AMONG Carisbrooke High School's class of 1978 is a successful film director and an Oxford professor.

The classmates enjoyed a reunion 40 years on, at Newport Conservative Club.

Two teachers — Mike Greenwood and Sue Wroath — gathered together with 40 former pupils on November 2 to reminisce about their schooldays and talk about where their different paths have taken them.

Some travelled from the mainland especially for the event, including Richard Cornall, a professor of medicine at Oxford University, and Keith English, a film director, whose latest release The More You Ignore Me, stars Sheridan Smith, Sheila Hancock and Ricky Tomlinson, and is written and co-starring Jo Brand.

As well as music from the 70s there were display boards, with photos and newspaper articles of pupils and teachers, including some cuttings of previous reunions, and letters from those that couldn't be there.

There was also a memorial board, for the 16 former classmates that are known to have died, with photos and a summary of their lives. Thanks go to the families who provided this, to Pam Gustar for compiling it, and to Claire Sharp for her help.

Organiser, Pam Gustar said: "It was a successful evening, with a lot of us talking about the next reunion. The official one will be in 2023, but we will be having a few get-togethers soon, starting with a viewing of Keith's film."

A collection raised £135.25 for Mountbatten.