Final lessons at 1960s college campus before move

The Paget Road site had been identified "as land to build much-needed housing", City of Wolverhampton Council said

A 1960s college site is closing ahead of students' relocation to a different campus in Wolverhampton next month.

Teaching was taking place for the final time on Friday at City of Wolverhampton College's Paget Road base.

The site had been identified "as land [on which] to build much-needed housing", the council said. The college stated students would move to its City Learning Quarter campus on 4 November.

Hundreds of people have since commented on Facebook on the closure of the Paget Road site, with some recalling "good memories" and "happy" days.

One man expressed his "enduring gratitude" over someone who taught him "the fundamentals" of accountancy there, the "bedrock" of his profession.

A woman wrote: "Wulfrun College in my day! Shorthand class in the evenings. Got my 120 [words per minute] qualification and still using it at 64!"

'Great times'

Another former student remembered happy "youthful days" in the engineering block, while another wrote: "Worked here as a computer engineer, stared out of those windows for hours."

A woman adding to the walk down memory lane online said: "Oh what a shame! Some good memories there."

Another who spent 18 "very happy years" working at the campus in administration, said: "What a sad day but inevitable... Great times."

A man added: "Did my YTS college day release there in 1986-87. Hated it. Returned in 2005 to do an electrical night course. Loved it!"

The new City Learning Quarter campus is opening in a £61m development.

Alongside improvements to the neighbouring Adult Education Wolverhampton and Central Library facilities, the scheme has been designed to establish provision that "will enhance skills and employment outcomes", according to the council.

Phase one of the City Learning Quarter masterplan – a new £8.1m Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre at the college's Wellington Road campus – opened in September last year.

College principal and chief executive Louise Fall said it was exciting to relocate from "the outdated Paget Road site to this brand-new city centre location".

It would provide "a vibrant and welcoming environment for students, apprentices, staff, employers and visitors alike", she added.

Ms Fall said the new campus, with its "excellent" public transport links, would enable hundreds more people from the region to access its training facilities.