Many Old Mancunians who were at MGS pre-1982 will have memories of a particular space at the very heart of the School – the area nicknamed “The Cages”. Whilst much mentioned, the archive does not have any photographs of this part of the buildings. However, I was recently browsing a copy of the 1983 edition of Ulula and came across a whole article on “The Cages” and their transformation. Here is a “before” image reproduced in Ulula:
“The Cages” were the nickname for the coat racks that occupied the space along the main corridor of the School. Whilst a practical use of space for boys to store bags and coats, it was not the most attractive prospect for visitors to the School, particularly as it occupied the spaces either side of the Memorial Hall at the very heart of the buildings. Cleodie MacKinnon wrote “Anyone coming into the School by what looks like the main entrance – the centre door in the quadrangle – approached the corridors of power past a dispiriting vista of white tiles and wire grilles. To visitors we made tired jokes about using the cages for recalcitrant boys; in practice the inmates were a few unloved anoraks – the same ones unvisited for month or years it seemed.” Further, there were over 1400 boys at MGS in the early 1980s. The School buildings had never been quite big enough, and clearly the School needed to carve out some extra space.
Refurbishing the heart of the School allowed for the addition of a School bookshop, Junior Library, Art display area and Careers Room. This floor plan shows the layout immediately following the refurbishment:
Ulula published an image of the transition:
The idea for a School bookshop had been the brainchild of Head of English, Bryan Bass, and other members of staff later involved included Len Rix and Steve Crowther, along with Cleodie McKinnon. In later years, Fiona Forsyth took on the bookshop and recruited boys to help run it.
Cleodie MacKinnon wrote, “At the physical centre of the School, at its heart we hope there are now areas devoted to books, the creative arts, and the future of the MGS boys; we are very content to be part of this complex and grateful for the imaginative foresight which made it possible.”
The newly transformed Careers Room
Since 1982, the function of the space has changed again, though the Bookshop remains. The Careers Room is now the Development Office, although the careers function is now carried out by the Development department. The Junior Library has been turned into the Archive Room, with the library now occupying space in the ground floor of the Mason building, next door to the Paton Library. Despite the changes, “books, creative arts and the future of MGS boys” are definitely still at the heart of the School.
The images below show the various configurations of rooms in this part of the School:
The Junior Library, c. 1985, now the Archive Room
The Archive Room, previously the Junior Library
The Art Display Area
The Bookshop, c. 1990
The Bookshop in recent years
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