That stained glass figured several times in my "new boy" dreams on the early disturbed nights I had when I started at KBGS in 1952. They impressed.

I respected them thereafter by always paying due attention when I passed them on the stairs head.Other boys must have been similarly affected. The rest of the building/school had little artistic appeal.

I think the windows ahould be conserved and put on display suitably elsewhere in the town -
or is it beyond the BMDC to do any decent act of public service for its westerly provinces?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1952-60

Current location (optional) Nirvana

I was sure that I had read something about the windows and their proposed safe removal and storage at a Bradford museum so I contacted the Keighley News and spoke to a David Knights. He said that he had details on his desk about the windows and was about to 'do a piece' in the paper next week. Arrangements have been made with a specialist contractor to safely remove them and put them
in storage at Cartwright Hall, Bradford. Every effort will be made to include the windows in whatever new edifice is built on the cleared site.
David Knights would like to hear from anyone interested, including 'old boys' of the School. David

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945-50

Current location (optional) Keighley

Very pleased to hear that the stained glass has a chance of surviving. Little enough has been saved from buildings demolished with undue haste in the Keighley/Bradford area. A word of caution: don't trust the people with bulldozers. It only takes one 'slip' on a quiet Sunday when no-one from the authorities is around (such as the Hoover building on the A4). The archivists should have been proactive in looking at the building before this stage was reached.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958-1963

Current location (optional) Broadclyst, Exeter

I have just received the following response from Keighley District Local History Society:


Hello David

Sorry for the delay, but had to wait for people to get back to me.

I contacted our MP's office regarding the matter of the window and your concerns regarding it.

The MP, Kris Hopkins, has today been into see BMDC regarding the window . The lady from his office raang me this afternoon to say that he can now confirm, he will send it in writing, that the window will be preserved and put into storage so it's future can be determined - so far so good.

All we need to do now is persuade BMDC that it needs to be incorporated in the new building. If you look at the artists impression, in the plans on BMDC Planning Portal, you will see that there is a nice convenient slot above the entrance where it would fit. They were determined to destroy the building but if we bring enough pressure we may be able to keep the window and if we are extremely lucky perhaps some of the stone, so the new building doesn't look too horrendous. Anything that you can do via your website and "old Boys" would help greatly.


Keighley Bus Museum are also hoping to retrieve the cast iron Trollie Bus hook hanger from the North St elevation, again anything you can do will help their cause. Letters to the Keighley News seem to embarass BMDC into action.

As to the tunnels, I am afraid that they detroyed these in 2 days the other week. KDLHS was given a full set of photographs and plans by BMDC when they "discovered" them, so at least there is a record. Because these are copyright to BMDC they are currently only available for Members to view via our Flickr site, but we will see if we can get permission to make them more widely available.

Thanks for alerting us to the situation.

Regards

Joyce Newton - Chair KDLHS



Can we mobilise support for a piece, sorry several pieces of our own history?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1959 - 1966

Current location (optional) Shoreham-by-Sea

Update re the 'Stained Glass Window':

I understand that a specialist architectural-glass company has been employed by the BDMC to remove them and are due to survey the job in mid-December
following which the stained glass elements of the windows will be removed early in the New Year. I also understand that they have been told to photograph and catalogue the window so that if at any time it can be reinstated in its present state.

The glass will (possibly) be stored at Salts Mill in Saltaire.

The Demolition Company are aware of this undertaking and will not destroy it.

Finally, I have also been led to understand that it has always been the intention of the Council to remove and store the window and trust that this 'post' reassures everyone.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1959 - 1966

Current location (optional) Shoreham-by-Sea

Thanks for that news, David

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Wirral

Have written to the letters section of the K.N. If my letter is published might just add momentum to the "stained glass"saga.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1959-66

I walk into town along North Street most mornings, but have recently changed my route cutting down Alice St and along Lord St to keep an eye on the stained-glass windows in question. Yesterday(28th Jan) I noticed that one of the windows is showing some slight damage and have duly posted a photograph on our website," Inside KBGS", showing same. I intend sending a copy to the Editor of the Keighley News.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945-50

Current location (optional) Keighley

David
I am assured that the damage to the stained glass window was there before the demolition people moved in.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1959-64

Current location (optional) Keighley

Thanks for that, Dave. The old eyesight ain't what it used to be, I suppose. I walked down Lord St. this morning and noted a lot of activity on the windows which look down into the old Woodworking Area. Sad to see.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945-50

Current location (optional) Keighley

http://www.keighleynews.co.uk/news/15102516.UPDATED__North_Street__Keighley__closed_as_demolition_of_former_college_building_continues_PHOTOS/

ALMA MARTYRED !!

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1952-60

Current location (optional) Nirvana

Thanks to the good offices of David Boddy I have received regular photos of the sad demise of what remained of the old school buildings after the fire and the imposition of the 1960's carbuncle frontage marking the final degradation of the sacred site. I understand the reasons put forward by Bradford MDC for demolishing the surviving parts of the old KBGS building. I trust them in promising that the stained glass will be preserved and archived. My sadness is not so much in the destruction of a functional building, nor of the fact that it looks like a bomb site. No, what makes me sad is all that we have lost from our childhoods. My guess is that most people in Keighley neither care nor know that such a cultural icon and part of the town’s landscape has been erased. Saddo that I am I have recently been re-reading Edmund Burke the 18th century philosopher who says that when people lose the memory of tradition and lose sight of a place’s history the culture as we know it will not survive. Since that inherited culture is what holds society together, what hope is there for the future? Forgive the ramblings of an old man. What has been done to our society in the past 50 years is criminal and I wonder what kind of a world our grandchildren will inherit. How many years, I wonder, before the dousing of the light and the day comes when no one is left to remember what Keighley once had in its Grammar School and how that precious experience changed the lives of so many ordinary working-class boys to such good effect?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1959-1967

Current location (optional) Ebberston, North Yorkshire

And all this in a week when government is talking about making available funds for technical education and free schools to offer grammar school education.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1952-60

Current location (optional) Nirvana

Re the stained glass windows , I agree they should be saved in some way.
I also wish some of our 'masters' could have been demolished in the 1960's.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1960-1965

Current location (optional) bradford

https://www.jigidi.com/jigsaw-puzzle/5H5OQET7/The-old-Grammar-school

One of my interests to help keep the old brain ticking over is an online jigsaw page. It has grown a lot since I started and I try to do a few puzzles a day. Imagine my surprise when I logged on this morning to find the old school demolition as a puzzle submitted by a Keighley lady. I just thought some of you might be interested to have a go. I have found 3 puzzles of the building so far. Enjoy. Cheers.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1947-51

Current location (optional) Orewa NZ

Thanks Bill, it took me 52 minutes to resurrect the old school

Good one Trevor. I see it is a bit cooler in Geelong this morning! I have just been watching Sky News Australia and the flooding in NSW. How awful. Over 20,000 families evacuated whew! It doesn't bear thinking about.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1947-51

Current location (optional) Orewa NZ