COLLEAGUES past and present said goodbye to St John’s Academy headteacher Patrick Hazlewood on Friday at a party to mark his 19 years at the school.

The party was held after school when pupils had left for the Easter holidays and included a buffet, band and speeches.

Dr Hazlewood’s PA Amanda Hancock, who organised the event, said: “It went really well which was a big relief for me.

“It was a surprise because his son Adam, daughter Becky and wife Glenda came.

“He knew Becky was back because she arrived the night before but he didn’t know Adam was going to be there.”

Miss Hancock, a former St John’s pupil, sang in the band which also included maths administrator Jane Witcomb, her husband Chris, who also went to the school, and fellow ex student Stuart Whant.

Miles Whittaker, who is acting principal until September, also gave a speech celebrating Dr Hazlewood’s time at the Marlborough school.

Miss Hancock said: “Obviously he talked about the new school but also there were some funny stories in there as well.

“Patrick has had about four Volvos since he’s been working here so that was obviously his car of choice and there were some jokes around that.

“He also told the story of the time of the time Patrick thought he had lost his phone and he had me phoning it so he could find it, thinking he’d left it in the car, but it turned out he’d driven all the way in with it stuck to the roof.”

Dr Hazlewood was given a number of parting gifts including a trip to the Aviator Hotel in Farnborough, vouchers for theatre trips and a red letter day in a light aircraft.

He will be able to enjoy some of his presents during the four weeks he has off but after that he will be back to work as the chief executive of Excalibur Academies, a trust of academies that includes St John’s, Fairfield Academy in Bristol, Easton Royal Academy, Burbage Primary School and will shortly be joined by Oare and Ogbourne St George and St Andrew primary schools.

In September Nicky Edmondson will become the new principal having been a headteacher since 2007.