Reunion for Kent pupils and teacher after 60 years

A reunion has taken place for the pupils and teacher of a Kent primary school class after almost 60 years.

Former classmates from Loose Primary School, near Maidstone, got together to reminisce and retake their school photo from 1966.

It took two friends a total of five years to trace 20 of the 36 pupils shown in the original photo – 14 of whom turned up for the reunion.

Lynne Higson, who helped organise the event, said it was “wonderful to catch up and find out what everyone had been up to”.

She hatched the reunion plan in 2020 with former school friend Sue Brattle after re-connecting on Facebook.

Ms Higson, who now lives in Aldwick, West Sussex, told BBC Radio Kent: “I still had the class photo from 1966.

“We’re not in school uniform, but it was the whole class.”

The pair put the photo in a local community group on Facebook and people responded.

John Halls, one of the ex-pupils who got in touch, turned out to be a former detective “which proved useful in tracking down others”, Ms Higson said.

The former classmates gathered in a hotel in Maidstone for the reunion, along with their teacher Shirley Arnold, now 86.

She said was “thrilled” to be there and was presented with a book filled with what her class had been up to over the past 60 years.

“It has really made my day,” she said.

“I have looked forward to it and it was great to see so many smiling faces.”

Ms Higson said Ms Arnold was “absolutely wonderful”.

“She was really strict, kept everyone in their place, but was lovely,” she said.

“She really grounded us. We wouldn’t be the people we are today without her.”