Bootle Times News

I thought I'd take some pics of my old school as it is earmarked for demolition soon. I couldn't take many as I have a bad back at the mo and some I took didn't come out very well. I hope people can add to the collection x

here is the school from the Hawthorne Road end. The upper classrooms were English classes, the lower were the music rooms. The science and language block is in the background.



I found this poignant. A tribute to a great school. When I was there some ladies were pinning their school ties to the area.



What I did see today was lots of people mainly in their late twenties/thirties/ forties all walking around the grounds. there is no sign of demolition today. Just a lot of people taking perhaps a last stroll through their old playgrounds.

Thanks donna sad a school
has to go have a few photos
any idea when demolition goes ahead
bobhamo

There was a rumour that it was starting this week. I think it would be a good idea to get a few more shots. I just couldn't manage it today. Hope to try again before it is too late x I believe it was built in 1954? My Mum always said it was a landfill before it was a school but i don't know if that is true or not.

Thanks Donna,

Hope we get more pics posted here that's my old school too

Mack

bootle high on browns lane was empty for a long time before it was demolished but from what ive heard demo is starting in a couple of weeks.

Just heard from my niece Hannah who went to the school that demolition begins on Monday 23rd July 2012. She is going to email some pics over taken on the final open day. As soon as I get them I'll post them up here.

Mack

Pics received by email from Hannah Fowler...













Pics from Hannah Fowler

.

I went today to see if I could get some more pics. I only managed to get perimeter shots as every gate was chained and padlocked.

I started my journey at the Orrell Road bridge. This is the view that I used to see of the unused railway on my way to school every day. Very overgrown now!



In the next pic, the bushes weren't there in 1983 - 88 when I was there. You can see the tennis courts, although I never played tennis there once. We always played netball.

This pic is from the Orrell Road end. The closest building is the Gym with shuttered windows. You kind of felt like your class had drawn the short straw when you were down that end as it wasn't as modern as the sports hall end. The gym had a lot of highly polished wooden equipment if i remember correctly!



Walking down Orrell Road, here is the gate many of us used to enter the school.

This patch of grass is where portacabins used to stand. They housed about 5 classrooms which were used for language classes. The large room you can see in the background was only ever used as a place for people eating packed lunches. i don't know what it was prior to 1983.



This is where things started to get awkward for me as the gates were locked and I tried to get some shots through the wire. This is kind of a side shot across what was the teachers car park. You can see the science block. Those hedges weren't there when i was a student there, it was all open plan, no fences. There were signs of activity, a security van was touring the grounds and people were walking around. A few white vans as well.

The more modern building on the left was the 6th form block



I went around to the Hawthorne Road end to see if I could get access to the grounds. This shot was taken from Rimmer Close. That stretch of grass used to be the all weather pitch. I think it had tiny iron ballbearings on it and if you fell on it it smarted! many a PE lesson was spent there inhaling the tar smell of Lanstar Coatings on the opposite side of the road!

On finding that the gates were very securely chained and padlocked I did what I could to get a few shots of the grounds. This field sits a lot higher than the ground floor of the school. when we were in the 1st and 2nd year seniors (year 7 and 8 to you young ones!) we were put out the back here, but closer to the main school, at breaktime. You had to go up a few stairs to get up to the field level. Wonder why it was so?



Just another grounds shot

once again I was thwarted by the wire!

once again I was thwarted by the wire!

So I had the intrepid idea of going into the factory at the side of Orrell Mount.
This view is over the disused railway and shows the sports hall. The corridors just beyond this, the upper ones were maths rooms and the downstairs technical drawing and woodworkshops.

Tried the zoom lens. These were all taken on an iphone. This end was mainly art rooms upstairs, cookery and needlework downstairs. The ones with the white panelled windows were RE rooms. I was in one when it got set on fire (It wasn't me!)



