No Dark Sarcasm, in The Classroom

Look at this building.

It could stand along side some of the greatest pieces of architecture in the world. It's dignified, it's grand, it has substance.

This is my children's school, it was my school before that, and it was my mother's school before that.

Marr College was created by an educational fund set aside by Charles Kerr Marr, and operated on his behalf by the Marr Trust. The Marr Trust still exists today, but no longer is in charge of the operation of the school. The school was leased to South Ayrshire Council who were charged with the upkeep and maintenance of the building for the duration of the lease.

They have failed to do this spectacularly. A new extention was built on the side of this architectural wonder which has collapsed considerably faster than this main building.

A whisper is building in the town, a whisper that is building to a yell. Former pupils, former teachers, current pupils, current teachers, and residents of the town are banding together to stop the Council from dis-using this building and re-building on the School's playing fields which were also a gift to the town by Mr Marr.

Everyone is disgruntled that they would happily spend 35 million pounds, on a new build, on top of some of the best and well used playing fields in the west of Scotland. But they have failed to invest money keeping the building to a suitable standard to use.

When I was at this school, it was a honour to be there. Other schools hated us, because we were "a college", not just a secondary. They hated our uniforms, they hated that we were snobs. We, were rightly proud of our inheritance and mostly everyone used the education and facilities that were in front of us to benefit ourselves. We wore uniform, not just in the class room, but on the hockey pitch, on the football pitch, especially on the rugby pitches, and also on the tennis courts.

We had teams in all sports who wiped the floor with the opposition. We could flatten a team, just by looking down our noses at them and they hated us for that. We had pride in who we were and where we came from.

I look at that school, and I hear the memories of thousands of children. I see myself sitting in the top left hand window, studying my accounting. I see myself, in the bottom right, studying history, and being terrified by the teachers. I see the front door, and remember that was forbidden land. Only teachers, and prefects got in through there. I look at the room below the dome - that was our English Classroom, after the Library moved to the new building. I remember we drove our teacher insane in that class with a frog one sunny afternoon.

I could sit in my English class and look over to my house. I stayed merely 500 yards away, but had to awalk about a mile, because a railway line ran in front of it.

This school has seen many teachers, and pupils come and go, and it has remained a constant in Troon. It's green bronze dome is a landmark which is seen easily from the Beach, from Dundonald, from the Road by-passing to Ayr. It can't be knocked down. It's a listed building. I fancy someone in the council has a brilliant idea of passing it to developers for a fancy apartment complex.

It shouldnt. It was gifted to the town by a kind man who worked hard and wanted the best for the children of Troon. Those of use who have past through it's doors are glad we did, and thank him very much for the opportunity.


PS: I took this picture at 9pm on Thursday evening. Cars are parked around the central garden because the car park is full. The school is staging a muscial - 4 nights this week, and look at the participation. It's full every night. This isn't just a school. This is a community.