PUPILS from a Bangor primary school presented Bangor Pier with a wooden plaque on Friday (September 10) as a special 125th anniversary present.

Between 30 and 40 students from Ysgol Hirael visited the pier, which opened for the first time on May 14, 1896, and whose birthday the school have been celebrating with numerous events throughout this year.

The plaque, designed by Ysgol Hirael pupil Ameya, featured a picture of the pier, her school’s logo, and the words ‘penblwydd hapus’ – meaning ‘happy birthday’ in Welsh.

With help from school governor and Councillor Huw Wyn Jones, from Gwynedd Council’s Garth ward in Bangor, the plaque was presented to Avril Wayte, chair of Friends of Bangor Garth Pier, and Mayor of Bangor, Owen Hurcum.

Sian Clark, a teacher in the foundation stage at Ysgol Hirael and leading member of the school council, was delighted that another event celebrating the pier’s birthday was such a success.

She said: “Because it was a birthday, the children wanted to give the pier a present and something that would commemorate it, but also something that would be there for a very long time, not a one-off that would disappear.

“The kids just loved it. It was great for them to see an idea of theirs flourish.

“We had done lots of fun things – we had a party, we had an artist in to the school to do lots of drawings – but this was the pinnacle.

“It (the plaque) is going to have a permanent home now. Initially, we thought it was going to be just a year and then we’d have it back in the school, but they’re so pleased with it that Bangor Pier are going to mount it and put it up permanently in their little hut.

“We’re the closest school to the pier as well, so we wanted to do something because it’s in our vicinity.

“There are a lot of trips we do out there – the kids go sketching on the pier, we do sponsored walks onto the pier, so it’s very much part of the school as well.”

Cllr Huw Wyn Jones added: “It was an honour to help the children of Ysgol Hirael create a special plaque to celebrate 125 years since Garth’s Bangor Pier was opened.

“The plaque was designed by the school pupils and was created by Gwynedd Council's Adult Service on their special laser machine at Parc Glynllifon.

“As the local councillor, it was a pleasure to join the pupils and staff to mark this historic milestone and welcome the City Mayor, Councillor Owen Hurcum to receive the wooden plaque.

“Congratulations to everyone involved in this important project!”