Memories

NAILSEA residents are being invited to meet up with old friends and preserve some memories for posterity this weekend.On Saturday, the town's ancient tithe barn, which predates both King Henry VIII and Shakespeare, is hosting an open day and school reunion.From 2-4.30pm, the historic building, which dates back to the 1480s, will ring out to the sound of folk music.In addition, a treasure trail and games are being organised and refreshments will be available at the free event.Among those attending will be the Class of 53, 30 former secondary school students who still meet regularly to relive past times.Members of the Tithe Barn Sub-Committee are waiting to hear whether a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a £380,000 grant to breathe new life into the medieval building has been successful.One of them, David Francis, said: "We wanted to hold an open day at the tithe barn, so we decided to combine an old-fashioned school fair with a school reunion."Everyone is welcome to come along, and we are urging people with old photographs of the tithe barn to bring them along too so we can scan them."People's memories of their schooldays, and past events, at the tithe barn will also be recorded on video."The photographs and video footage will be used to compile a computer-based package for schoolchildren, and future generations will be able to discover what a vital role Nailsea's tithe barn has played within the community."From the late 1700s, the 15th century building was used as a Sunday school, thanks to an initiative by the local vestry and educational pioneer Hannah More.During the 1800s, the school developed and became a focus for learning in Nailsea. It finally closed in 1985, having become an annexe for Grove Junior School.