A FORMER teacher is "going up the wall" as a town's millennium green project takes shape.

George Dimitrijevic, who taught at Park and Gibfield schools, Colne, is using his dry stone wall training to help create an outdoor stage which will form the centre-piece of the Waterside green project.

Six acres of land between Shaw Street and Colne Water are being transformed into a green oasis for local people to enjoy.

The stage will be used to host events by local groups and visiting acts from further afield.

George, who is used to staying fit in his work, said the dry stone walling helped to keep him in shape.

He taught at Park for ten years and each day he would run in ten miles from his home in Oakworth. He then moved to Gibfield School and still continued to run or cycle to work.

In 1992 George called it a day in the teaching profession and himself the old craft of dry stone walling.

"It's great working outside and this is a fantastic area," he said.

George will build the stage over the next few weeks with help from Steven Turner, a pupil on work experience from Gibfield.

Shaun O'Hare, of Groundwork East Lancashire, said: "We hope people will pop down to see George building the stage and even join in."

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