HAVING spent the last 34 years teaching children at Menstrie Primary School, Mrs Vanda Leitch is swapping the textbooks for gardening gloves and hiking boots.

The stalwart will be looking forward to her retirement after decades of service to education in the community.

In 1982, she began work at Menstrie Primary School, after one year teaching in Stirling, and knew she would never want to teach anywhere else.

Without doubt, Mrs Leitch, from Alloa, holds dear the time she spent at the school, which she describes as a "second family".

But after 34 different classes of children, Mrs Leitch felt it was time to retire.
She said: "I really enjoyed working in Menstrie, so I never wanted to leave. It was a like having a second home, or like a second family.

"I went from being the youngest teacher there to, well, one of the oldest. I think there were four head teachers there during my time."

Indeed, Mrs Leitch had the pleasure of teaching generations of families during her tenure.

She added: "I definitely taught a few children of children I had taught before. It's always great see their development over the years."

She was coach of the badminton team for around two decades, and in that time watched those youngsters pick up a number of league titles.

Mrs Veitch also played a major part in organising a number of school events such as Menstrie's Got Talent and the end of year shows for P5-P7.

And though she won't quite feel retired until the kids go back to school, she is casting her eye to leisure pursuits in the near future.

She said: "I'll be enjoying the gardening and I'll get myself out walking more, so I'm looking forward to that.

"I don't really feel retired yet but it's the summer holidays. It probably won't hit home until September comes."