FORMER students of Pershore College went back to the Avon Bank campus for an open day as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations.

College spokeswoman Jo Thompson said: "We provided a special hospitality area for former students where they could get together and renew old friendships. We had about 40 per cent of the original 1954 intake there during the day.

They were able to compare the present day college with all its facilities with what they had 50 years ago"

Dr Heather Barrett-Mold, only the college's fourth principal in the last 50 years, said: "Pershore students are known the world over for their contribution to the horticultural industry. It was exciting to meet up with some of them and find out what they have been up to."

One former student, Sue Minter, now a director at the Eden Project, gave a talk on the project and her work there.

The annual open day last Saturday attracted a large attendance. People were able to wander round the college where the work of students was on display, see the small gardens created by students especially for the day, watch demonstrations of floristry and browse around plant stalls.

A new autumn themed garden was unveiled Saturday, the third in a series representing the seasons, designed and built by final-year students as part of the amenity and landscape BSc degree course.

The garden will be at its most colourful in the autumn with Japanese maples and Sorbus, Joseph Rock, providing striking leaf colour. The planting theme of purple, bronze and orange continues the autumn theme throughout the rest of the year, featuring blueberries, purple Iris, hot-red Crocosmia and bronze grasses.