Science groups were frequent visitors to museums, lectures and displays, taken there by Mrs Stretch, Mr. Bygrave, Mr. Rutter and Mr. Sayer and occasionally by Mr. Staines and Mr. O'Donnell. Mrs Parker, Miss Smith (Mrs Maloney), Mrs Booth, Mrs Moorcroft and later Mrs Hulme, led groups of senior girls on visits to the Lancasterian School, Shawbrook School for the Deaf, Brunswick Health Centre, the Ideal Homes Exhibition in London, Gas Board demonstrations and a commercial kitchen display, Electricity Board Showrooms, Lucy Clayton Modelling School, an Old Peoples' Home, Withington Hospital, Manchester Brighter Homes Exhibition, Platt Hall, Hollings College, the Citizens Advice Bureau and Fashion Shows. Social Studies visits by 4th and 5th year groups, led by Mr. Jones, Miss Irlam, Mr. Quinn and Mrs Booth, went to Manchester Museum, Platt Fields, Salford Museum, Express Dairies, a Military Exhibition, Ashton under Lyne, Hyde Road Transport Depot, Newton Street Post Office, Manchester Ship Canal and Manchester Airport. Mr. Donnan and Upper School groups visited an Art display at another school and one at Manchester Polytechnic, and on occasions took sketching groups out, as did Miss Stott (Mrs Reid). Mr. Bedford took his R.l. examination groups to day conferences each year. Mr. Banks took a 5th year group to an Engineering firm; a 4th year group with Mrs Kiltie and Miss Burgess went to Whitworth Park Art Gallery and to the Museum of Science and Technology, and Mrs Griffiths and Mrs Levine took several Lower School groups to Belle Vue.

Some visits went far afield. Mr. Riley took a group to York, and Mr. Bedford continued to organise the annual R.l./History 4th and 5th year outing, generally with Miss Irlam, Mr. & Mrs Moloney and Mrs Caulfield. In 1976 they went to Kirkham Priory and Castle Howard. The next year the destination was Knaresborough and Fountains Abbey. The annual 6th Form outing was popular, and Mr. Davies and later Mr. Grady was helped by the 6th Form teachers in arranging the details. They went to the Lake District in 1974 and to Chester in 1976. Mrs Stretch and Mr. Bygrave led a day excursion to London for a Science group of 30 in July 1975 and Mr. Bygrave.

Mrs Moorcroft and Miss Matthews took 30 from the 3rd year to Chester Zoo in the same month. Excursions which became very popular despite travelling hazards were the weekend trips to France (Dieppe) organised by Mrs Curran and Mr. Creighton. Mrs Curran,with Mrs Bailey and Mr. Rutter took 37 from the Lower School in June 1975, again in October, and in April 1976. Mr. Creighton, with Mr. Barnes and Miss Morris took an Upper School group in April 1976, and March 1977, and with Mr. Sayer and Mr. Moloney took 40 from the Lower School in April 1977. This type of excursion continued during the next two years, and, following many requests, Mrs Curran organised a similar outing for staff in June 1976. Mr. Sutton continued the ski group holidays, going to Austria in January 1974, and to Italy in 1975 and 1976, when Mrs Bailey also joined the group.

Theatre and film visits were arranged as necessary. The 4th year Dance Group and the 5th year Group saw "Jesus Christ Superstar" (Mrs Easby and Mrs Bailey); 6L saw "Richard lI'(Mrs Brown); a 4th year Group saw "A Midsummer Nights Dream" (Mr. Cornwall and Mrs Brown) and 5th year Dance Groups went to Ballet Rambert special classes in Manchester (Mrs A.V. Smith). A 4th year Group went to a performance by the Welsh Opera Company (Mrs Bailey) and 4th year English Group saw "Kes" (Mr. Chard). \/lrs Easby took a Dance Group to give a dance drama performance at an R.l. Conference; a Dance display was given in May 1974 for visitors from Manchester Polytechnic; in February 1976 the visiting Theatre Group gave a dramatisation of "The Great War" to three 5th year forms in "A" Hall, and the whole of the 5th year, with many staff, went to Manchester just before the Christmas holiday in 1974 to see a stage performance of the "Diary of Ann Frank". The Domestic Studies department received visiting lecturers to speak on "Hygiene" and "Deep Freezing and Storing of Food" as well as a talk from a Beautician and several demonstrations by the Gas Board. Commonwealth Institute lecturers spoke to various Geography groups on "A visit to India" and "Australia", and there was a speaker to 5th year groups on "Hydro Electric Power in Scotland". There was also a lecture and discussion for the 6th form on "What is a Novel", and during a week in March 1976 a speaker gave talks to various groups within the timetable on the "Help the Aged" Campaign, and this resulted in some support for that cause.

Those foregoing detaits of activities outside the classroom may well not be complete, and any omissions must be pardoned. It is clear that, compared with earlier years, this aspect of schooling had increased, and credit is due to so many staff who gave up time and energy in organising so many of these events. At the same time there were others, obviously nameless, who continued to work patiently and effectively in the classrooms, using modern aids and methods as they became available. Very many members of staff attended half day, weekend and residential conferences and courses and at least three staff took Open University courses successfully. In addition, many of them were involved in Examination Board Panel meetings or Head of Department meetings organised by the Authority. Indeed there were times when "out of classroom" commitments stretched timetable arrangements to the limit, and it was necessary to maintain a reasonable balance. It should be remembered that the re-organisation of 1967 was an upheaval for the teaching staff. Not only had many of them to change buildings and work with other colleagues, but often they were involved with children whose ability, or lack of it, was beyond their previous teaching experience. Yet, within a very short time, they had re-orientated themselves to the new situation; confidence was restored and the new challenge had been met with loyalty, understanding and hard work.