GREAT Ayton Parish Council has, for a number of years, been without a flagpole despite having its own flag, which depicts the two most well-known landmarks of the village: Roseberry Topping and Captain Cook's monument.

On reading in the D&S Times that the parish council was discussing the possibility of buying a flagpole for erection outside the library as part of a millennium project, retired local businessman Mr David Williams offered to pay for its purchase and installation.

Mr Williams, who used to have a residential letting business, said: "It is nice to be in a position to be able to afford to do these things for other people who over the years have done things for me when I was younger, and as a gesture for all that the parish has done for my family and myself."

Couns John Fletcher and Francis Greenwell, chairman and vice-chairman respectively of the parish council, received the flagpole from Mr Williams on behalf of the village in a small informal ceremony last Friday.

Coun Fletcher said: "On behalf of the village we are very grateful to you for this kind offer. We have waited years for a flagpole and your generosity has now given us this opportunity. The Union flag will be flown on high days and holidays, and for special occasions unique to the village, our own flag will be flown."

Coun Fletcher will act as honorary flagmaster, raising and lowering it as required. It is intended to record when and why the flag is flying in future editions of the D&S Times.

The parish council decided to place it outside the library, formerly the British school, because this was a focal point for the village and well-known to parish councillors and villagers as somewhere they either went to school or where they took their children to school.

Until 1968 the present library building had served as a school. A plaque outside details its history: "This building was originally Ayton British school, built in 1843 through the generosity of Thomas Richardson of Great Ayton and other Quaker business men. The school provided education for 100 boys and girls of ages between five and 14 years and became a library in 1971."

It is further recorded elsewhere that local benefactor Mr Richardson endowed the British school "for the education of the poor children of Ayton and neighbourhood" by providing it with four shares in the Stockton & Darlington Railway.

Over the years it has been used for educating generations of Aytonians, finally ending as an infants' school. In the 60s, those children who stayed for school meals used to have to walk to the village hall, which was then leased to the county council, for their dinners.

In 1968, Roseberry junior school was built by North Riding County Council and the British school building was made redundant.

In 1971 it was refurbished and opened as Great Ayton library. This pleasant building was a tremendous improvement on the then existing library which was housed in what is now the village hall.

The stone inscription "Ayton British school 1843" carved in 6in-high letters on stone blocks covering an area 14ft-long and 27in-high above the door was taken down and preserved in the wall of the library car park at the rear of the premises.

This was replaced by a stone carving of the Yorkshire Rose, inscribed "1971".