OLD friends were reunited 50 years after leaving school as classmates tracked each other down online through social media.

To mark the memorable occasion, the class of 1969 from Queen Elizabeth school in Bromyard found each other on Facebook and decided to tackle the task of a 50-year reunion. They managed to bring together 20 of the original 30 or so class.

Some of the classmates still live local to Bromyard, one travelled from Somerset and two from Cyprus and Germany to be at the event on Sunday.

After a buffet lunch at the Falcon Hotel, the afternoon came to a close with multiple promises to keep contact with each other in future.

One of the former students said it was a little bit nervous going into the reunion, but it was social media that allowed them to get back in touch.

"It was quite a thing really, a little bit of anticipation because it's been such a long time," said Gill Smith, who now lives im Worcester.

"There's a couple that I've been in contact with, but the majority of them I haven't seen since school. Everyone was pleasantly surprised we gelled so well.

"It was a good turnout, but we traced more people than those that came. It's sad four have deceased."

The students were some of the first to leave Queen Elizabeth after the town’s two schools, the grammar and modern secondary, merged in 1968, in line with national educational policy.

The Bromyard Grammar School Foundation charity still meet twice a year to ensure the proceeds from the sale of the old Grammar School buildings, and the rental income from the former grammar school sports field, are used for the benefit of the young people of Bromyard.

Those in attendance were Carolyne Ridley, Marie Young, Elaine Harris, Reg Rudd, David Birch, Jan Morgan, Sue Morgan, Dorothy Hughes, Gill Baber, Judi Bennet, Mary Backhouse, Chris Symonds, Sue Palfrey, Maggie Gibbs, Martin and Sally Cox, Sally Lease, Dave Benbow, Graham Elton Wall and Linda Chew.