THE SIXTY-YEAR history of a town's high school has been captured in a newly-published book.

Reflections of the Past: King Harold School is a 256-page photographic history of six decades of learning in the Waltham Abbey school.

Published on Thursday November 8, the book is the product of years of painstaking work by historians Ray Sears and John Foster to mark the school's diamond anniversary.

Mr Foster, 60, has taught photography and art and design at the school - now an academy - for more than 30 years.

He said: "The school started in 1952, but the book actually goes back pre the school to 1870, so we give a little bit of background.

"And the last picture in there was shot in April of this year."

Each chapter features an introduction by a different former headteacher of the Broomstick Hall Road school, while the book's foreword has been penned by Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing.

"We have had lots of people who've contributed and shared their pictures," said Mr Foster.

"We were very lucky right near the end to have somebody from Australia who emailed us some pictures from 1952.

"We couldn't do it without the local community."

  • Reflections of the Past: King Harold School is on sale for £12.95 at the school, Waltham Abbey tourist information centre in Highbridge Street and Epping Forest District Museum in Sun Street.
  • The authors will be signing copies of the book at the museum on Saturday November 10 from 2pm-4pm.