It’s not been that many years since Myself & OneByOne had left school but they don’t change much; Chewing gum stuck under tables, text books full of graffiti and a hefty amount of equipment that you walked past every day but never used in 5 or so years.
I’d seen a few reports from this place and as it seems like Leeds is the place to be we jumped on another dirt cheap bus from Manchester. A few rooftops and this place were on the agenda so we were pleased to have wrapped everything up before the ride home.
Getting in is a bit of a bitch as they coat everything with vandal grease and throw razor wire about pretty much everywhere. Walking around the outside of the building made us slightly cautious as there were quite a few tents and old sleeping bags sat up against the walls, none the less without too much effort and a coating of grease we were inside.
History;
St Michael's was formed in 1905, after two young Jesuit priests were invited to Leeds by the city's Catholic Bishop William Gordon. They divided the city into north and south between them and painstakingly knocked on doors, encouraging Catholic families to send their sons to the new school, originally called Leeds Catholic College.
As first based in a seminary in the city, the school moved into its new home in 1908 – the current buildings designed by architect Benedict Williamson, who later became a parish priest himself, in London. Originally a fee-paying grammar school for boys, it took in pupils from not only Leeds but also Harrogate, York, Bradford and Selby.
Major changes to St Michael's have included a 1960s extension of new science labs, gym and main hall, and in the 1970s, when Jesuits left the school, the first lay head teacher was appointed. By the early 1990s, the school had evolved in a comprehensive for boys and girls, and shortly after saw the building of a dance and drama studio.
The school has a distinctive coats of arms, with the flaming sword of St Michael and drops of blood signifying Christ . The school motto, Quis Ut Deus, means Who is like God, and relates to the meaning of St Michael's Hebrew name. Outstanding features at the school include a large sculpture by Charles I'Anson of hands in prayer, which was a gift from the Jesuit priests before they left.
In 2005, the school officially closed, although the buildings were taken over by Mount St Mary's.
Then chilled on a roof terrace before going home...
Bit photo heavy. Cheers for looking, Gone...
