I thought I'd share these Construction and opening Pics of the old College on Borough Road. Thanks to Wirral Met (and whoever originally took the photos) for the pics.
The large building in the background of the 3rd pic is Woodchurch Rd. Primary School. I went there and remember looking at the construction work of the "new" Tech.
Later (1959/60) I went to the Tech on day release whilst serving my apprenticeship. Yes Bri445, you are quite right, totally cheerless sums it up ! In the early '70's I went to evening classes (trying to learn Welsh) there. The Principal/boss was Mr Vincent Fenton (?). A right stickler for doing things right. The cry of "Look out - here's Vince" rang down the still cheerless corridors! Fags out !!
Brilliant pics. When I worked for the Council in the 70s the rumour was that the Council's secret cold war operations bunker was in the basement of the college. Apparently every council had to have one so the 'important' people could be saved in the event of nuclear attack.
Yes, in the event of nuclear naughtiness happening, a bunker was indeed installed/built under the theatre end for the chosen few. After Russia went tits up and the cold war ended, the bunker was no longer needed. I think it ended its days as a recording studio/storeroom/dump.
Can't find the link at the moment, but I'm sure there's something to that effect on the Sub.Brit site.
Site Name: Birkenhead - Wirral Metropolitan Borough Emergency Centre/Merseyside County Standby (Site 2)
SJ312875 Borough Road Birkenhead
RSG site visit 4th December 2001
[Source: Nick Catford with technical information from Nick Willasey Liverpool City Council EPO]
Birkenhead Corporation Control was located in a purpose built Civil Defence Corps Control Centre beneath the Technical College Theatre (later re-named the Glenda Jackson Theatre in honour of one of the Wirral's most famous daughters), in Borough Road, Birkenhead.
Photo: The Glenda Jackson Theatre Photo by Nick Catford
It was opened in 1952 and used until 1968. It was later reactivated in the 1980's as the Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council Emergency Centre and refurbished in 1988 with a standby generator, forced air ventilation, blast valves and two water tank. (Two sets of blast doors were fitted during construction in 1952, these were not upgraded) Following the refurbishment Merseyside County Standby was co-located at the site. At this time the centre was also fitted with an Autex 1600, 100 CMX and a TXS 50 ECN unit.
In 1990 The Wirral Emergency Centre was moved to Westminster House, Birkenhead and the bunker under the Glenda Jackson Theatre was closed; at that time Merseyside lost it's standby centre. The Glenda Jackson Theatre itself is now also closed and the Wirral Metropolitan College is due to close in the near future. It is likely that the site will be demolished. The bunker is currently used by the college as a recording studio and rehearsal room with several structural changes being made since the closure of the emergency centre.
Photo: Plan of the bunker Survey by Nick Willasey & Drawn by Nick Catford
Entrance to the bunker was from the main corridor linking the college with the theatre, the blast doors have now been removed and replaced with ordinary wooden doors. These entrances were in the form of airlocks opening into a small room with a second door diagonally opposite into the bunker. The first air lock opened into the 'Dispatch Room' where the PABX was located. From the despatch room the ventilation plant room was on the left and the male toilets were accessed through the plant room. The internal solid walls forming these three rooms have now been removed and four smaller rooms have been created in the space. These are used as rehearsal rooms, one is empty, one contains a double bass and two contain drum kits.
On the right hand side of the former dispatch room was a door into one of two Control Rooms (Control Room 2) but the doorway has now been walled up. The narrow MSX Room was also accessed from the right hand side of the Dispatch Room, this now acts as a corridor into the other rooms. A message hatch into Control Room 2 has been filled in. A door at the far end of the MSX room opens into the 'Message Room' which is now empty apart from a piano. The emergency exit in the far corner of the room has been bricked up and the two message hatches into Control Room 2 have been enlarged to form a wide open doorway between the two rooms. Control Room 2 contains various items of audio equipment. A doorway linking Control Room 2 with Control Room 1 has been blocked up and access to the Control Room 1 can now only be made through the Message Room.
Photo: Control Room 1 Photo by Nick Catford
Control Room 1 has been converted into a recording studio with audio mixers and tape decks. Two message hatches between the Message Room and Control Room 1 have been replaced with a large glass window. From control room 1 there is also a door into the 'Liaison Room' and through the second air lock back into the basement corridor. These rooms are used for storage as are the former women's toilets which were accessed from Control Room 1. The standby generator was located in a room outside the bunker and has now been removed.
