Tree planting recreated a quarter of a century on

East Ren resident Edna Campbell planted the original silver birch in 1991 — but with major building work going on at the old school site for a brand new health centre, it was thought appropriate to recreate the ceremony at the new school grounds in Newton Mearns.

Following a suggestion by councillor Stewart Miller on Edna’s behalf, she joined pupils, staff and guests to plant the new commemorative tree — provided by the council’s parks service — with help from head boy Michael di Paulo.

The former chair of the local Townswomen’s Guild — which raised £185,000 to plant 100,000 trees throughout Britain back in 1991 — commented: “I’m extremely pleased to be able to return to Isobel Mair and to be part of this tree planting after doing so all those years ago.”

Edna chose Isobel Mair 24 years ago as she regularly looked after a pupil. She added: “It’s fantastic to see how the school has developed over the years.”

And there was a royal flourish to the occasion, as the spade used by Edna was the same one used by Prince Edward on a visit to the newly-opened school.

Head teacher Sarah Clark said: “Edna was absolutely thrilled to be here and to carry this out in our grounds — and she loved that the spade had been used by Prince Edward to do the same thing before her.

“We were delighted to have her at the school and she was so pleased to see that the children now have the facilities that they deserve, and amazed at the difference to our previous site.

“The occasion was also carrying on in the way that Dr Isobel Mair, for whom the school is named, would have wanted — with the school and its excellent facilities very much part of the community.”

The old Isobel Mair site on Clarkston’s Drumby Crescent, meanwhile, will be home to the new Eastwood Health and Care Centre, to a cost of £16 million.