IT was 20 years ago today that York Minster was hit by a devastating blaze which cracked the famous Rose Window into 40,000 pieces.

Tonight, the man who led the York Glaziers' Trust in restoring the stained glass, Peter Gibson, will give an illustrated talk on the challenging project.

A Tudor Rose Restored, in aid of York Against Cancer, will begin at 10pm in the Minster Nave and end at about 11.30pm, providing the audience with a rare opportunity to be in the cathedral close to the time the fire started.

Mr Gibson will be joined by the Szczepek Ensemble, who will sing choral items that reflect the theme of the lecture, including an anonymous 15th century piece, There Is No Rose. Tickets costing £7.50 for adults and £5 concessions are available on the door.

Meanwhile, 50 limited edition prints of a painting by artist MJ Braithwaite to commemorate the blaze have been donated to the Minster to help raise money to pay for continuing preservation work. The artist, who is a familiar sight as he paints in the streets near the Minster, says the fire has always been the most requested image that was not available in his extensive collection - until now.

Prompted by public demand, he began researching the subject and was provided with original reference material by Petergate resident Peter Jones, resulting in The Fire From Minster Gates.

The prints are on sale from today at the Minster shop as well as the Braithwaite Gallery in Low Petergate.

An in-depth look at the York Minster fire>>

Updated: 10:33 Friday, July 09, 2004