Students at Lionwood School in Norwich were delighted as a former teacher recounted tales of what was a very different school in the 1980s.

As part of a history project, different year groups at the school on Wolfe Road, Thorpe Hamlet, have been given a decade to study and Year 5 students are studying the 1980s.

Former teacher Rex Hancy, who is now 81, spoke to the youngsters at the school yesterday. He was a teacher at what was the former Thorpe Hamlet Middle School from 1954 to 1989. He taught the grandmother of one of the Year 5 students.

'I used to take the children out to various events,' he said. 'We went to places like the Castle and Mousehold.

'There is a completely new building here now and the amount of equipment they have is quite staggering. There is a great deal going on.'

Ten-year-old Milli Shaw, who was listening to the talk, said: 'We have been learning about the 1980s. We have been learning about the school before the new building was built.

'We were also told that there were quite a lot of unusual happenings, like ghosts and break-ins, but that it was very similar in many ways.'

She said that they had also been told the school was a lot bigger and there had been around 450 pupils in the 1980s.

Mahima Ahmed, 10, also in Year 5, said: 'We have learnt about the music and the art, and we did an assembly where we had to dance to Thriller and at the moment we are making an album cover from the 1980s.'

The pupils' work is set to be used by the Thorpe Hamlet History Society as part of a summer display.

Have you got a story about your school? Call Annabelle Dickson on 01603 772426 or email annabelle.dickson@archant.co.uk