Pupils Share Fond Memories with Opening of Millennium Time Capsule
On Friday 17 June, past and current pupils of Mary Hare Primary School came together to mark the opening of the Millennium Chest, a time capsule stored with the pupils’ treasures and memories from the year 2000.
Karen Smith, who was the Primary School headteacher at the time of creating the time capsule, unlocked the chest and unveiled a trove of items, including the uniform, photographs, magazines and popular memorabilia such as Pokémon.
An alumnus said, ‘I was quite surprised to see what was in the chest, especially all the car magazines and a letter from my parents!’
Another shared, ‘I did expect to find my poster I made… and I recognise so many memories from the photos.’
Reflecting on what it was like to see everyone again, one past pupil said, ‘It was amazing to see everyone after 22 years! … It was a lifetime opportunity.’
The alumni enjoyed the reunion, talking about their fondest memories of their time at Mary Hare Primary:
‘…playing hide and seek and outdoors activities!’
‘…camping on the Mill Hall's field and see the wild animals on the field out of my bedroom window every single morning.’
‘I am really grateful for my best childhood life at Mill Hall.’
When talking about what they went on to achieve after Mill Hall, one said, ‘…played for the England deaf team and competed in international tournaments. Qualified as a plumber. And just generally happy, content and grateful with what life has given me so far.’
Another shared, ‘The biggest achievement that I’ve done is I travelled around the world solo for 13 months. Now, I work for a photo book company and manage the team.’
After the unveiling, the current Mary Hare Primary pupils contributed to the chest with new memories, including the building plans for the new Primary School, a covid test pack and photos.
The opening of the chest, which was set to take place in 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic, marks a poignant time as the Primary School is soon to make the exciting move to their new purpose-built school at the current Secondary school site at Arlington Manor. The Millennium Chest has now been re-sealed until 2039, to mark what would have been the 100-year anniversary of Mill Hall School.
Click here to see the latest developments for the new Primary School
