J.Colloby BA

(address supplied) writes:

I ATTENDED a meeting which was to discuss the closing of Tyldesley College. Having attended various classes over a number of years and thoroughly enjoyed them, I was hoping that some way could be found to keep the college open.

However, the decision had already been taken to close it and everything was cut and dried. A letter was given to every student which declared all classes would continue, but at other locations.

One venue given was Fred Longworth High School, but for anyone who does not have a car this would be difficult to reach, particularly in the evenings.

Gradually the number of students wishing to continue with their classes would be eroded and the cause put down to apathy. This is certainly not the case, as the numbers attending the meeting showed.

Several reasons have been given for the closure, ranging from lack of numbers attending (currently running at almost 1,000), it is not viable and finally to lack of funding by central government.

Perhaps this closure is just one small drop in the ocean, but as one amenity after another closes and Tyldesley is deprived of one more facility, it will end up by becoming more of a ghost town than it already is.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.