A HEADTEACHER has been honoured at a star-studded awards ceremony for setting up a £35,000 moonbase classroom in the playground of her village school.

Linda Davies from Neston Primary School was named Teacher of the Year at the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, held on Monday.

The event, watched by millions of television viewers on Tuesday night, attracted a host of celebrity guests from pop stars to movie stars and sports idols to politicians.

Mrs Davies said: "We were sat with Chris Tarrant, Gary Lineker and Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and I have to say Tara was superb and just really lovely.

"I also met people like David Hasselhoff and Esther Rantzen but as well as meeting the celebrities it was a real privilege to be there with all the other award winners and get to know them.

"It was amazing at the after-show party when we had celebrities approaching us for a chat and to congratulate us."

Mrs Davies' pupils made a surprise appearance at the bash, going on stage dressed as astronauts when British-born astronaut Piers Sellers presented her with the prestigious award.

"I have never been so nervous in my life as I was when I went up on stage but fortunately I did relax when the children came on as well," she said.

"It was lovely to see them because they had managed to keep their appearance a complete surprise and I don't think they were nervous about it at all."

Mrs Davies was nominated after she oversaw the setting up of the moonbase classroom, which helps bring science lessons to life, and was also responsible for pupils at Neston becoming the first in Britain to talk to an astronaut aboard the International Space Station.

The moonbase was funded by a grant from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts to aid and inspire learning.

More fun followed the ceremony when on Tuesday all the award winners were invited to Downing Street for a reception with the Prime Minister.

Mrs Davies said: "I met Tony Blair, shook his hand and spoke to Cherie, for a while which was very exciting.

"We also had our photos taken outside the door of number 10."

On Sunday evening the winners had dinner with television presenter Carol Vorderman, who hosted the show, so they could run through how it would be filmed.

"It was my birthday on Monday, so these last few days have just been like one big birthday present," said Mrs Davies.