AFTER leaving Harper Green School 66 years ago, Margaret Quigley returned to present her bound memoirs to the school library.

Mrs Quigley, who now lives in Walkden, reminisced about her time at the Farnworth school over afternoon tea hosted by the school council.

Mrs Quigley was encouraged to write her life story by her children.

"Margaret's Story" records her childhood and teenage years, her courtship and marriage to husband Ray, and the subsequent ups and downs of family life.

Margaret Norris was born in Great Lever in 1934 and attended Harper Green School from 1945-1949 during which time she was Captain of Stephenson House.

The school, then a secondary modern, had three houses at that time: Cornwell, Oates and Stephenson.

Margaret excelled at sport and as Head of House helped deliver PE lessons and organise inter-house sport competitions.

Boys and girls were educated separately and under no circumstances could meet or talk to each other.

She had a tour of the school and looked at documents held in the school archive including an admissions register from the 1940s containing registration details of Margaret's younger sisters, Kathleen and Edna and a class photograph of her favourite teacher, Miss Pye.

Mrs Quigley, who has five children, 12 grandchildren and five great grandchildren, said: “The school is a lot bigger, it has changed a lot.

“The hall where we used to have assembly and do gym is now the school library.”

But the 81-year-old said she was delighted to see the original school quadrangle remains, and in the book she recalls a painful incident when rushing to class one day she ran headlong into a classroom door, resulting in a nasty head injury and five days in Bolton Infirmary.

Mrs Quigley said: “I loved school and going back was absolutely wonderful.

“It was lovely and emotional.”

Mrs Quigley was asked to write the book so her family knew more about her childhood and had a record of their own younger years.

Her son David arranged to have the book published.

Mrs Quigley said: “It jogged my children’s memory when they started reading it.

“It only took me a few weeks to write and there were about 30 copies published and they have been distributed in the family.

“It was when my son rang the school to see if they had any old photographs it got the ball rolling to give a copy to the school library.”

Angela Wilkinson, school librarian, said: "Pupils were fascinated to hear her memories from a bygone era.

"It has given them an increased awareness and appreciation of Harper Green's rich and varied history.

"Margaret who was accompanied by her three daughters and son was presented with a beautiful bouquet by headgirl and boy, Rosa Hinchcliffe and Elliot Dagnall.

"She was thrilled to return to the scene of her schooldays and thanked pupils for making her visit such a memorable occasion."