The days of our lives: Are you in these old school photos from Bridge of Don Academy?

Some say our school days are the best of our lives.

When we are studying, many of us hate the very mention of school but, once we leave, you can’t help but feel nostalgic and rekindle special memories.

We have been searching high and low in the DC Thomson archives to find retro pictures of classes, school trips and sports teams from Bridge of Don Academy in Aberdeen.

These striking old photos span five decades – from the 1970s to the noughties – and they are sure to stir some fond memories for former pupils.

So let’s go back to school for a trip down memory lane!

1970s

Welcome to 1977!

Our first picture shows pupils alongside their lollipop lady Mary Robertson who they nominated for a competition to find Britain’s top school crossing patroller.

Pupils from Aberdeen’s Bridge of Don Academy staged a production of The Boyfriend in the school in June 1977 which was only the second show they had attempted.

Can you spot any of the stars that were treading the boards?

Away from the rush of the traffic on the old bridge over the River Dee above them, these youngsters were enjoying the adventure of canoeing on the river in September 1978.

Colin Farquharson, Evan Watson, James Burgess, Charles Milne, Alan Law, Simon Walker and Ian Barclay were taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

1980s

A party of 18 pupils swapped the staid history of books for some real Flanders fieldwork with a visit to Belgium and France in March 1983.

They went to a battlefield they had been reading about in their O-grade history course.

This looks interesting!

These Bridge of Don Academy students were studying a botany experiment at Aberdeen University’s science and technology exhibition in September 1983.

Fast-forward to December 1984 where we find the Christmas spirit alive and well.

Pupils donated 1,200 cans of food and grocery items which were distributed to elderly and housebound residents in the area.

Pupils Paint Power (PPP) was the name given to this initiative in July 1985.

These youngsters joined art teacher Karen Corbett after brightening up the underpass at Bridge of Don by painting over some of the graffiti being left by vandals.

These pupils were putting their best foot forward for school funds in 1987!

Lynn Morrison, Kelly Reid and Wendy Duguid stopped to give their feet a welcome airing on Balmedie Beach whilst halfway through an 18K sponsored walk.

For hands that do dishes…

These fourth-year pupils Marc McKenzie, Christopher Goar and Kerry Mitchell get stuck into the washing after serving up tea at Hame with retirement home in 1987.

One left over from last year?

A pair of feet (owned by Bridge of Don Academy third-year pupil Wendy Rae) made an interesting item for other pupils on a sponsored walk from the Bridge of Don to Balmedie Beach back in September 1989.

1990s

Aberdeen FC players Scott Booth and Malcolm Thomson get some stick from pupils in August 1990 during a visit to the school.

Can anyone tell us what was the purpose of the visit from the players?

Up next is this snap of the senior netball team showing off their trophies in 1994.

They all look mighty pleased with themselves and rightly so!

These pupils were heading in the right direction.

They were members of the winning team at the first Scottish schools’ orienteering festival at Carmichael Estate in July 1995.

2000s

David Hepburn appeared to be in Tin Can Alley in this picture from January 2003.

He was marking the pupils having collected more than 1,000 tins for VSA Aberdeen and raising £500 for the Archie Foundation over the festive period.

The hills were alive with the sound of fundraising in September 2003.

These pupils posed for a snap during a well-earned break as they walked from the Gordon Barracks to Balmedie Beach and back again to raise money for charity.

Pupils were getting creative in 2003 with the help of artist Sarah Keay.

Emma Miller, Laura Bisset, Jacqueline Taylor, Neil Muir, Rebecca Smith, Steven Leslie and Paula Buchan are pictured with the jewellery they had been making.

Stephen Kershaw brought home a souvenir in September 2004 after returning from a trip to visit the Scottish Space School in Texas.

He was one of 25 young people from Scotland chosen to attend the autumn Space School after successfully completing a programme of distance learning developed by NASA and the Scottish Space School Foundation.

These pupils were taking part in a ‘Fit for Success’ project in February 2007.

Jordan Simpson, Robyn Flett and Ryan Flett were learning to make healthy meals.

These pupils were heading off to San Diego in 2008.

They travelled to California to showcase their award-winning remotely operated vehicle (ROV) at the 2008 MATE International ROV Competition.

Sixth-year pupils Molly Shewan and Paulina Prorok pledged to spread a message of tolerance after an emotional visit to a concentration camp in 2018.

Molly and Paulina had been selected for the trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland along with teacher Jess Beattie by the Holocaust Educational Trust.

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