What are your memories of Dunfermline High School?

The current building, dating from 1939, will make way for a new £40million school in 2012 and ex-pupils came from as far away as Australia and Spain, as well as from Inverness and Durham, to say farewell.

Visitors included those who marched behind the piper from the previous school in Priory Lane in June 1939 to the current buildings, with one remembering the iron fencing on the wall at St Leonard's Place, cut down shortly after for the war effort, and many remembering the VE Day celebrations in June 1945.

The previous use of several rooms was also divulged, including, "The Projection Room for the Film Club" and one "where you got your jags"!

Richard Brown (82), North Larches, Dunfermline, a pupil from 1941-46, recalled the dances and assemblies in the hall.

He said, "We assembled every day and the rector, Mr (J G) Lindsay, would read out the names of military personnel who had been made prisoners of war or killed.

"One of them, Francis Banner, from Rosyth, was ahead of me by about four years and was in the Air Force. His name's on the school war memorial.

"Up to 1945 we had very young or very old teachers because of the war and I remember carrying a gas mask to school from 1940-43, in an old cardboard box." He chuckled, "We used to tell girls there was a crashed Wellington bomber out back - that was the day's version of 'Would you like to see my etchings?' Some girls went but it never worked for me!" Jess Cumming (83), who attended from 1940-1946, recalled the impressive brand-new school and being taught by retired teachers who returned to teach in wartime.

Her mentor was Miss Anna Cruickshank, a former lady supervisor - whose legacy continues today.

Jess, of Overhaven, Limekilns, said, "She was an English teacher and very well-respected - she was an inspiration.

"She left money to the school and to this day there's an award in her name and library books with her name stamped on them.

"The plans for expansion are great. It's a shame the old places are going but you have to move with the times and I hope the pupils who come in will be as lucky as I was." For John Cummins (65), from Suffolk, and brother Rob (63), from Freuchie, certain school smells were still fresh in their minds.

Studying the labs, John, a pupil from 1959-64, recalled, "The corridors had a very strong smell of formaldehyde!

"The labs certainly look more interesting now. There used to be benches and high stools.

"There used to be a little shop at the other side of the road that sold sweets and cigarettes. The lads used to go behind the tuck shop for a smoke.

Occasionally there'd be a raid by teachers and prefects. The buses would go past and people would be looking at all these schoolboys smoking there!" Rob, a pupil from 1962-66, added, "If it was raining, they'd go in the bike shed, which was dark, dingy and dangerous.

"And when you were sent to get a teacher at the staff room, that was like visiting the bowels of hell - you opened the door and couldn't see anything for the smoke.

"You'd see a blue pall and this dark shape would come to the door. It was like something out of Macbeth!" Barbara Davidson (69) and husband Jim (67), from Edinburgh, relived the days of segregated classes, big wooden tables with ink wells, blackboard and chalk.

Barbara, who attended from 1954-61, said, "The teachers wore cloaks and gowns and you could hear them swishing along the corridors. They were very strict!

"We had stone floors - no lino or vinyl or carpets. The radiators were the old barrel types. We used to have old-fashioned windows and the boys would jump in and out of class through them!" For Gladys Meldrum (80), of Gowanbrae Terrace, Dunfermline, the school has a special family connection, as her father helped build it.

She attended from 1942-7 and remembered, "If I was sent for something, if I met the rector coming towards me I'd turn the other way! I had no reason to be terrified, it was more respect." June Weir (80), left in 1946 and remembers a particular class in 1945.

June, of Gellet Cottage, Broomhall, said, "It was history and the teacher came in and said, 'The Allies have landed in Normandy.' "I had three brothers away and I couldn't concentrate the rest of the class because I kept thinking about the news." Chris Sparling (67), of Scotland Drive, Dunfermline, taught at the school from 1973-94.

The former principal teacher of chemistry said, "I remember the building of the junior block and the science labs and the open-plan classes in a space the size of the school hall!

"There used to be a wee pond for goldfish which the biology class used. I'm going back to my lab and hoping some posters I put up are still there!" Garry Watts-Tucker (31), from Helensburgh, a pupil from 1992-98, joked that "walking in was like going into an exam again".

He said, "I didn't always enjoy coming in here first thing in the morning but I will miss it.

"The new plans look quite impressive but it's going to be sad driving past and seeing a big empty space rather than the building." Former head girl Lynne Connolly (38), Garvock Terrace, attended from 1985-91.

She said, "I went back to the common room - that's where we used to skive off classes - and the geography room where we had classes with the late Mr Dave Thompson. He inspired a lot of us.

"I've visited the places that inspired me, like the English class, library and labs." Three generations of her family have attended the school and Lynne felt "sad that it's going".

But she added, "My children will be going to Dunfermline High and I like that they'll have a purpose-built school." Rector Brian Blanchflower thanked staff and prefects for making it a day to remember for former pupils.

He said, "Although tiring for everyone, this was a very enjoyable day with exceptionally positive feedback from the visitors." What are your memories of Dunfermline High School? Good, bad, amusing or sad, post a comment here and share your story.