For several decades, the people of Clovenfords waited – not always patiently – for a new school to replace the Victorian-era Caddonfoot building and its attendant temporary structures where local children had been educated for 137 years.
However, this week there were smiles all round as youngsters passed through the doors of their new £6million replacement school for the first time.
It had been a long time coming, but it was not without a tinge of sadness as pupils, parents and teachers bade farewell to the old school, a place of happy memories for generations of local people.
When it opened its doors for the first time in March 1875, Caddonfoot school was state-of-the-art. It coped well over the years, but in recent times had struggled to deal with the demands expected of a modern educational facility.
At the end of the day, however, a school is just bricks and mortar. The happy memories of Caddonfoot are due to the warm and welcoming atmosphere created over the years by the teachers and pupils who have worked and studied there.
If they carry that atmosphere with them to their shiny new school, as we are sure they will, there is no doubt that Clovenfords Primary School will continue the tradition of producing many more well-educated and happy children for a long time to come.