COOKLEY residents can enjoy a nostalgic look back at the history of the village school in the latest offering from a local author.

Retired teacher Betty Caswell has spent the last year putting together personal stories, memories and photographs from the information she has acquired.

Betty, who founded the Cookley Village History group, has published many books on Cookley and her latest is titled Cookley Village School In Times Past.

Her 64 page book, which is currently on sale for £5 at the local Tesco, The Eagle and Spur pub and Swift butcher’s shop, looks back over school life from the building of the School for Infants in 1849 to the year 2000.

It includes various log book entries from the school’s past, charting the affects of poverty, viruses and even the affects of war on the school and its pupils.

There are photographs of how the school has changed throughout the years, as well as student and staff photos and images from special events that have taken place at the school.

Throughout the book, past students have contributed memories of their time at the school, and Betty has also written about her personal teaching memories after arriving at the school in 1960.

Betty, first came to Cookley in the late 1940s, and spends her retiring years visiting the school each Friday to speak and take part in activities with the children.

She said her favourite part of the book was reading the villager’s memories of the school.

“Some of the things they remember are incredible.

“It wasn’t hard to find people in the village to provide their memories – they were more than happy to do so.”

The book is also being sold by the Friends of Cookley School, who hope to raise money from selling the book to enhance their funds.