ONE of Warrington Museum's longest serving staff is bidding a fond farewell and moving to Oxford.

Cherry Gray, the museum's deputy heritage and archives manager, joined the museum in 1978 as the Keeper of Art and was later promoted to acting curator.

She has a degree and MA in history of art and a diploma in gallery studies.

During her time at the museum she has seen many changes and said: "The biggest change and the best thing for me was the new exhibition gallery ten years ago which enabled us to do large-scale exhibitions of the art facilities."

She said that that some of the best exhibitions in the gallery had been ones which had celebrated famous people who came from Warrington, such as Ossie Clarke, Lewis Carroll and George Formby.

She said: "Ossie Clarke has been a particular favourite because he was brought up in Warrington."

She said she also enjoyed the fun exhibitions including a medieval exhibition which included live leeches and added: "We have had celebrities including Fergie when she was first married in the 80s and Zandra Rhodes.

"One of the best was the People's Show when we invited people from all over to choose their favourite painting and it made them come and see why they enjoy art."

Cherry is set to be curator at Abingdon on Thames Museum near Oxford, but will be sad to say goodbye to Warrington Museum.

She said: "It is a wonderful gallery and I still think it is one of the finest in the north-west. It has been a fantastic job and I am very interested in the subject."