HUNDREDS of children made school day memories for life after competing in a prestigious sporting festival.
Teams came from as far away as Slough and Dunbar, as well as the North-East, Yorkshire and Cumbria, with more than 350 pupils taking part in the Barnard Castle School Sporting Festival.
Established more than 15 years ago, the sporting extravaganza saw U10 boys vie for honours in the Clegg rugby festival, while the girls took to the hockey pitches playing for the Seddon Cup.
The next day the U12 boys competed in the rugby Tait 10s while the girls battled it out at hockey for the Ewart Cup.
Old Barnardians Mathew and Alex Tait went on to enjoy successful careers in professional rugby after honing their skills at Barnard Castle School, as did fly half Rory Clegg, who give their names to the respective competitions.
That tradition continues today with the current First XV rugby captain, hooker Jacob Oliver, who recently returned from South Africa where he represented England on an U18s tour.
Headmaster Tony Jackson said: “We were delighted to welcome so many teams to our annual sporting festival and we witnessed some incredible displays of skill, determination and resilience.
“Festivals like these are the things our children will remember long into adulthood as they strengthen friendships with teammates and competitors alike.”
Barnard Castle School’s director of sport Rachel Masterman added: “Contests such as this one would not be possible without the unstinting support of players, coaches, our grounds staff and parents who take their children to events and our heart-felt thanks go out to them.
“I’ve also high praise for our young officials who gave up their time to referee the matches and the County Durham Referees’ Society who have helped them qualify.”