TOWNELEY High School has seen more than its fair share of incidents since it opened almost 65 years ago terrorist threats, student strikes and flooded roofs to name just a few.

And just as the final chapter is about to be written in the history of the building, which was built on land owned by Sir John Towneley, leading figures at the school are calling on former pupils and members of staff to come forward and share their memories.

Plans begin in earnest to transfer Towneley High School to the new Unity College when the doors close on June 30 as part of the £250million Building Schools for the Future project.

Lab Technician Lynda Lonsdale, 50, first attended the school as a pupil back in 1967 when it was Burnley Technical High School before returning in 1975 to take on her current role.

She recounted some of her own memories: "I remember when I first came here the headmaster was Mr Redhead. He was only about five foot two inches tall but he was sheer dynamite. Nobody messed with him. He used to sit up on a chair in assembly and he was so small his feet didn't touch the floor but nobody made any noise.

"And I remember when I was in sixth form there was a strike but I didn't take part because I was in hospital having my appendix out.

"We had one or two bomb threats from the IRA too and I remember being evacuated onto Woodgrove Road in the early 70s."

The school opened on September 15, 1941, under the name of Towneley Senior Boys School. Building work had began in 1938 but was delayed because of the Second World War.

It was renamed Towneley Technical High School in 1945 and continued under this name for 11 years when the first girls arrived from Heasandford Technical High School and it merged with Towneley to become Burnley Technical High School.

In 1970 it was called Towneley Comprehensive School until finally, in 1974, it became Towneley High School.

On Sunday between 11am and 2pm the school will be open for visitors of past and present staff and pupils to share their memories.And the organising committee "Celebrating Towneley" are appealing for anybody with memorablia to come forward and help towards the production of a book that will be made over the next year