66 years. The first secondary school in the area. Back in the 50’s, housing estates were popping up everywhere to cope with the escalating birth rate, with more people came more demand for schools. Once was a little pond in a field, Farringdon was built brick by brick over decades to become a multifunctional school, that housed generation after generation till July 2024. It now is abandoned and pending demolition.

This school shaped my future and my life in an unusual way, not many people go to school and write their own TV show, me, I was different. It was my outlet to help me through it all, a support system. Anyway, it holds a special place in my heart.

In 2021, when it was being discussed about getting a new school, the same discussion that took place in the 2000’s too, I had to make sure I got to go back. Lucky for me, I did, they say where I am “Shy bairns get nowt” meaning “you don’t ask, you don’t get” I was passing the school around August and decided to shoot my shot.

I knew that if I didn’t get to go in the buildings, a photo with the canopies we called “the tits” due to the poor design choice was the next best thing. It went from taking that photo, to a conversation, to then being invited back to smash some stuff up. Free rage room, yes, who wouldn’t say no?!

In year 9 when the school was made an academy, we all signed these random tiles that nobody knew what was happening with. These ended up on a wall. I was absolutely not letting some of the names go down with the school. Problem is, it took so much energy to smash stuff that I forgot about them. Stupid me.

It took me 2 weeks to get the guts again to go back and see if I could get them. I called in on the rainiest of days and the place was deserted, it was actually like a nightmare. I wander over to the builders hangout and get told to come back tomorrow and I could have a tour. Winner, winner.

One thing that is so bizarre when walking through your old school is that there’s loads of rooms that were off limits or hidden away. I had no clue there were drama rooms beside the stage in the hall. I knew there was a dance room that nobody used but that’s it. I was so surprised. I found loads of hidden toilets. No joke. Only one set of toilets were in use for over 1000 students. It wasn’t fun when we got told “why didn’t you go at break?” By the teachers who had their fancy set on working toilets in the teachers only corridor. I’ve been in them maybe twice and they were so nice. Much better than ours.

I got to go in the “asbestos is up there” tower, yes, the school is that old it has a tower. I’m scared of heights but I felt ballsy that day and ventured up. How they managed to get 2 giant generators up there, I couldn’t tell you. There’s no lifts either. None for 3 floors. I also, got to go in the room above the hall that “has asbestos in” another lie. It was actually cool. I got to take home some material and props.

One big regret I have, is not climbing onto the roof of one of the blocks. I saw the ladder and was like “not a chance” the tower ladder was worse. It was a beautiful sunny day too, imagine the views with my camera. Its would have been amazing.

Something that makes me very sad though is the waste they left behind, there must have been at least £10k of supplies, furniture and more that went in the skip. Some of it, past its best but other pieces were fine. I can’t stand waste in a climate when many people are struggling. That furniture could have gone to help some families. It’s a shame that I was too late.

It was a surreal experience. I’m sad I couldn’t go in one of the blocks, someone exposed asbestos, that was no lie. I loved that block. I’m coming back for the pool, me and my friends are hiring it. When I say that pool was green, it isn’t an understatement. It’s now blue but it is, to every former students excitement, being knocked down for good and replaced with a modern pool. Even thought it was been rebuilt 3 times since 2013 haha. We had to do swimming in the winter with no hair dryers. It was baltic. Brrrr.