A MAN with links to a Forest town is hoping locals will be able to shed some light on a mystery plaque that appears prominently in historic family photographs.

Somerset-based Chris Harris is seeking information regarding old photographs of his grandparents, Arthur and Elizabeth Harris, who were Head Master and Mistress of Picklenash School in Newent in the early part of the 20th century.

Chris has photos of his grandparents, school governors and students with the plaque in 1906, as well as one of his father, Arnold Herbert William Harris, with the same plaque circa 1910.

He visited the new Picklenash Junior School several years ago in the hopes of finding out more about the photographs, but staff there had no knowledge of the plaque.

He also looked through a logbook there, but found no information.

Now, he is appealing to the community for information about what the plaque, which the people in the photographs proudly posed next to, may have been for.

He said: “To be displayed by the Governors as it was, must mean that the plaque was meaningful and important to the school.”

Chris has enlarged one of the photographs and can see the words ‘soul of’ at the bottom right of the plaque, but can make out nothing else.

Picklenash School was established in the mid-19th century as one of three national schools in the parish.

In the mid-1960s it was divided into separate junior and infant schools, with the latter becoming Glebe Infant School.

The school was moved to a new site in 1984, when the original building was converted into dwellings.

Anyone with information for Mr Harris should email [email protected] or call us on 01594 820600.