Saddlers star unveils £800k school revamp

An £800,000 revamp of a Walsall school, first started nearly 20 years ago, was unveiled by a former pupil - now a Walsall FC star.

Saddlers player Richard Taundry returned to Radleys Primary, Rushall, ten years after leaving the school to cut the ribbon on its new-look building.

Work brings all classrooms at the Kings Road school under one roof for the first time. Among guests of honour was Second World War veteran and school neighbour Frederick Jenkins.

The 90-year-old was devastated as his war medals went missing in the 1970s as he moved house. He got a new set two years ago after school governor Philip Evans arranged it and presented them at the school.

Head Lynne Caley said: "We invited Mr Jenkins in as all of the schoolchildren know him and also Richard Taundry who went to the school and who I taught.

"He is a great example of someone who has followed his dreams and his name is on the plaque in the new building."

Richard said: "I really enjoyed going back. It was an honour to be asked to open the new building. I really enjoyed my time at Radleys and have some really fond memories.

"It was at Radleys that I started playing football. We didn't have a team but I'd play in the playground."

Former teachers, parents and pupils as well as Aldridge-Brownhills Tory MP Richard Shepherd were there on Friday.

Work was started by Walsall-based Wygar Construction in 1990, but the school was hit by a fire which destroyed nearly 90 per cent of it.

Since then children have been taught in mobile classrooms. Wygar Construction moved back in April 2009 and has finished a job started in 1990.