A WONDERFUL exhibition at the World of Glass chronicling the history of Cowley school continues to stir the memories and emotions of visitors.

Rita Allcock, who is behind the event, says that plenty of visitors have picked out their faces in some of the long black and white shots of forms that have given the show such a rich character.

Former Cowley pupil and teacher Rita tells us how Tom Lloyd, a ‘very old boy’ found his picture in the long photo taken in 1946 and adds that here is a beautiful picture of Ellen Berry taken in 1928. Ellen is still around and her daughter Pat Smeltzer was a great help arranging the exhibition.

Rita writes: “Thanks for Star’s support over the last few weeks – it has been a great help and we have had many visitors.

“Last week I took a photo of two people who were obviously enjoying themselves. The one sitting is Patrick Smith who had travelled from Todmorden to visit the exhibition. He was at Cowley from 1961 and his dad was Reg Smith, the very popular Vicar of Sutton.

There have been some reunions starting with the ‘golden girls’, who went to Cowley in 1950, and two groups of much younger ladies from 1970s enjoying inspecting the memorabilia.

The exhibition ends on Friday, March 13 and organisers are hoping for a final push of visitors.

One correspondent who was due to visit was Dave Webster who wrote to me about an amusing coincidence that shows what a small world we live in.

He explained: “Two weeks ago while on holiday in Tenerife we stopped one morning on a walk and were joined on the seat by a couple who told us they were from Macclesfield. Replying that we were from Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham but originally from St Helens the lady said ‘oh my husband is from St Helens’.

“He said his name was Dave Wallace and he came from Brookside Avenue, so I asked him if he had attended Cowley and it turned out that he had, but was a year behind me. “You didn’t happen to be on the French trip in 1951?” I asked, and he replied: ‘Yes I was’, and someone put a photo in the St Helens Star, my sister rang me and said she had seen it’.

“‘Well, you are talking to the man that sent it in’, I replied.

“This is the only person that I have ever met that was on that trip, and we met purely by chance in Tenerife.

“I am driving up to Lancs soon, and on the ‘to do’ list is the Cowley exhibition, which I heard about through your column, and is a must-read each week on the internet.”

Meanwhile, a reunion of Old Cowleians will take place on Saturday, May 23 2015 from 2pm until 4pm in the old school hall, Hard Lane.

This event is part of the celebration for 300 years of Cowley Schools and all ex-pupils and staff, past and present, are invited.

There will be light refreshments, entertainment from the 1970s School Band, exhibitions of Cowley artefacts from the 1900s and an opportunity to meet old friends. Tickets are £5 and are available from Su Barton on sumbarton@blueyonder.co.uk.