STUDENTS from as far afield as America and Canada took a step back in time this weekend for Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School's biggest ever reunion.

More than 1,000 former pupils of the school came to Rossendale to meet with old friends and teachers at the event.

The reunion, held on Saturday, was organised to celebrate 300 years since the school was founded and 90 years since the school was built on its present site in Waterfoot.

The school was open from 11.30am, with headmaster Martyn Morris officially launching the celebrations in the afternoon.

In the evening there was a special concert featuring some of the school's former and present pupils.

On Sunday, a morning service conducted by the Rev John Maiden was also held.

Emma Gauntlett, a class of 1993 pupil and a member of the reunion committee, said: "The number of people who attended has been overwhelming. We have had people coming back from all over the country and all over the world so it has been quite emotional for some people."

Gerald Hartley, 73, lived in Rockliffe, Bacup, as a youngster before moving to Ohio, America, in 1969 to work as a mining engineer.

He said: "I try and get back for every reunion because it is always so good to come back and see the familiar faces. It has been filled with gladness and sadness at the same time after learning that some of my old friends have passed away.

"I have some fond memories of my time here, growing up through the war, seeing the air raids and the fires. It was a good time to be at school for the memories. The school was a lot more intimate then, it has changed such a lot but every time I come back I remember it like it was yesterday."

He added: "The biggest disaster that has happened in America recently for people like myself is that BBC America have decided to axe the omnibus showings of Eastenders.

"Myself along with 20,000 other people complained about this because it's our one reminder of life back in England but I am looking on the bright side -- it will mean I have to make more trips back to pick up tapes of the programme, which can't be a bad thing."

Headteacher Martyn Morris said he has been impressed with the amount of people flooding back to the school.

He said: "We separated the rooms into different decades so past pupils could meet with some of the faces they may remember from their time at school. It has been quite tear-jerking at times because we are all like one big happy family.

"Throughout the morning alone I would estimate that we had more than 1,000 people coming through the doors, which has been great."

Upper Six pupil 17-year-old Saswata Sen has been helping co-ordinate the event and gather past pupils' memories.

He said: "One person who was here quite a while ago remembered a time when they were talking in assembly. The teacher made them stand up in front of everybody and say grace which they found really embarrassing. We managed to find the teacher responsible and reunited them.

"The teacher apologised for embarrassing the person, which was really funny."