It's important to emphasise that it is only the building that is closing down - the school will be moving in September to a new purpose-built building on the new North Hethersett area.
There was a personal sadness about saying farewell to the building in Firs Road for me and Anne. About 30 years ago she began her teaching career at the school. It was the first school attended by our two sons and I used to go down on Friday afternoons to do some football coaching.
Over the years I have also been down there on many occasions (particularly for Christmas and Easter performances and summer fetes) to take photographs for various Media outlets. There has always been a warm welcome and there have been a succession of first class Head Teachers which continues to this day with Angel Jermy.
Today staff were busy packing up and there was a sadness mixed with joy at what they were doing. Angela was quick to point out that they will be taking the Woodside feeling of joy and love to the new building which, interestingly, will be two storeys.
Took a number of photographs of the building for posterity and staff were only too happy to be pictured in front of the entrance. You can see that staff photograph at the top of this page, along with plenty of others.
Much of the sadness surrounding leaving the building is due to its iconic shape with a central hall and classrooms leading off it. Another sadness is the fact that no alternative use has been established for the building. Norfolk County Council's children's services are not interested in keeping it and that could mean it is offered for sale on the open market, similar to the sale of the former fire headquarters' site on Old Norwich Road.
These are changing and hugely interesting times for Hethersett. Old Hall School has closed and changed ownership, the Fire HQ is up for sale, education is in revolution and the future of the King's Head seems to be hanging in the balance. No doubt there will be many other changes as the village continues to grow. I wonder if in many years' time a couple of old timers will be in Firs Road.
"See that block of flats. That used to be where I went to school as a nipper."
"Nah. You mean it was a school?"
This evening I'm off to see a mother and daughter duo who are organising a village garage sale in August in aid of Cancer Research. More about that in tomorrow's blog.