IT was the end of an era as the doors to Bury Arts and Crafts Centre closed officially on Friday 17th after more than a century based in Broad Street.

Staff and students, both past and present, joined Bury North MP David Chaytor and the Mayor and Mayoress of Bury, Councillors Barry and Sharon Briggs, for a trip down Memory Lane and to pay tribute to all who had contributed to the centre during the last 110 years.

It will now make way for a £3 million state-of-the-art museum chronicling the history of the Lancashire Fusiliers, which is set to become a major tourist attraction once it moves from its home at Wellington Barracks in Bolton Road.

More than 1,500 students are to be transferred into the former Halifax building, in The Haymarket, after Bury Council was unable to afford the £1.4 million bill for repairs and disabled access to the historic Arts and Crafts Centre.

At the official closing ceremony last Friday, Mr Chaytor said: "Today is a very sad day, but we have a new project with the Fusiliers museum. Not many small towns will have such a fantastic museum and I think we can look forward to a good future, both with the museum and the new adult education centre."

Captain John OGrady, who is based at Wellington Barracks, admitted the Fusiliers were more than aware of the responsibility they now had over the building and promised it was in safe hands. He said: "We remember the past, but look forward to the future and restore the building to what it used to be. Hopefully by 2007 we will have a magnificent museum."

The Mayor also paid tribute to all staff members and presented several long-serving workers with a bouquet of flowers to thank them for their dedication and hard work. The guests were then invited to watch a short film by Terry Ashworth, which charted life at the Arts and Crafts Centre in 1972, and tour the corridors of the building filled with pictures of past carnivals and events held in Bury.

Joining in the celebrations was Mrs Carman Shepherd, an ex-milinary teacher who had flown from Canada especially for the ceremony.

Mrs Shepherd had spent more than 15 years working at the Arts and Crafts Centre and admitted she was sad to see it go: "I think it is a tremendous loss to the town that the arts and craft, including sewing and needlework, the basics of life, are no longer to be taught here. But it is wonderful to see all my old friends and hopefully, I will be able to catch up with them before I go."

The day ended on a rousing note with an evening performance by the Fusiliers Association (Lancashire) Military Band and Corps of Drums.

Mrs Mary Edyvean, of the Arts and Crafts management committee, said: "Many of us had campaigned long and hard to save this building and its services and this day is to celebrate those services and our past. We welcome the Fusiliers and hope they treat the building with care and bring it back to life for a vibrant future."