A performance by Welsh opera star Katherine Jenkins was the icing on the cake at a school's 500th birthday party.

St Paul’s School, in Lonsdale Road, hosted its own music festival - the Q Festival - last Saturday, to celebrate its quincentenary.

Nearly 4,000 people gathered to watch the Welsh singer, ex-M People star and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Heather Small and rising starlet Faryl Smith sing their hearts out before the night ended with a spectacular firework display.

It was not just the stage that was graced by celebrities, with doctor, scientist, television presenter, politician and former St Paul’s pupil, Lord Robert Winston among the watching masses.

Brian Lane, who helped to co-ordinate the event and has a child at the school, said: “Everybody I have spoken to had a really good day.

“Everything worked, it was just a really good day out.

“I think there will be a lot of people who will think, through word of mouth, I should have gone to that but they will have to wait another 500 years for the next one.”

Mr Lane said the festival, billed as Barnes’ one-off version of the Marble Hill concert, represented a real community effort and paid particular thanks to parents for giving their skills and time and making the event, which otherwise would have been a quarter of a million to £300,000 project, achievable.

For a full report, see this week's paper.