FOLLOWING on from last week’s feature on Colliers Row Primary we have more from the log books of this little moorland school.

The school, situated near Scout Road in Bolton, served the cottages and farms on the moors above Bolton at the turn of the 20th century.

In this week’s feature, World War One becomes a reality and we can see how the school responds to this grave situation.

While we might all imagine children in 1908 would be seen and not heard, this was clearly not the case as a diary entry for April 22 reveals a six-year-old boy was given “one slight stroke on the hand for striking a girl”. Then on July 11 two boys were given two strokes on the hand for cruelty to a frog, and on August 2 two boys were chastised for swearing.

Boys discovered “robbing birds’ nests after being warned” were also given two strokes and “for bad language” “paddled on their pants”.

Director of Education Fred Wilkinson ordered the school to be closed in March 1908 so that a new boiler could be installed. The temperature was 45 degrees fahrenheit in school.

Once the new boiler was fitted the temperature, near the door, was recorded as having reached 53 degrees fahrenheit. The Popplewell charity asked for the names of 10 poor children to help, but only one family was eligible.

On August 3 it is recorded that the manager of Doffcocker cotton mill had obtained permission to show the children through the mill and explain the process of cotton manufacture. A total of 25 children went on the trip, and no doubt a large number of them would later be employed in mill work in Bolton.

In 1910 snow drifts prevent farmers’ children from attending school and Colonel Ainsworth — whose family had been instrumental in creating the school — promised a plot of land for a garden.

In 1911 the colonel paid for the garden to be rough dug and parents of the children provided plants. It was decided that the school caretaker should be paid six shillings a week.

In 1912 the log book notes that a boy had broken a window on a Sunday afternoon.

In 1913, 21 fruit trees and raspberry canes were given for the school garden, and a window frame from Barrowbridge Mills was given to be used in the garden.

Patriotism was clearly important in 1914 because on May 24, Empire Day, there is a lesson on the Empire and “children salute the flag”.

The garden continues to be improved upon and on January 26 1915 Mrs Ainsworth presents six rose trees to the school.

On May 25 the school receives a Roll of Honour from the Education Office showing the names of old boys of the school who are serving with the Forces in World War One.

In October of the same year a donation is made to the Prince of Wales National Relief Fund and monthly contributions agreed until the end of the war.

No new desks were allowed in November because of war requisitions and slates were now to be used because of a scarcity of paper.

Parcels were collected in June for Prisoners of War and in February 1918 there is an entry reading “I took the children to see THE TANK this morning, a weapon to end the war”.

On March 12 eggs were sent for the National Egg Collection (this was a collection started for wounded servicemen in August 1915 and it was estimated 200,000 would be needed each week). The school hopes to make their own small, but important, contribution weekly.

On November 12, 1918 the school was closed for the day in recognition of the signing of the Armistice with Germany.

In July 1919 the children from Colliers Row School attended Church Road School to practice “peace songs” and on November 11 the anniversary of Armistice Day was observed.

A message from King George V was read to the children and the meaning of the day explained to them. They all followed a “reverent silence for two minutes at 11 o’clock”.

Once again snow stops play (and study) when the school is closed in March 1920 due to the weather.

The school finally closed in July 1971.

Again the weather was unfavourable and “packages of books were saturated with the rain so were unpacked, dried, then re-packed and taken to the new school which was Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School in Smithills Dean Road.

This school was opened and dedicated on Saturday January 20, 1973.