupils at a local primary school took a trip down memory lane last week as the school celebrated its 50th birthday.

The school, Gawber Primary, based on Church Street, kick-started the celebrations on Thursday with a pop-up museum sharing memorabilia that has shaped its history.

Photographs and artefacts of Gawber throughout the years were also on display, including a ‘This Is Your Life’ red book of former pupil and Emmerdale star Stan Richards, who played the role of Seth Armstrong in the ITV show between 1978 and 2004.

Rachel Knox, deputy headteacher, who was also a pupil at the school, curated the museum alongside Gawber History Group and the wider community, who she said, have a great relationship.

When asked about Rachel’s best memory during her time at Gawber, she told the Chronicle: “I have so many happy memories, I’ve been here four years now and I’ve enjoyed every single day.

“I’d probably say my favourite memory was when I received a phone call from the headteacher offering me the role of deputy head.

“It was a job I’d dreamed of since being a nine-year-old Gawber pupil myself – so it was very surreal. Another favourite memory is the annual pet shows we used to have – they were great and we’d have competitions.”

Headteacher Dawn Bradshaw described the fiftieth anniversary as a great opportunity for the whole community to come together to enjoy a fun-filled summer’s afternoon, while also raising vital funds for the Parent Teacher Association.

She added: “Schools are facing huge increases in resources and utility costs.

“The PTA have always supported schools by providing the extra ‘treats’ for our children.

“But we increasingly have to rely on funding from PTA events in order to buy general resources, so that we can maintain the very best experiences for our children.”

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