Church Street memories: Liane's family ties and failed teenage rebellions

Barnsley College’s University Centre campus holds some special memories – and family significance – for Liane Holdsworth, who now serves as a driving force for arts and cultural development for Barnsley Council.

The iconic building, recently reopened after a £16m transformation project, was where Liane launched her career – and where, years later, her mum returned to education and proudly graduated at the age of 76.

In the early 1980s, Liane studied a Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) Typing and Office Practice at the campus on Church Street, in Barnsley town centre. What began as a welcome escape from school for an afternoon became a formative experience.

“There were two reasons I chose the course,” Liane said. “One was that my mum worked in personnel for Shaw Carpets in Darton, and I always admired that – the other was that it was an excuse to not be in school for the afternoon.”

She remembers studying alongside friends from Priory Comprehensive in Lundwood, catching the bus into town for lessons in typing and filing.

“It was in the days of manual typewriters, which were really difficult to use.

“If you were the star pupil, you got to use the one electric typewriter – I think I possibly only did that once!

“There wasn’t a photocopier, they didn’t exist – you had to use the Gestetner machine, which you filled with this fluid to create the master copy, which you typed on special paper.

“Despite being fairly successful in O Levels, A levels, a degree and a good job, learning to touch type is bizarrely the thing that over the years got me the entry-level jobs, the edge in jobs, and the edge in my current role."

Not all her experiences were so positive…

“We weren’t angels, but we also didn’t get rule-breaking quite right,” added Liane. “We were feeling pretty rebellious one day, so we decided to write our names in the toilet doors. But because we were good girls, we wrote our full names. So that backfired a little bit.”

While Liane’s career took several turns, from a theatre and English literature degree to her current role as Development Manager for the Cultural Development Fund for Principal Towns – working with artists around the borough – she credits her early days at the University Centre as giving her the ‘basic knowledge’ to succeed.

Liane’s mother was also inspired by the campus – so much so that she would return years later.

“When I went to school for the first time, mum took the opportunity to do her O Levels in English and Maths and then went on to do shorthand and typing here. So, the office job I admired her for also started here.

“But her story didn’t end there. After I completed my degree, and one of my brothers had done his degree as a mature student, my mum was feeling a bit dissatisfied. She always wanted to study Literature and Humanities at Higher Education level.

“My mum ended up doing her degree, and she graduated at the age of 76.

“Her dissertation was on the literature of the colonies, which she grew up with in the 40s and 50s. She was challenging the political and social thinking around that literature.

“She had been spurred on by my great aunt who, also in her 70s, did her Fine Art degree in this building.

“I’m so pleased this building has stayed in education and in the heart of Barnsley, so more good people can do good things from here.

“It was a really impressive building with, even then, a sense of history and the people who had been here before.”