View of the science/ language block. The library was housed in the base of this tower. The teachers had this private staircase that they used to go up to their classrooms. The library went on fire in 1985 and destroyed it. We couldn't use the science block for ages and then when we did there was a hole in the floor of the first floor science lab and you could see right down to the pavement below!

Last one from me I'm afraid. Would have loved to get closer but I guess they are preparing it as a site now and will come under health and safety.

Donna I don,t know anything about this school but you have spent so much time and energy in taking photo,s and writing the history you deserve a HUGE thank-you for your effort. In the future people will be thrilled to look back and be thankfull you did this. THANK YOU

Sheelagh

I can only follow Sheelagh in what she has said, good job Donna, a credit to you.

Loretta

Brilliant work Donna Thanks so much for posting the pics and thank you to my niece Hannah too for her bril pics. It's so important that things like this are never forgotten and by taking the time to save pics and share them here means the memories will live on forever.

Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful pics

Mack

Top job Donna good on you

Donna thanks for spending so much time taking photos. I attended in the very first batch of pupils when the school opened, we started at 11 years old and were the first to start in the 1st year and go right through the school, I was also in the first class when we had a 5th year to stay till 16 to do shorthand and typing.

I had intended to go on Monday but my husband wanted to go to see a fishery in Wales where he has a match this Saturday and after getting a little off track we were late getting back so I missed it. Pity but I did get a meal out so it wasn't all bad.

I know that a member of Litherland History society went and he has taken some photographs so if I can get copies I will show them on here.

Once again, thanks I was one of the pupils who loved that school and the last time I was there was for the 50th anniversay. Sad to see it go it looks in better condition than I remember St George's was and yet they are keeping that.

Oops just realised you will all know how old I am now

Eileen

Good job Donna.Why are they tearing it down? It looks like it is still a good solid building.Anyone know what is gonna be built on this site?
Scotty

Thanks for the pics Donna.

Very sad day.

I have a friend who has worked at the school for years.
She was upset at the closing and saying goodbye.

Kathy.

Some great shots donna will try to get there myself .
think the site of the school was an army barracks
and an amunition factory
bobhamo

Would have gone meself, had i known they were planning to flatten it so soon. just got back from holiday and read this post tonight. Have they already started to demolish it? If not, might have to jump in the car and buz down the east lancs tomoz!

Hiya Wal,

Hope you had a boss holiday and welcome back to our Bootle site

I drove past the skewl Thursday eve and it was still standing. The rumour was demolition was to begin on the 23rd of July but it looks like there has been a delay. Maybe someone else on our Bootle site has some inside info as to what's happening.

Mack

Hi, Pete.
Holiday was good mate, but it's good to get home too! Did the school have an open day for a mooch round or sommeat? Did anyone get foties? Hope all is well

Right! popped down to the school today, and i've got the results unedited and unphotoshopped up on flickr, the link to which is:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14324765@N ... 805225848/

Feel free to link or upload or do whatever you like with them. All i'd ask is a little acknowledgement of where they were from if you do, ta!

Cheers Wal,

Just had a look at your piccys, some great shots there.

Ta very much for posting the link. Yep they had an open day a few weeks ago.

Bezzy wishes,

Mack

I noticed that construction lorries have moved onto the site. Maybe things are moving forward with the demolition. Will try and have a better look tomorrow on the way home from work.

I passed the school yesterday afternoon and again, on the way home, in the evening.

There are large industrial size skips on site, as well as container type offices!

The large containers that Glenys mentioned can be seen in these pics.







A taxi driver told me today that the land can only be used for educational purposes. I don't know how true this is.

I saw some men in high vis jackets moving about the site and the windows of the block appear to have the loose blinds/ fittings removed. Something is definitely taking shape over there.

Donna D.I attended a Fire at that School one evening in the 80s in the tower block on the top floor.I dont think it was the one you talk about.

I remember being there in the early 60s when you could climb down the railway embankment and the lads from the then fruit market would throw fruit over the wall onto the old goods line for the kids to collect, Happy day,s islandmann p.s Mack that,s the finest barnet del boy ever sold m8.