Blackpool and The Fylde College, 1987

The Nautical College at Fleetwood was experiencing some difficulties during 1986. Shipping companies were increasingly flagging their ships in countries other than Britain and student numbers from abroad, which had been large markets, were falling due to new nautical colleges opening in places like India.

There were stark choices. Closure was one, or a merger with another institution, or end up staying independent and falling into the red. In December 1986 the college was merged with Blackpool College to become the Fleetwood Nautical Campus of Blackpool and the Fylde College.

The Radar Station on Fleetwood Beach along with all other assets were transferred to the new merged college whose head would be Principal Michael McAllister. There were a few job losses, some voluntary and others less so. As a secondee - I had risen from Deputy Registrar to the position of Registrar after the former Registrar left to work at County Hall - I remained a secondee as at the time it was known that the chances of the college remaining independent were not viable. However within less than two months I found myself working at Blackpool as a co-ordinator of a small team working on an in-house developed computerised Management Information System.

It was based on a Prime mini computer using Prime's own database software which was my first introduction to SQL or Structured Query Language. It did, however, take ages to run some large queries and each query running slowed the machine down for all other users.

For a while I found myself back at Fleetwood as the list of students against courses there had been left with no one really knowing how to keep it up to date. With so many short courses on the Offshore side and other non-vocational courses it took me a couple of stressful weeks sorting it all out.

Having been the nominal Head of Administration at the Nautical College I had attended the monthly meetings of Heads of Admin from all the ten colleges within Lancashire Education Authority and towards the end of 1987 it came to my attention that a post of deputy of that post had been advertised by W.R. Tuson College (later to become Preston College). I applied, as my salary grade from Fleetwood to Blackpool had inevitably dropped from the seconded position and I must admit there were a few mutterings from some in the General Office that I caught along the lines of "a jump of that many grades - who does he think he is? He'll never get it..."

Well, yes he did and so he put in his notice to leave. Something unheard of happened. At least I was told it had never happened before... The Principal himself appeared in the General Office and came to speak to me. The entire room went into shocked silence. Later I was to work on a project regarding a support organisation initially for Lancashire's MIS people with Michael McAllister and as far as I'm concerned we respected each other and I enjoyed working with him. On this occasion he asked if I was leaving due to any upset - which I wasn't - and I replied that I was leaving for a much better paid job and that I wouldn't rule out returning at some point in the future. He was satisfied with that but after he had gone there was a sudden crowd around my desk.

"Are you in trouble?" asked the person behind the "who does he think he is" mutterings. I burst out laughing. "I've resigned - how could I possibly be in trouble?"

Strangely I have no photographs at all of Blackpool College, don't ask me why. Photos of staff and weddings I have and some cherished friendships that have lasted 40 years and some that fell along the wayside as so many do. One thing that I always remember is that to one side of the building was an enclosed space with a tree and garden and at dusk, literally hundreds of starlings would descend into this tiny courtyard to roost in the tree with a great clamour. It was magical almost. Another thing I remember with a warm glow is my immediate boss, Brian Wilkinson, who enthusiastically supported me and introduced me to my very first PC - an Amstrad 1512 with no hard drive but with two slots for 5.25 inch floppy disks! Next stop: Preston College.

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