A MARRIED couple are celebrating the end of a 38-year career teaching at the same school.

Teachers Michael and Kathleen Emery met on their first day at Pleckgate High School in Blackburn in 1968, one year after the school opened.

They married several years later, and have both spent their whole careers at the Pleckgate Road school.

Mr Emery, assistant head and former music teacher, said: "We've always been happy at the school, so we never really had any reason to leave.

"We're now both nearly 60, so it's worked out well that we can retire together.

"It will be very strange to not be at the school, and we'll both miss the students and good friends we've made, so it's good we can go through that together."

He said that as he and his wife teach different subjects - Mrs Emery taught PE and religious education - there was no danger of them seeing too much of each other.

"We got used to going through the school doors and going our separate ways," he said.

"It's a big school and there would be some weeks when we would hardly see each other until we got home.

"But when we were at home, we did tend to talk shop an awful lot.

"I think our two children got thoroughly fed up of hearing about Pleckgate!"

Mr and Mrs Emery are not the only long-term staff members to be retiring from the school.

Mike Sumner, fellow assistant head and former geography teacher, who started on the same day as the couple, is bidding farewell, as are textiles teacher Josie Smith after 34 years, modern languages teacher Gill Cameron after 30 years, and art teacher Bob Dean and English teacher Diana Hacking, both 20 years.

Collectively the seven staff have taught at the school for 210 years.

Mr Emery said: "It does say something for the school that so many teachers have been here for decades, and it's been nice for us, as we get to teach several generations of the same families."

Headteacher Robin Campbell said: "It's unusual to lose so many experienced teachers in one year, it's a great loss to the school and we will miss them all very much, although we have some excellent appointments as successors.

"We still have a number of staff who have been here for many years.

"It's a real characteristic of Pleckgate and I think it's due to the good, positive atmosphere and ethos of the school.

"Teachers like Mike and Kathleen Emery and Mike Sumner have contributed to that ethos by their commitment."