EVACUEES and friends reunited with the last pupils and staff of school near Ruthin on its 100th birthday.

The final anniversary of Ysgol Rhewl, on Clwyd Street in the village, attracted about 200 people, exceeding expectations for one last "extremely emotional" trip down memory lane.

The primary school is due to close at the end of the summer term tomorrow - due to educational reforms in Llangollen and Ruthin area - making for a bittersweet centenary celebration where many former pupils, staff and more gathered to say a final goodbye.

Acting head teacher Ellen Williams-Lumb said: ""It's extremely emotional at the moment. We are currently trying our very best to keep everybody's spirits high.

"We've had lots of e-mails from people wishing the school well, and people telling us that on Friday they managed to meet up with old friends they hadn't spoken to in years.

" We even had former evacuees coming from Liverpool, who came back to say goodbye - it was a special moment."

Pupils past and present attended the school on Friday, July 13 for a jam-packed day of events in which they had the chance, alongside parents and the wider community, to learn about the school’s history and its role in the Rhewl community.

In a symbolic moment, former pupil 'Aunty' Lyn Lewis - who attended the school from age three in 1926 - met with the school's current youngest pupil Jaxon Thomas, aged four, and Chris Ruane, MP for the Vale of Clwyd.

A variety of exhibitions were on display, divided into three separate periods of about 30 years, including photographs, class photos, registration log-books, plus the school’s first ever log-book.

One of the schools most famous former pupils was Liverpool born mountaineer Charles Evans, who took part in the Everest ascent in 1953, making it to within 100 metres of the summit before teammates Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay completed the climb.

There were also song performances from current pupils, which incorporated hints of stories told by former pupils that have attended meet-up sessions held by the school over recent months in the lead up to the big day.

Attendees were also allowed to dip into a range of ‘pick n' mix’ sweets from across the decades, such as sweet tobacco, fudge, fizz wizz, aniseed balls and flying saucers.

Ms Williams-Lumb added: "It was amazing, people from everywhere came. We had bought gifts for 170 people, expecting maybe 70 to show up. About 200 people ended up coming, so we ended up running out of gifts to give.

"We followed it up by having our year six and whole school leavers' services as usual this week, which was also amazing.

"Ysgol Rhewl has managed to make some final memories and give the school a proper send off with a bang."