A THEATRE and several amateur operatic societies gave up their historic costumes as pupils at a Furness School presented fashions from across the ages.

The Mail, on November 8 in 1988, noted: “In outfits which spanned four centuries, pupils stalked the catwalk at Walney Comprehensive School to the sound of music and applause.

“The outfits for Fashion Through the Ages  were borrowed from the Grand Theatre at Lancaster and several operatic societies to help GCSE textile pupils recognise and learn the history of fashion.

“Some costumes were renovated by the pupils - bringing back the Elizabethan age with glittering ball gowns and headdresses, while a more modern theme was the roaring twenties look of the Charleston and the swinging sixties look of the mini.”

The Mail, on July 9 in 1992, noted: “Take about 50 children, lights, music, a catwalk and loads of clothes, and you’re on your way to a fashion show.

“Young designers from Walney Comprehensive had already put on a display of their work as part of their GCSE textile projects.

“Then they decided to have a second showing in conjunction with children from Pennington School and students from Barrow Sixth Form College in a collective technology project.”

Forum 28 in Barrow hosted the two-night catwalk fashion show with added dance routines.

The college students headed for the Imperial Cancer Research charity shop for fashion clothing they could jazz up with jewellery made from the innards of three scrap computers.

The Pennington youngsters modelled clothes from Eddie Sharpe’s Sports Shop, Ulverston.

On October 5 in 1998 the school hosted a fashion show.

The purpose of the show was to unveil six wall mosaics produced by year eight pupils working with resident artist Rosalind Yates.

Head of creative arts Joan Young said: “The group has taken full responsibility for everything. They’ve designed and made all the patterns - it’s quite a feat."