THERE were tears and laughter as a "small but beautiful" school closed its doors for good following a celebration of its history.

Past and present pupils and staff gathered to say farewell to Llanover Primary School, which had for so long been at the heart of the rural community.

The school shut its doors, along with Govilon Primary school, in an effort to address the 400 surplus school places in the borough.

Tears were shed as the nine remaining pupils performed on drums and sang Dame Vera Lyn's 'We'll meet again.'

Balloons were released marking every year of the school carrying everyone's own thoughts and memories.

Former headteacher Barbara Thomas said, "The school was once so much at the heart of the rural community with PTA events always organised with the farmers' year in mind, barn dances with groaning tables of food at Harvest time and no events during lambing .

"There is something intangible about Llanover school. It's not just its unique history or the Llanover Reel danced down the generations. Almost everyone who has worked there or been a pupil feels it, as I felt it for over 20 years.

"Small is beautiful and can achieve so much as borne out by the large numbers of ex pupils who have gone onto achieve great success. A core philosophy of 'work hard, play hard but take time to care` resulted in high achievement.

"Now it has shut that green front door for the last time but the memories will remain and along with many many others I will ever be grateful to have been part of its history."

Llanover Primary School was built in 1921 by Lord Treowen, of Llanover Estates, as part of a memorial to his son Elidyr Herbert who was killed in the First World War.