Villagers packed St Mary's Primary School, Riddlesden, on Saturday to mark the end of an era. Hundreds - many of them former pupils - attended an open day to celebrate the school's illustrious history. Joining in the trip down memory lane were ex-students who had travelled from as far afield as Devon and Durham to be at the event.

The open day was staged as the school - which opened at the St Mary's Road site 138 years ago - prepares to close and move to the Grange Middle School site this autumn as part of the district's education shake-up.

The open day featured a huge range of photos and memorabilia. Also special commemorative mugs and millennium tea towels were on sale, and the event was used to officially launch a new book - Riddlesden Revisited - compiled by deputy head Keith Davies and local historian Derek Lee.

"It was an absolutely fabulous day - we were delighted with the response," says Mr Davies. We had people there who had been pupils in the 20s and 30s. In many ways there is sadness at leaving the present site - the school has been right at the very heart of the community for so many years - but we are looking ahead to the start of a new and exciting chapter."

l Riddlesden Revisited is a must for anyone interested in the history of the community. The book is packed with more than 50 pictures depicting village scenes and people across the years. From views of Stockbridge and Riddlesden in the late 19th century to modern day events, the book provides a superb historical record of life in the community. The photos - some were loaned and others came from Derek Lee's own collection - are accompanied by informative text. The book - which follows on from the 1994 publication Riddlesden Reflections - has proved hugely popular. More than 100 copies were sold at the open day alone.

Mr Davies says: "The first book was very well received and quite a few people have been asking about a follow-up. We started work on it at the beginning of the year and although it does contain pictures of many locations around Riddlesden, there is a particular orientation this time to the school."

Copies can be obtained from Mr Lee at Longmoor, Bank Top Drive, Riddles-den, or from Reid's bookshop in Cavendish Street. Price is £5, with part of the proceeds going to St Mary's.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.