IT was the end of an era for Park Grove Primary School when children who remembered the dramatic fire of 1997 said their goodbyes at the end of term.

The children were new starters when the school was engulfed by fire, and many can still remember the old school building.

The imposing Grade II listed brick Victorian building was almost destroyed in the fire in February 1997.

More than 90 firefighters, manning 15 pumps from across York and North Yorkshire, tackled the blaze. At the time it was the biggest fire to have taken place in the city since the Minster was struck by lightning in 1984.

The fire was made worse by strong winds, which meant it spread rapidly. Residents near by, who were affected by smoke, were warned to prepare for evacuation.

The fire was so severe that at one point firefighters were ordered to withdraw as fears grew that the roof would collapse.

Following the fire, staff and parents and the council joined forces to develop a plan to rebuild the school. The pupils were moved to a temporary home at Queen Anne School for two-and-a-half years while the plans were developed.

Pupils returned to Park Grove in September 1999.

Many of the children who left yesterday had been at the school for a number of months before the blaze.

Head teacher Andrew Calverley told an assembly held yesterday morning for pupils that it was the end of an era.

He said: "Some of the pupils had been there only a few weeks when the fire happened, but others had been there since the previous September.

"Some of them do remember the old building, particularly which classroom they were in."

Updated: 09:27 Saturday, July 19, 2003