Photo: Siren Control Cabinet Photo by Nick Catford
While most sirens were removed in the 1990's that at this site along with the control cabinet still survive in the college lift room. Inside the cabinet there is a WB1400 carrier receiver that was used to operate the siren remotely. The siren can be key operated and we were able to test it briefly, any longer and the college would have been evacuated. According to the log this was the first siren test since 1992. The siren is located on the roof of the lift room in a metal cage. The control cabinet and the siren have now been donated to the Hack Green museum where they will be installed in 2002.
Those taking part in the visit were Nick Catford , Keith Ward , Rod Siebert, John Fogg and Robin Ware
Thanks phil. Excellent photos AND the great Vince! As an aside, where is Westminster House, B'head ?? According to Sub.Brit. this is where the "new" bunker is for the good and the great. Assuming there are the "good and the great" in WBC !
I did a short course a few years ago i reckon about 2 years before it closed, We went down to the recording studios to have a look round and ended up getting locked in!
Thanks phil. Excellent photos AND the great Vince! As an aside, where is Westminster House, B'head ?? According to Sub.Brit. this is where the "new" bunker is for the good and the great. Assuming there are the "good and the great" in WBC !
Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council ?Westminster House,Hamilton St,Birkenhead,Merseyside,CH41 5FN
As long as i have enough time to nip around the corner and jump on lovely Sally.
Back to those excellent pics, the gym brings back memories, even as a full time student/apprentice they still made us have PE once a week, if i remember right, the canteen and its contents was stocked by catering students, excellent sausage rolls.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
were these nuclear bunkers built when they built the college 1950? Westminster House is I think where the old market was in the 1970s Just imagining if sirens went or how much warning there would have been and how to get from Hamilton square area to college in time before bombs dropped or are there other hidden safety places we don't know about
Fantastic pics Phil, i spent a year at this place 11yrs ago when i was 16, so sad to see it gone so soon after being built, im sure it would of looked great after a refurb! i never knew it had a gym, wish i had explored the place a bit more now. thanks for the pics, they make this site worthwhile. Kev
Amazing post and great pics thankyou, I went here to study mechanics for a short time. One minute it was here the next it was gone so when was it knocked down (I never did goto Birkenhead much lol).
anyone any idea what was originally on the plot of land opposite the tec that was the car park (its now flats). wondering what was there before it became a car park
derekdwc " nuclear bunkers built when they built the college 1950?"
The question or thoughts Derek is what other public building (still standing) was built about the same time and was owned by Birkenhead corpy,a building which is big enough to hold a bunker,there is one but the last time I was in the building the blast doors had been removed and it was being used for offices,can't tell you where as it might be still classified as secret.
anyone any idea what was originally on the plot of land opposite the tec that was the car park (its now flats). wondering what was there before it became a car park
Don't know what was there originally but by the 1940's it was the Plaza car park.
I think the Car Park lasted until the Plaza became a Bingo Hall. There was a small brick building in the centre (?) of the car park for the attendant. This was demolished quite some time before the Car Park finally closed if I recall. The local Intelligencia had attacked it several times !
I was 4 years old when the old Queen laid the foundation stone. We lived in Westbank Rd that runs parallel to Borough Rd. Mum took me to see the event we stood on what was the car park for the Plaza. I sat on mums shoulders.
I remember when I was in the scouts (10th Birkenhead St Catherines), the Birkenhead troups put on their shows there.
anyone any idea what was originally on the plot of land opposite the tec that was the car park (its now flats). wondering what was there before it became a car park
Here's a couple of maps, the first from the 1870's & the second from 1910. That site wasn't built on back then, even though by 1910 there was housing on Borough Rd. & the "Bank" roads off North Rd. I wonder why. Interesting that Singleton Ave. is later than 1910; anybody know its date?
Wild guess, but I assume it was a yard for the quarry/brickworks across the road.
There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
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!!
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?
There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
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.
Last edited by bert1; 30th Apr 20254:22pm.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
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
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.
Thanks Bert, I've seen Holt Technical School mentioned somewhere, I didn't associate it with that area.
There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
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.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
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!
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.
There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
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