Community Awards: Stile Common party gives school super send-off

Jun 5 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

ITS pupils have spread across the world.

But thousands of them were reunited at a party to commemorate the closure of Stile Common School after 133 years.

The Stile Common Treat was organised by staff from Stile Common Infants and Nursery School, Hillside Primary School and pupils and members of the Stile Common Memories Group.

The school, founded in 1876, closed in 2009 and was replaced by Hillside Primary School which was built on the site of Stile Common Junior School.

A history book, Stile Common – Do You Remember, was painstakingly assembled to tie in with the event.

At the party – which included a brass band and heaps of memorabilia – former pupils and staff swapped memories of the school whose famous pupils included cricketer Ken Taylor and footballer Trevor Cherry.

The event was nominated by Hillside Primary School headteacher Dawn Horton.

She said: “It brought together many generations of the local community, it re-united faces from many days passed, brought together people from all over the country and the far corners of the world and produced a social history publication for future generations to enjoy.

“Forgotten friendships were reunited and new ones forged.

“The future of the local area and the community within it has been enhanced by what we firmly believe was the community event of the year.”

Chief organiser Jill Mellor said: “We wanted to do something because the old school building was held with such affection.

“If we win it will be amazing. It was a wonderful event and it would be a fitting end to a wonderful school”.