At School In Bamford

I was at school in Bamford from 1969-1972. Although this was a not a happy time for me at Knowl View School, which was a boarding school for children with emotional problems, I sought solace by walking around Bamford, near Rochdale, and in the countryside around there. In particular, I enjoyed exploring Carr Woods and the Naden brook between Bamford and Norden. I found the old ruined mill and bleach/dye works at Coal Bank of particular interest and would often sit beside the ruins and brook until it was time to get back for tea and the special school that I attended. Not good memories of the school, which I hated, but some good and happy memories of the surrounding countryside. For a couple of hours at least I was able to forget all my problems and surround myself in the rich industrial history of the Ashworth Valley, Carr Woods and the Naden brook. Despite all the bad things - there were "some" good times at Knowl View.

My life at Knowl View School was not a good one, but I had to go there because I had made my mind up that I wasn't going to a mainstream school. Most of the other boys there came from poor backgrounds, many being emotionally disturbed and, quite a few unable to attend proper schools due to their disruptive behaviour and inability to adapt to ordinary school life. The boys at Knowl View were aged from about 7 years to 16 years of age. There were four dormitories: Nirvana,Valhalla, Bliss and Lilliput. Myself, I started off in Nirvana - a pretty dreadful place with some unpleasant kids - the other dorms not much better, perhaps even worse. I wouldn't say the school was run in a military way but at times it seemed like that to me. Some of the teachers were quite nice, others were awful characters who probably shouldn't have been teachers at all. This school was most probably the only one that would take them.
                       
 I hated Knowl View School and I hated everything that 'it' stood for - the very bricks and mortar of the building, the windows, doors, roof, furniture and everything else inside the place. I would look out from my little bedroom window in lilleput dormatory at the world outside this wretched place - the world outside in Bamford and Rochdale. The bus which I hoped would take me away from here came into the village every half hour, then it made its way back to Rochdale and, to home beyond that. The bus was on time, turning around to get to its 'waiting position'. If only I could "be" on that bus, if only, that was the big question.

I loved Bamford, Carr Woods, Norden and Rochdale, but I hated Knowl View School to its very guts. I would lay in bed in the darkness of the night, maybe the only other period that I found peace and quiet, wishing that the morning would never come but, of course, it did. The nightime was my little bit of heavenly solitude for a few hours at least, but the morning always seemed to come very quickly - 7.30 it was rise and shine!

And lastly a footnote: A school friend of mine called Michael took me to a ladies house down on Bury Old Road. She had a stables with horses. Mrs G was a lovely lady and, very motherly. I think she 'felt sorry for the boys at the Knowl View'. She plied me with freshly cooked buns as I remember. I think I told her 'that I wouldn't be able to eat my tea'!. Afterwards me and Michael went to look at the horses where a very nice young lady was mucking out. I think she was Mrs G's daughter. But I can't remember much else about this visit, sadly. But I wished I'd been able to visit Mrs G more often. Thankyou Mrs G for being so nice.