A FORMER pupil, who died in 1999, left a £50,000 legacy to his old school.

Brian King never forgot the happy days he spent at Lickey End First School, and remembered it in his will.

Now his cash has been used to help enrich present day youngsters' technical education and boost their love of the printed word.

One of Britain's best known and most popular children's poets has also visited the school as a result of Brian's legacy.

A successful businessman, Brian King owned three general stores in the district, including one near the school in Alcester Road.

With the cash safely in the bank, the school was able to apply to the county council to match it.

The large sum was then used to build an extension, offices and create a new information technology suite and a library, which has been named in Brian's honour.

There was also money left over to stock it with new books and furniture.

John Foster, a former teacher and well-known Oxford-based children's poet, performed the opening ceremony.

Headteacher Ann Hill said John's books are very popular with her pupils and he signed autographs for them.

"We were delighted at being left the money and to have been able to put it to such good use to improve our facilities for teaching and learning."

She added the legacy had come at a fortunate time as Lickey End First had originally been involved in the Bromsgrove PFI project to rebuild ten schools, but was later dropped from the scheme.

Don Jones, an amateur but accomplished local children's author, has written a book entitled Bookworms especially to mark the opening of the library. Don and his wife Jackie visit the school each week to hear the children read.

pete.lammas@midlands.

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