Fondest memories of two prize pupils | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

Retired teacher Diana Beaglehole has treasured memories of her time teaching in Wanganui, in particular the pupils from the Standard 4 class in her first year - two of whom have gone on to become prominent citizens.

Although Wellington has been her home for more than 30 years, Mrs Beaglehole was back in her home town of Wanganui this week.

Her first year of teaching was at Wanganui East Primary School and the memories of that year remain precious.

"I was young, it was all new and I just loved my Standard 4 class. In fact, I've never forgotten them."

Decades later she is thrilled two of her pupils from that class have gone on and become great New Zealanders.

One is celebrated physicist Sir Paul Callaghan and the other is well-known children's writer Jane Buxton.

Sir Paul, formerly of Wanganui, was the founding director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology at Victoria University of Wellington.

Also named New Zealander of the Year, Sir Paul was in the news again last week for publicly announcing he was ending his intravenous vitamin-C treatment for cancer. He has terminal colon cancer and had been experimenting by receiving high-dose intravenous infusions of vitamin C, along with several herbal remedies.

However, last week Sir Paul announced he had ended his experiment after analysing data from six months of blood results. He said there had been absolutely no effect from the high intake of vitamin C.

Ms Buxton grew up in Wanganui and has written more than 200 children's stories, plays, poems and articles published both in New Zealand and overseas.

She lives on a small farm in North Canterbury, where her many animals include a herd of llamas and alpacas, two donkeys, two dogs and a cat.

Mrs Beaglehole said when she thought about her two students, she swelled with pride.

"I'm not saying it was my influence or anything but the wonderful thing is I have heard from both of them since they became adults, which is very special."

Ms Buxton sent Mrs Beaglehole a copy of a note she had written all those years ago, praising her for a story she had written. "She wrote me a lovely letter enclosing the note ... I was so surprised and so pleased."

Sir Paul also contacted her and invited her to join him for lunch at Victoria University, where his laboratory is located.