Preparations and practices are taking place today for Hitchin Girls' School and Hitchin Boys' School Founders' Day service, taking place on Friday (July 1) at St Mary's Church.

The event is an annual tradition which marks the end of Year 11 and Year 13 for students and a time of moving on for many.

The event also honouring the men and women who founded and supported the schools over four centuries of their history.

Anticipating the event, St Mary's said: "It's a great privilege to welcome the schools to St Mary's, which has stood at the centre of the town throughout all those centuries."

Please note that due to the service, St Mary's will not be open to the public on Friday morning (July 1) - however the church does hope to be able to welcome visitors from about 1pm.

For regular updates from St Mary's like/follow our Facebook page here for our weekly column from the heart of Hitchin in 'A Churchwarden Writes...'

Below: You can see here the memorial to one of the earliest founders, Ralph Skynner, a local benefactor who lived a remarkable 90 years in the late 17th century (credit St Mary's Church instagram).