MEMORIES of times gone by will be shared and celebrated at an open day as the community prepares to say a fond farewell to the existing Wallyford Primary School.

School photographs from the 1950s to the present day will be on display at the Salters Road school as staff and pupils prepare to move into a new £18.9 million facility being built to cope with the influx of new housing in the area.

The event, which will take place from 10.30am to 2.30pm next Saturday (January 19), has been organised by the parent council, the school, and Wallyford Community Council. A large number of present and former pupils are expected at the open day, which will also feature a cafe.

Pauline Clark of the parent council said: “Former pupils and local people can enjoy remembering their time at the current primary school.

“There will be a few small tours of the [existing] school so everyone can see what it’s like now and if it’s how they remember it.

“We are keeping it simple so people can share their stories and memories freely.”

Alister Hadden, community council chairman, said: “The open day will be a lovely, golden opportunity for former pupils and residents of Wallyford and beyond to have a chance to look back in time since the present school opened in the 1950s. They will get the chance to see old class photos, as well as photos of sports events and days out.

“People can share treasured memories of their time being educated at Wallyford with their classmates and remember the teachers that taught them.

“It is something local residents would not want to miss out as it will be day to remember before the school moves to its new premises.”

During the tours of the building, visitors can recall where the nurse’s office and sewing room used to be.

The school will soon close and move to the new building, which is nearing completion on the outskirts of the village on Future’s Way at the St Clements Wells development.

The Wallyford school project has received a £4.5 million grant from the Scottish Government’s Schools for the Future scheme.

The new school comes amid construction of 2,050 new houses in the Wallyford area as the council is minded to grant planning permission for another 600 homes at Dolphingstone to the east of the existing site, subject to conclusion of the relevant legal agreements.