Hengoed School Burning Down

Unless the school burned down twice, it definitely happened in half term of 1980. I was on the school pitch behind my house at the time. I was well-chuffed because I had reached the top class with Mr Thomas and was allowed to use a fountain pen. Then one day - so we heard - workmen in the school dropped a gas cannister. I can still remember standing there watching smoke pour out of the roof of the main building, while all the neighbours were shouting "ring the fire brigade!". Our class and year 5 (was standard 3) underneath us had to go to Tiryberth primary for 2 weeks while they sorted out portakabins for us, which they placed on the top yard and on the school pitch.

I spent the rest of the school year in that Portakabin. The rest of the school were housed in the corrugated canteen building and the original separate school room building.

We have photos of the school, photos of the school as burnt timbers, but none of it burning because it was the one and only time we didn't have any film!

It was a lovely old school. After they'd pulled it down, I walked around on the original floors, remembering where each classroom had stood