THERE are three special memories in one of the newest features at Leeming and Londonderry primary school.

Children who already have a sundial provided by the parents' support group can now study the weather in another traditional way through a weathervane on the gable end of the school.

The weathervane, which includes the numerals 2000 and a Yorkshire rose, was made to mark the millennium. It was designed by former pupil Stewart Clapham, who is now at Bedale high school but whose family has been connected with Leeming and Londonderry for 36 years.

It was begun by the late Mr George Wintersgill, whose eight-year-old son, Sam, attends Leeming and Londonderry, and completed by a good friend, Mr Pete Milburn.

Mr Wintersgill, a plant hire operator from Leeming who followed an interest in self-taught metalwork as a hobby, had been working on the weathervane for only about two weeks when he died suddenly.

All work on the weathervane, painted by part-time teacher Mrs Barbara Marshall, was done free and the parents' support group paid for its erection.

Mr Wintersgill's widow, Hilary, a member of the support group, said: "We asked the school what it was doing to mark the millennium and George suggested the weathervane.

"The group had already bought a sundial for the school when weather was being studied as part of the national curriculum. We thought it would be nice if the children could also learn about weather through a weathervane.

"There is a memory of my husband in it, but it does celebrate two other things. I'm very pleased to see it up there, but so many other people were involved as well and they all deserve to be mentioned.