The Community Archives Wales group, Machen Remembered, recently helped their local primary school celebrate its centenary.

On 22 January Machen Primary school celebrated 100 years since it was officially opened in 1909 with a day full of activity and shared memories.  Past pupils and teachers, as well as local dignitaries from Caerphilly Council, attended the day which began with a school assembly.

After a morning of lessons for the children, the school was opened to the public and former pupils were able to relive their schooldays with a tour of the school by the headmaster and a look at the displays provided by Machen Remembered.  Children were able to get a feel for how school life had changed since the days of their parents and grandparents by reading old log books which are still held at the school.

Many of Machen Remembered had been pupils and teachers at Machen Primary and were pleased to join the celebrations, particularly as they were able to bring some snapshots of the school’s history.  The Machen Remembered digital archive contains images from the school’s opening day and of classes over the past century.  There is also an image of Mr Inkin, Machen’s first head teacher who was at the school from its opening until his retirement in 1935.
The group’s work plays an important role in documenting the history of the Machen community, as days like this one demonstrate.  The school has been a focal point in the Machen community and there have been schools in Machen since the mid 18th century.  The present school was built to replace another which was suffering from subsidence due to its proximity to the town’s pit.  In the 100 years since it opened its doors, thousands of pupils have passed through its halls and the school has gained a reputation for excellence.

Machen Remembered’s digital archive on the Community Archives Wales website contains over 250 images and this number continues to grow.
To view more images from their archive, please click here.

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