Ballytober Primary School past and present

As they smile for the photographer, they couldn’t wait to get into their new premises and put the new classrooms to good use!

Fast forward 50 school years and amazingly the present pupils at Ballytober find themselves in exactly the same position. Current building work on a substantial extension has resulted in state of the art classrooms, hygiene room and toileting facilities.

The “old” part of the school has also received a much needed refurbishment and now houses a resource area and a multi-purpose hall. What a fantastic 50th birthday present for the pupils!

The official opening of the new extension will take place on Wednesday 5th June, with various activities planned for throughout the day to ensure the entire school community is as involved as possible. With this in mind, the staff and children would be particularly keen to contact the “original” 1962 pupils to invite them to the opening celebrations, just as they were involved fifty years ago. Their attendance would really make the celebrations all the more memorable for the school.

If you spot your “younger” self in the photograph, or joined Ballytober at some point in the 1962-63 school year, please ring the school on (028) 2073 1404 : 07892 834428 or write to them at 60 Priestland Road, Bushmills, Co.Antrim, BT57 8UR. to provide your current address and contact details. Staff want to make sure your invitation gets to you in time and that pupils past and present have the opportunity to meet each other.

Staff would also welcome any memorabilia you might have from your time at Ballytober. What do you remember from the opening of the school in 1962? Do you have old photographs to share with the school? Is your old uniform still somewhere in the house? What about your end of year reports or your schoolbag or old books? Feel free to drop these off at the school as they will be used in an exhibition hosted on the premises during the last week of the summer term.