The Wymondham Heritage Society opened its new season with a convivial social evening at the Fairland Hall. The theme was school-day memories and several members brought along photographs and other memorabilia relating to their days at school.

Pauline Clarke displayed interesting pictures of her time at Cromer Junior and Secondary Modern Schools in the late 1960s and early 1970s. One was of Pauline in the Secondary Modern School’s handbell ringers entertaining at the Tip-Toppers’ Concert Party at the Church Rooms, North Walsham, in aid of the town’s Royal Air Force Association event for Battle of Britain week in 1971. A new headmaster at the Junior School was pictured at the beginning of the Autumn term in 1966 with some eager young pupils.

Philip Yaxley’s display included a letter he wrote to his teacher Miss Allen at Browick Road Junior School when he was leaving it for Thetford Grammar School. Philip’s Thetford memorabilia ranged from the school magazine in which he had written an article to photographs of the sixth form history set and the school’s 2nd XI football team in 1954-55.

Some members had been educated in other parts of the country, Georgette Vale showing photographs of her school-days in Lewisham, both at Primary and Grammar Schools. Gwen Jenson, who attended Chelsea Grammar School during the war, exhibited two certificates, one for “good work” in 1944-45 and another signed by the President of the Navy League for her prize essay on “Malta and its naval importance”.

John Lee, who could not attend the meeting, sent in an evocative account of his schooling at Harrogate, North Yorkshire, during and just after the war. He started the day after war broke out and recalls carrying a gas mask in a cardboard box each day to school. Books were in short supply, but John won a scholarship to Harrogate Grammar School in the Summer of 1945, about the time several of the school’s staff were returning from military service and having to adjust again to teaching.

Richard Fowle displayed evocative pictures from the Wymondham Town Archive, including ones of Browick Road School early last century and one of the old grammar school, which closed in 1903. The archive, which is situated in the Town Council Offices, is always looking to copy any pictures of Wymondham schools or other historic town photographs.