Nobel School celebrates 60 years
Liz Maden with Nobel headteacher Martyn Henson and Stevenage Mayor Sandra Barr at Nobel School's 60th birthday celebration - Credit: Barry Burningham
Stevenage's Nobel School celebrated its 60th anniversary on Saturday with an extravaganza put on by the Nobel Network, the school's alumni association.
More than 300 people attended the celebration, including SBC leader Sharon Taylor, Mayor Sandra Barr and Cllr Robin Parker - who himself was in the third ever intake to the school in 1963.
Liz Maden, retiring PA to headteacher Martyn Henson, planted a new Nobel oak tree in the school's grounds to mark the occasion - in homage to to the etymology of the name 'Stevenage'.
An aerial photograph of Nobel School's Ridgmond site in 1963 - Credit: Nobel School
Attendees visited an exhibition at the school, made up of photographs that chronicled Nobel's 60 year history.
An exhibition of photographs chronicling Stevenage's Nobel School's 60 year history was the central part of the anniversary celebrations - Credit: Barry Burningham
Chells School, pictured in 1964 - Credit: Stevenage Museum
Guests were also encouraged to film 30 second video ‘shorts’ to document the event, which will form the foundations of a new digital archive of the school's history.
Current students and families, many of whom were seeing the school for the first time since joining due to the pandemic, were joined by over 100 former students touring the building.
Stevenage Museum Curator Jo Ward was also on hand to present additional material relating to the town’s 75th birthday.
Nobel's 60th birthday celebration and exhibition on Saturday, October 16, was attended by more than 300 people - Credit: Barry Burningham
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Various cohorts of students and their guests, including members of the inaugural class of 1961, were treated to music performances by Stevenage Music Services Windband and the Year 7 Nobel choir.
Barry Burningham, who stepped down as Nobel's deputy head in 2019 after 26 years of service, founded the Nobel Network in his retirement and dubbed Saturday's event "a very successful 60th birthday celebration."
