Alan’s memories of a 100-year-old school

Alan Rigby is one such Bolton resident who has stories to tell of the 100 year-old school that started life in 1881 before closing in 1982 when pupils were transferred to Sharples High School.

The school built in the 19th century replaced the old school in Arden Street which became the, so-called, "Out and Out Mission" and later the Church of the Nazarene, explains Alan.

Once Alan gets an idea in his head he sets about working on it and the result of his latest plan is a book all about the school that was a part of his life from 1963 to 1970.

He is not sure if it will be published yet but wanted to write it for himself.

We will run Alan's memories over several weeks as they are sure to appeal to anyone with connections to what was once called Brownlow Fold Board School.

Alan, who lives in Sharples, has looked at the history and developing philosophy of technical education at the school which was reorganised in 1936 with the senior boys' department and primary section remaining in the same building and the girls being transferred to Wolfenden Street.

By 1953 the boys' school had a new headmaster, Mr Alan Pope and the new curriculum was based on a practical basis, explains Alan.

By May 1956 a technical bias was introduced.

New head Mr Walter Hall was appointed in 1961, following on from Mr K J R Robson and Alan's involvement began in September 1963.

He had never heard of the school before February 1963, he explains, despite being aware of the area.

But having been "head-hunted" by Walter Hall for a post as woodwork teacher.

Brownlow Fold was looking to extend the technical side of the curriculum and the existing workshop was to become a metalwork room.

Up to this point woodwork and metalwork had been taught in the same room.

Mr Ron Bleakley would teach metalwork and in order to provide both woodwork and metalwork at the same time the new teacher (which would be Alan) would establish a new workshop in a prefabricated building in the school yard and this would be affectionately known as the "hut".

Alan was offered the post to start immediately after the Bolton Holidays in July and with the help of a group of senior boys was able to set up and prepare a woodwork room in the hut to be ready for September, he explains.

His first month's salary was £60 yet his wage for a two weeks' holiday job slicing bread at Warburtons — during Bolton Holidays — was £60.

"The school was situated in an area of terraced houses and mills but was a fantastic community with very spirited pupils, a very good grounding for a new teacher.

"I was back in my home town, I had my own domain the "hut" where I was about to be trusted to implement my philosophy of education in earnest," says Alan.

As well as teaching woodwork Alan also had to teach English and maths.

He worked alongside Derek Billington who taught art and whom Alan had known for several years as a scout master.

Other teachers whose names will know doubt ring bells with other readers included metalwork colleague Ron Bleakley, Bill Ashworth who taught technical drawing and travelled from Blackpool every day by train.

Reverend Robin Brunskill was the science teacher and John Brown taught humanities and was an outdoor pursuits' enthusiast.

Brian Smith taught maths and became deputy head and eventually acting head before the school closed in the early 1980s, says Alan. The school also had a peripatetic music teacher — Joan Crompton.

Alan's philosophy was that the boys should make things THEY wanted to make not items he told them to create.

This had, he says, a major effect on motivation.

That motivation did not simply involve youngsters born and brought up in Bolton.

Brownlow Fold would become, explains Alan, the destination for many immigrant youngsters (particularly from the Asian community) for whom English was not their first language. This started about 1964 as he recalls.

"I was somewhat surprised how well my belief in the use of practical craft activity fitted into the experimental teaching of English as a foreign language that was being developed by other departments.

"Traditionally our students came from mainly homes where parents worked in the manufacturing industries and were keen to learn skills and earn qualifications that would help them get employment.

"This aim did not change with the influx of immigrant boys whose needs were basically the same with the additional need to learn the English language," he says.

There was so much to do, recalls Alan, including preparation of materials ready for the lessons and preparation of tools.

"The first task every morning was to put on the glue kettle. I cannot remember if it was a gas ring kettle or a new fangled electric one used to heat and melt the animal glue called scotch glue.

"The other morning job was to check and feed the boiler that had been checked earlier by Mr Hough the caretaker. But during the day it was my responsibility to keep the building and water warm."

Alan remembers that his motorbike — which he used to get to and from school — gained him some kudos with the boys.

"Both John Brown and I had bikes that were left outside in Mort Street and only once were they interfered with by a boy in revenge for being punished.

"But the other boys saw to it that he did not get away with it," he says.