We had all kinds of visitors coming to see the latest in rural primary school design in that first year.

At this time the children were at the school until they were ten going on eleven. They then moved on to the school in Haverhill. Of course later the three-tier system was introduced in Suffolk and Thurlow became a five to nine primary school.

One of the biggest projects in the first years was the building of the swimming pool. It brought together the parents, Thurlow estate and the school. It was so successful that it was felt that the fund raising should be continued for the benefit of the school, and so the Thurlow District Village School Association was formed. Among the events that were organised were barn dances in the village hall and in an estate barn, which were both energetic and enjoyable. The summer fetes and autumn bazaars were also popular and well supported. School funds were thus enabled to help finance educational trips and to buy new equipment, extra books for the library and instruments for our music lessons. The Friday evening Beetle Drives proved to be a good way of getting adults and children together as they could all be involved in the game. How many extra legs went on the beetles will never be known, but it was noisy, good fun and attracted twenty or more tables quite often.

Reading through this it doesn't seem to have much to do with education, but let me assure you a lot of good work was going on in school hours too. First and foremost the school was for the advancement of the youngsters. The whole school worked together as a unit, thanks to the work of our heads, and as time went on it became the thing to encourage mums (and grannies) and friends to come in and help with reading, craft and maths activities. This meant that we could extend the activities that the children were able to experience. Class nature walks were often part of our natural history studies and that led to the mapping of two nature trails which were enjoyed by visiting schools.

There is so much that could be written about the first twenty three years of the school. However, I must mention the children and staff of the school in those years. Perhaps I am looking through slightly rose-coloured specs, but I feel it was a happy school where children wanted to come and thus learn. In fact I remember only one lad who decided he didn't want to stay and ran off home in the lunch hour. He was fetched back by the headteacher and as far as I know he never went A W O L (absent without leave) again. The staff were caring people whose main concern was the children and who believed in working with the parents for the youngsters' benefit. Of course we had our ups and downs as do all schools, but on the whole I loved my time at Thurlow school and was sad when my time came to leave.

Occasionally I meet former pupils with children of their own and I'm delighted to hear how they are doing ­ I still think of them as 'my' youngsters.