A GROUP of pensioners who as teenagers worked with their teacher to build a swimming pool at their school had a reunion to mark 60 years since the project.

Teacher Keith Wilks, who is now 93, joined with most of the ‘boys’ – who are now in their 70s – to remember ‘Project Swimming Pool’ at Berry Hill Secondary School.

The reunion, at the Dog and Muffler pub in Joyford, took place exactly 60 years after the project was completed in 1959.

Mr Wilks said: “It was a very enjoyable lunch and the Dog and Muffler did us proud.

James Matthews found all the boys who are still alive and we had a wonderful time talking about our days at Berry Hill.

“Unfortunately Viv Carter died a few years ago and Ted Gwilliam was too ill to travel but all the other seven boys were there.”

It is the first time the group, who all still live locally have got together in 15 years.

Despite some claims that the job was beyond schoolboys, the six feet deep pool was completed and filled with nearly 50,000 gallons of water.

The pool was officially opened on July 22 1959 with Mr Wilks diving in and swimming a length.

In his book Teacher in the Forest he remembers: “At a parents’ meeting in the school dining room the project was discussed at some length.

“One local builder was strongly against, saying that it could not be done by schoolchildren.

“The builder was adamant that our pupils could not handle the concrete blocks and he was nearly correct.

“With some doubt about my ability to cope, I took the job.

“Some months later I was tired, sore and aching but happy.”

Mr Wilks officially opened the pool by diving in and swimming the first length – although that wasn’t the original plan.

“It was thought we would get a few pupils to have a race up the length but we hadn’t four pupils in the school who could swim the length.

“It was decided that I should make the opening dive and swim the length – the fastest length I ever swam.

“You should try diving into a bath of cold tap water.”