St Malachy's School - Liverpool - july 2010 -

[georgie]

when i first heard about this nearly 12 months ago http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk...s-attack-school-closure-plans-92534-23462156/ i knew it was going top of my list

St malachys' was my old primary school housing the nursery & infants in one block and the juniors in a seperate block with school church attatched to the side of the juniors

i knew i couldnt let this one slip me by and as the time grew near i knew i had to see inside again so i was privileged to to be allowed to see inside before closure

i never really thought on doing a report at that time just seeing inside and getting a few pics was good enough for me but then i thought maybe i could explore the place while empty and compare the before and after shots so set about a plan to try and get the shots i was after

i knew the church was totally out of the question being closed for the last 9 yrs and secured to death but im told its been stripped and theres nothing inside but having many family funerals in there and made my communion in there so i couldnt really care whats left, again just to see inside for one last time would do me.

so after my first visit a few weeks rolled on and time was called and the bell was rang for the last time http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/live...loses-after-almost-100-years-100252-26895816/ i couldnt believe it after 100yrs it was closed and demolition threatened as little as 2 days after closure.

so off i went to chance a solo explore and it paid off i once again found myself standing inside but this time it was really strange the walls stripped of kids paintings, classrooms empty just memories remained the lights were out and i was home for one final time.

i can honestly say the first time i set foot in this place after all the yrs id left it was just like id left yesterday apart from the paintings on the walls nothing really had changed ,the chalkboards were still the same, the red and white metre rulers were still getting used and even some tables and chairs were all original and other furniture.

enough babble ill let the pictures do the talking ive gone for a before and after shot on most pics although they may not be in exactly the same place but you get the idea..


explored solo

this place is currently awaiting demolition,alarmed and has security with a dog


this first pic isnt mine it was taken from the website its basically so you can get a view of what it was like instead of posting various external shots and i think it was taken from the roof of the opposite mill view heights or one of the balcony's the junior block is the one connected to the church and infants/nursery is the one nearest with both school halls connected to eachother aswell ,also the priest house which is now demolished sat next to the church on the left....also many moons ago the school used to have a football pitch and playground on the roof with boys and girls toilets at either end thats the reason for the high walls on the roof

ill kick off where it all started for me the nursery...this was wierd the nursery was moved into the infant block and this room was now called the sonas project and apparently the only one in liverpool it housed kids who couldnt cope with normal school life and i was quite shocked to find out the old cloakroom was now a padded cell for when these kids were naughty to kick f**k out of it (i think it only had 6 kids in total in the class)

as it looks today

the once nursery classroom sonas project classroom

and as it stands today

now we move onto the infant block

again 4 weeks after my allowed explore it now looks like this (looks more like a hospital with its wide corridors)

various before and after classroom shots (again not exactly in the same spot)

the after shot

play area

after shot

after shot

the library and reading area

after shot

the infant assembly hall (didnt manage a before shot but nothings really changed in the last few weeks)

 

[georgie]

now its time for the junior block some good times were had in my yrs here met so many good people some whom im still in contact today just like the infants it was 4 classes very large classes infact and various other rooms which i will explain as i go on and like said before it used to have the playground and football pitch on the roof which i never got to see when i was there all those yrs ago but today i seen it up close

again ill do some before and after shots maybe not in the same spot but as good as

the lower floor corridor leading to the heads office and staff room with the library in the middle to the left

again the after shot some 4 weeks later was quite shocked to see the place like this and this was the first thing i seen when entered the building

the once trophy cabinet in the middle

now empty

class one

after shot

the once staff room

and as it stands today

upper floor class 4

and today

computer room

and today

upper floor corridor

and today

library

and as it looks now

storage room just before the roof access

and now empty

class 3 (with the art room in the middle)

and the after shot

one last look at my last class before leaving

and the return pic

the juniors assembly hall (i had my first piano lesson in here)

and now its empty

if your wondering wheres class 2 it was now used as a music room ill add a couple more pics to the end of this including the roof shots and other various pics​

 

[scribble]

That's such a thorough and personal account. It must have been very moving for you. I love the old roller blackboard - they were a nightmare to use but so cute.

 

[krela]

Wow, from thriving and vibrant to sterile in about 1 hour by the look of it. The difference is startling!

 

[BahrainPete]

I think the before & after shots nicely compliment the report, enhanced with the descriptive write up.

 

[Foxylady]

Excellent report, Georgie. And, as Scribble said, must have been quite a sad explore for you. Such a lovely old building and a shame that it couldn't have been used for something else. Has demolition started yet?

 

[hydealfred]

A superb report very sad and very poignant. All that is left is the memories. Thanks for posting.

 

[georgie]

Excellent report, Georgie. And, as Scribble said, must have been quite a sad explore for you. Such a lovely old building and a shame that it couldn't have been used for something else. Has demolition started yet?

cheers yehh it was quite sad demolition was supposed to start 2 days after closure but i aint seen anything of that yet

 

[georgie]

a few of the roof

was a bit hard to get pics up here really with the high walls

 

[georgie]

heres an old report book i found from 1932

 

[georgie]

sadly its now the end of an era as its all over for st malachy's

 

[Acebikerchick]

Ahh thats such a shame...