DANE Ghyll County Primary School opened its doors for the first time on September 1, 1971.

The need for the new school had arisen from the housing development that had taken place during the late 1960s in the Dalton Lane and Dane Ghyll area.

The school was designed by the staff of the Barrow Corporation Borough Surveyors’ Department and cost £74,350 to build.

In addition, furnishing and equipping the school costs £11,500 while a further £1,050 was provided to buy the initial stock of library books.

The modern kitchen was equipped to produce meals using frozen foods - a revolutionary catering experiment for schools at that time.

An exciting new facility was the school’s visual aids room, equipped with a TV, radio and record player.

In July 1996, The Mail reported that coming home was the theme at Dane Ghyll School as its 25th anniversary celebrations were boosted by the return on many former pupils.

Among hundreds who attended the school’s summer fair were many who spent part of their lives sitting in those same classrooms.

They crowded around old school pictures, reminding themselves how they used to look.

Rachel Bettney and Kerry Stalker, both 19, recalled playing on the school field.

Kerry said: “Rachel and I would pretend that we were visiting different countries.

"America was at one end of the field and Africa was at the other.”

Activities at the summer fair included two five-a-side tournaments. The junior competition was won by the Red Rangers, boosted by a star performance from goalkeeper Lauren Tweddle.

The Furness Gym Club, the Barrow Amateurs and magician John Holmes put on shows and children eagerly joined in a dough craft workshop making dolls, mice and other creatures.

The fair raised more than £1,000 for school funds.

Headteacher Terry Endacott said: "This is a great day in our history. I don't know where all the people came from!"