HALF a century after they were last together a teacher was reunited with his former students at a pub in Abingdon.

Patrick Birdsall said not much had changed since he taught the group at John Mason School, with personalities unaltered by the passage of time.

He described the meeting at the Nag’s Head last month with six previous pupils as an ‘enjoyable and rewarding experience’ and gave the teacher a chance to learn about their families and the lives they are leading, along with news of other class members who are spread around the globe.

The 80-year-old, who started teaching the group when they were 11 and he was 28, added: “As a form tutor at John Mason High School, as well as teaching English, Art and Drama to junior classes I had a pastoral role with responsibility for the general well-being of my pupils, spending time with them as individuals, so we got to know each other pretty well over a couple of years.”

Of the reunion, he said: “Interestingly, nobody seems to have changed very much in character since those days. Although I have not been in touch since they were early teenagers, as soon as we had all arrived for the reunion, everyone was instantly back on the same wavelength and it was difficult to get a word in edgeways, just like when they were in the classroom.”

Mr Birdsall, who is now based in East Sussex and still teaches part-time, said the group also mourned the passing of classmates Susan Church and Janet Keane who had died in the 50 years since they last saw each other in July 1968 at the Wootton Road school.

At the end of their reunion, Mr Birdsall presented each member with a souvenir DVD copy of films they had helped to make as children and which were featured in The Oxford Mail in 1968.

He is now looking for former pupil from his year four class who starred in a series of drama films. Anyone former pupils who would like a copy of them can contact him via patrick.birdsall@studylinkeurope.com