Berwick school's 150th reunion

Berwick Primary School closed 16 years short of its 150th birthday, but the community and past pupils will celebrate the anniversary in November anyway.

The school was first established in 1863 and closed in 1997.

However organiser Vivienne Stewart, a past pupil of the school, said it was a good opportunity to get everyone together for a weekend celebration.

''It is more of a community reunion. There's not too many times where everyone can be together, or an occasion where you can just catch up. So this may give people the opportunity to come along and catch up on the past how many years.''

Mrs Stewart attended the primary school from 1968 to 1976 and had left the community for some time to work and live overseas.

Having returned home, she said others in the same situation would be ready to share stories.

She said the weekend would be an opportunity for new community members to meet past residents and learn about some of the area's long history.

The reunion would be held at the old school grounds on November 9 and 10.

The land is owned by the community after it was bought from the Ministry of Education in 1997, shortly after the school was closed.

The event would include a welcoming afternoon tea and a sesquicentennial cake and a community picnic on the Sunday for not only past pupils, but also for friends of the school and the wider community.

Local woman Gwenda Holmes has also been working on a book of the history of the Berwick area. The book is expected to be finished in time for purchase at the 150th.

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