MORE than 100 former classmates, who left school at least 45 years ago, met at a school reunion.

Former pupils of Shipwrights School, Benfleet, aged from 59 to 70 and from as far away as New Zealand, reminisced during the get-together at Benfleet Yacht Club, off Canvey Road.

Organiser Ann Adams, 65, said: “It was fabulous. We had about 130 people and there were some terrific stories told.

“There were people who hadn’t seen each other for 40 years, even though they had been living down the road, and two women who hadn’t met since they bumped into each other while they were in hospital having babies years ago.

“It was very emotional – even the men had a tear in their eyes. In fact I think the men were worse than the women.”

Shipwrights School, in Shipwrights Drive, was renamed King John School in the Fifties.

Among the guests was blind campaigner Jill Allen-King, who recently published her autobiography, Just Jill, in which she wrote about her time at the school, which she left in 1955.

She said: “The reunion was absolutely fantastic. I met lots of people I knew when I was young.

“It was sad in a way as I was one of the oldest. A lot of people I know have died and their youn-ger brothers and sisters were there. I have good memories of the school.”

Mrs Adams, who is landlady at the Windjammer pub, in Eastern Esplanade, Canvey, has been organising reunions every five or ten years since the Eighties.

She said: “I thought this would be the last one, but people are keen for me to hold another in five years. It will have to be at the yacht club because it’s got a stair lift!”