TWO former students of the College of Sarum St Michael are writing a book charting the history of the popular teacher training college.

Anne Johns and Jenny Head have fond memories of their time at the college and are collating the stories of former pupils and staff.

Based at Kings House, which now houses the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, the College of Sarum St Michael was one of the first teacher training colleges when it opened in 1841. Generations of aspiring teachers were taught there before the college eventually closed in 1978.

The authors are calling their book Inspired to Teach and say the college played a key role in the history of Salisbury.

They hope the book will appeal to local historians and history groups as well as former pupils and staff.

The college’s Old Students Association still has around 800 members and many return for the annual reunion and service in the cathedral. The book will also record the changes in education and teaching practices over the years.

Any profits from the book will go to the local charity CRESS, which supports education in southern Sudan.

It is hoped the book will be published next spring.