Demolition
of St Paul's school gets underway
God
bless all former staff, pupils and the building itself. Forever in our
memories of happy years spent there
The demolition of the
derelict St Paul's school got under way this week. In its place will be
built an excellent development by WBH homes of 14 luxury 2 bedroom
apartments with secure parking.
View from the rear
of the school looking through the corridor at what was class 4 and 5
with class 2 and 3 already demolished
I
am, through Brierley and its people in photographs working with the
demolition men on sight in retrieving a time capsule that we buried as
pupils at the school in 1967/8. In the capsule were (as I recall) a copy
of the Barnsley chronicle, a daily newspaper, pupil’s work and other
artefacts that I cannot now remember. I can remember within a couple of
feet where it was buried so I am hoping we can retrieve it.
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See
Memories of St
Paul's school
I
remember burying it as if it were yesterday always remembering the
headmaster at the time Jack Balmforth saying “I wonder what the pupils
of 100 years from now will think of our schooling methods”. Although
it is only 40 years ago we hope to take the capsule to the new school
and with pupils from there, re bury it with a recent time capsule put
together by the present day pupils.
UPDATE: Sadly
the capsule wasn't found but I managed to retrieve three young trees and
one of the old school gates which have been handed to Mike Reid the
headmaster at the new school who will be planting the trees and after
refurbishing the old school gate it will be set in the grounds..
Looking
from outside what was the headmasters office down the corridor |
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“I have many happy
memories of my schooldays at St Paul’s, as I am sure so do many other
people. In a quiet way it was really sad to see it being demolished and
it brought back so many memories, but unfortunately it has stood
derelict for almost 20 years and it became a bad advert for the village.
I only hope that St Paul’s will be remembered for its wonderful
teachers, the pleasant place that it was, the joys it gave and for the
people it taught, and not for the eyesore that it became.” Gary
webmaster
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Class 5 the headmasters
classroom which is the far right classroom on the photograph opposite |
Class 4 on the left
and class 5 on the right with the girls entrance and cloakroom still
standing on the far right |
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A view from the rear
of the building looking at what was the headmasters office on the left
next to the schools secretary's office. Notice where the old brick
(1870) meets the red brick extension (1916) |
A view from the rear
of the building looking at where
the boiler house was (cellar) |
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Looking from the
church yard at what would have been in the 1960s Mrs Thorpe's (class 3)
classroom |
What would have been
Mrs Horton's (class 2 ) in the 1960s
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What is left of the
old stone |
St Paul's gone but
not forgotten |
