THE talents of students past and present were celebrated as more than 900 people gathered at a school's annual prize-giving ceremony.

Bury Grammar School for Boys, which enjoyed a 100-per-cent A-level and GCSE pass rate in August, held the event at Victoria Hall in Bolton.

The special guest was former pupil Philip Collins, a columnist at The Times whose past roles include being chief speech writer for Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister.

Mr Collins said: "I really enjoyed my time at Bury Grammar School for Boys.

"I admired the teachers and my experiences set me up for the career I'm in now.

"For all budding writers — you need to be able to explain your story in one line and, if you can achieve this clarity, then you should succeed."

The school's headmaster, Mr Richard Marshall, said: "Our ethos is one of achievement for all and it is at the heart of all we do, which is shown clearly by our excellent exam results and the boys' extraordinary accomplishments.

"My advice to our boys: aim high, work hard, take risks, and never give up — and perhaps in future years, you will be back, addressing us, as Mr Collins did, as a highly successful old boy who has sought to make a difference."

There were performances from the school's concert band and vocal group at the September 22 presentation evening, as well as speeches from students and staff.