Farmer Stephen Exton, of Melton Road, Wymondham, was one of the first pupils when St Peter's Church of England School in the village moved to a new building in Glebe Road.

He enthralled youngsters with tales of how it used to be - a time when pupils had to work in silence.

And he commented that teachers seemed to be a lot stricter in those days and he would prefer to be in school now, rather than then.

Although the school was marking 40 years in Glebe Road, its roots go back to 1865.

The school has just 39 pupils and three hardworking teachers led by head Anne Boyce.

They worked together with the pupils to organise an exhibition showing the history of the school and highlighting how it is still thriving.

Among the items on display was a stunning collage showing life in the village which Year Three children made.

It featured pictures of the windmill, church and even someone's washing line.

And there were extracts from the fascinating school log book, dating back to 1865.

Among the entries were some from 1947 when heavy snowfall forced the school to close for several weeks because coal had not been delivered.

And between 1870 and 1930s there were all sorts of reasons for children not to go to school ranging from potato picking, to blackberrying.