A GLASGOW school about to celebrate a new future is hoping former pupils will help create a record of its fascinating past.

Parkhead School on Westmuir Street in the east end of Glasgow was once a popular, thriving school at the heart of its community.

After becoming a careers office for a while, it lay empty for 20 years but it is now owned by Parkhead Association, who plan to repair and redevelop it into offices to rent.

Angela Thomas and Emma Griffiths of Building Learning are carrying out community engagement events including a Big School Dinner ‘reunion’ on November 5 in the hope that anyone with fond memories of the building will get in touch.

“The hope is that after the renovations, which are being managed by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, this handsome school building will once again become a thriving hub,” explains Emma.

“The Big School Dinner is a ‘reminiscence bangers-and-mash lunch’ in which we hope to collect people’s memories of the building from former pupils, people who remember it as a careers office or those who lived nearby and have a special connection to the place.

“That record, and photos of the people attending, will be turned into a photo book which will be displayed in the entrance area of the refurbished building when it is complete next year.”

Parkhead History will give a talk in the afternoon about some of the other architectural gems of the area, and some of the delights of the school itself, while the food will be prepared by talented chef Ross Baxter, from nearby Kelvin College and his catering and hospitality students.

Emma adds: “The lunch event is all free, and word is already spreading around Parkhead through posters and flyers, and social media.”

The group’s Facebook page has attracted memories from people all over the world. One gentleman, David Kilgour, from Canada, recalled: “I attended Parkhead from 1940 to 1946. My favourite teacher was Miss Clanachan, who taught me a lot. I don’t have good memories of the ‘dinner school’ – perhaps the foods available due to the war rationing were limited.”

Other locals, including Liz McCann, who shared a photo of her own first day at school in the 1950s, have got in touch with Angela and Emma to share their memories.

“I remember the janitor opening the classroom door to announce the king had died,” recalls Mary Thompson, nee Anderson, who was a pupil at the school in the 1950s.

“A girl who had stopped a runaway horse and cart in the back causeway was given an award for her bravery and part of her award was a black and white collie pup.”

Catherine Bonellie, 82, who has loved in Parkhead all her life, remembers her first day at the school. “I remember a big room, my own peg for my coat, and I think the teacher’s name was Miss Mitchell.

“I also recall the milk arriving at each classroom, in small bottles with a cardboard top with a hole in the middle for the straw.”

She laughs: “The cardboard top was perfect for making pom poms - a very pleasant occupation. If you were lucky you had a roll for playtime, and we sat on them (still in the wrappers, of course) to make them bigger.”

Catherine adds: “Because of the war, the male teachers were gone, and we had an influx of young female teachers. In my qualifying class, my teacher was Miss Blanachan (still don’t know how to spell her name) and the headteacher was Mr Gibson.

“The janitor was Mr MacFarlane. I remember lining up in the playground and we walked in to our classrooms to marching music.”

Former pupil Anne Bowman, now in her 60s and living in nearby Tollcross, attended the school in the 1950s.

“I remember a really special teacher, called Miss Cairns,” says Anne. “When I was about nine years old, she invited the whole class to the pictures to see Ben Hur.

“She organised a bus to the Coliseum in the West End, because they had a special long screen, which was perfect for the chariot race.”

Anne smiles: “Miss Cairns really liked Charlton Heston - she used to go on about him all the time.”

Parkhead School is a category B Listed building, designed by Hugh H McLure in 1879. Its unusual French Renaissance detailing – and two jaunty bell turrets - made it stand out against surrounding local architecture.

A number of buildings at Parkhead have been repaired and newly appreciated through a Townscape Heritage Initiative scheme.

The repairs to the school are part funded through the THI, and by other funders including the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and Glasgow City Council.

Parkhead History’s own website includes more information about the school, including an excerpt from David Willox’s book Reminiscences of Parkhead.

“Coming back on the east side there were two or three two-storey buildings, one of which was a school called ‘Corkey’s School’, from the fact that the schoolmaster, Mr. McAuley, was said to have a cork leg,” it reads. “He was said to be a splendid teacher, but rather severe as a disciplinarian.”

The website also includes fascinating snippets from the school log books, which paint a picture of what life was like for the young pupils during the war years.

A series of entries include references to air raid training, and then closure of the school because of air raids over the area in May 1941. On Tuesday, May 8, 1945, a simple sentence speaks volumes about the end of the war: “School closed. Celebration to mark end of hostilities in Europe, VE Day and VE + 1.”

If you would like to attend The Big School Dinner, a nostalgic celebratory bangers and mash lunch in the adjacent Parkhead Congregational Church Hall on Saturday, November 5, contact the organisers on 07419 340071 or email parkheadschoolproject@mail.com