CHILDREN from two village schools said goodbye to their friend and vicar the Rev Paul Rathbone during a special assembly at Bishopthorpe, York.

Mr Rathbone is retiring as Vicar of St Andrew's, Bishopthorpe, and Holy Trinity, Acaster Malbis, after 17 years.

For all of that time, he has been connected with Archbishop of York's CE Junior School, Bishopthorpe, and for much of it he was chairman of governors. He has also visited the school nearly every week to take assemblies.

He was invited in to mark his forthcoming retirement in August at an assembly at the junior school, which was also attended by children from Bishopthorpe Infant School.

Mr Rathbone said: "The children from both schools provided a wonderful act of worship which was very full of meaning."

He was then presented with two paintings by the children which had been commissioned from local artist Lin Taylor.

One was of St Andrew's and the other of Holy Trinity.

Mr Rathbone said: "The presentation was a surprise and a great delight and I shall treasure them to remind me of the school."

Junior head teacher Dean Beecham said: "He has played a big part in school life and we wanted to say thank you."

Mr Rathbone's last Sunday service will be on July 8.

He and his wife, Elizabeth, are moving to Thirsk. He said he planned to spend six months "on sabbatical", resting and reading, and might then do some more ministry.

Updated: 10:43 Saturday, June 23, 2001