AS one of Poole’s oldest schools celebrates its170th anniversary, the Daily Echo takes a look at when it turned 150.

Hundreds of well-wishers turned out to commemorate the landmark year of St Mary’s Catholic Combined School in Devon Road back on March 26, 2000.

A celebration mass held by the Bishop of Plymouth was followed by a series of fun activities.

Twelve pupils who were selected to perform drama at the Millennium Dome entertained visitors and an exhibition of historic photographs were put on display.

The school, whose former pupils Suede guitarist Richard Oakes, was originally established by a priest who had escaped from the French Revolution.

Then-head teacher Maurice O’Brien said: “The celebrations went very well and about 500 people came along.”