Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Birkenhead Technical College

I was at the tech night and day release 1954-1960 Fenton grabbed me one day as he overheard me say I was going up to the canteen--REFECTORY MY BOY NOT A CANTEEN!!

That sounds like Vince alright !!

great pics takes me straight back there

shipbuilding fabrication and engineering studies 1978-81 then again studing I.T in the early 90's at evening

I was there on day/block release doing mechanics course around 74. I thought the Mechanics Institute was more or less opposite the college then?

great pics polo, i had forgotten had dated it was,but its brought back happy memories

1953 to 1958- One Full day every Wednesday and 3 nights a week while serving my Plumbing aprenticeship.

Ahhhh the good old days....

I loved the dances there too in the old theatre

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Does anyone know anything about the Birkenhead Technical College building on the corner of Kelvin Road and Hillside Road, Tranmere. Beside the Mount Taylor Methodist Church which was on the corner of Holt Road and Leighton Road. https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/sid...02062&layers=173&right=ESRIWorld

It appears to have at least partly co-existed with the Borough Road site which is often referred to as the "new" Technical College.

Were there any other satellite buildings?

It was known as Holt Technical School and was the first Technical School in Birkenhead, about 1957ish it was given over for housing purposes and was superseded by Borough Rd. Not aware of any satellite buildings.

There's a snippet from a book I have or had further back.

I went there for ONC Electrical Eng. on day release from 1951 to closure, which was probably 1954, then to the 'new' one for evening classes.
I've got a date of 1888 from somewhere? The floors were well-worn plain wood and I think there was a lecture theatre with tiered seating.
George Roberts was the lecturer, quite a character, but fair, and got the message across in his own way. I can't remember seeing much gear for 'practical' work, some motors perhaps, left over from the DC mains era for the Hopkinson Efficiency Test.
Colleagues were from MANWEB, Holts, etc

Well out-of-date compared to the 'new' one!

Thanks Bert, I've seen Holt Technical School mentioned somewhere, I didn't associate it with that area.

In 1893 the Arts and Science committee decided to move all Art classes at the end of term to Laird Street. This would provide space plus the addition of rooms built on the plot of land for Science and Technologies. It would appear after this date it was known as Holt Technical School, prior just, Holt School.

I did some ONC day release electronics course at Birkenhead Tech in 1970s, they were painfully dull and slow, did the ONC trade/craft theory at Kelsterton College which was a bit better other than travel. At least one of them were long days (morning thru evening) which didn't help.

Thanks for the confirmation that there was an overlap where both building were in use for a few years which I had suspected without any conclusive evidence.