The far end of the top floor corridor.
One of the larger rooms with a vintage 1990’s couch.
Just the traditional shit on the blackboard. And a reminder to use birth control.
There was still the attic to explore.
I always thought that the wooden tv sets were really made of metal and just painted to look like wooden. Turns out that they really were wooden.
So the same plastic chairs were manufactured in different colors? This is new to me.
The attic with more old sewing machines. And probably the first school desks I’ve seen in the entire building.
Rooftop access.
More old school desks and some really old books.
This book really is called ‘Numeracy And Life’ and it is from the 1960’s. I mean, really?
I can also recall seeing a rather large collection of old schoolboards, but at this point disaster struck. I ran out of memory on my phone. I tried deleting some apps to manage through the school, but ever since this moment in October 2020 my phone has been chronically full. Despite moving a lot of photos to my cloud storage, I’ve never had less than 30 000 photos on my phone since. Until only very recently, when I backed up and deleted everything between this last major exploration of 2020 and the summer of 2021.
A closer look at the poor TV.
A thing I missed earlier: there was an elevator in the side staircase. It could only be operated between the ground and first floor and was not to be used to transport people.
On the opposite side of the yard was a small block of flats, which had previously been the teachers’ apartments. Sadly it was locked.
The gym wing. Although it looks like it is built from precast concrete elements, it isn’t, because the technique was only being developed, when the school was completed in 1957. Back then it was customary to make brick buildings look like they were made of precast elements, to make them look a lot more modern.
My final photo from the school. At this point a group of kids came to the lot. The oldest were no older than 10, the youngest was still using a balance bike. This was no place for them, yet in they went.
So much from this location. I went to the local pub to wait for a train back to the capital region, charge my phone and grabbed a beer.
Demolition of the school started roughly around a month later and it was down by the end of the year. I drove past the lot last summer and it’s just a sandpit with bushes nowadays.
What a waste.
It’s disheartening to see that even in today’s world, the LGBTQ+ community continues to face discrimination and hate. My wife and I, being a lesbian couple, experience this firsthand. The stares and negative comments we receive are a constant reminder of the intolerance that still exists.
Your post also brought back some personal memories. The term ‘latrinalia’ comes to mind – those messages inscribed in bathroom walls. During my high school years in an all-boys boarding school, I remember seeing the most hateful anti-gay graffiti in the bathrooms. It was a relief to graduate and leave that behind. I can’t imagine how much money my father must have paid to get the school to allow a girl to attend.
Interestingly, I’ve noticed that the inscriptions in women’s bathrooms tend to be much more supportive, intelligent, and witty. I don’t know why this is…
On a lighter note, I’m genuinely amazed by the sheer number of pictures you have on your phone! As a big fan of your blog, it’s delightful to see such a vast collection of memories and moments.
Currently, I’m busy helping my wife, Amelia, with her second book. So, if we’re a bit quiet for the next few days, that’s probably why. Keep up the great work with your blog, and please, stay in touch. 🙂
Interesting points about a serious topic. The discrimination and hate also exist in Finland. I grew up in a very conservative city, where the spirit back in the early 2000’s was that there are two kinds of people: normal people and gays. Although things have become better and more and more people have started understanding diversity, I still sadly know people that think this way.
I wish you both all the best with the project. A fun fact is, that I am also currently on a long, unpaid leave working on a book.