1923 |
The Hopwood family vacate Hopwood
Hall. The Hopwood family had owned the mansion and estate since
the time of King John. |
15 May 1945 |
On the feast day of St. John
de La Salle, Brother Columba puts forward the idea of a Catholic teacher
training college in the north of England to the then Bishop of Salford,
Dr Henry Vincent Marshall. |
October 1945 |
Brother Columba receives written
support for the idea from the Bishops of the Northern Province. The
Hopwood site soon comes to his attention. |
Low week 1946 |
The Catholic Hierarchy of England
and Wales endorse the view of the northern Bishops. |
July 1946 |
The De La Salle Brothers purchase
Hopwood Hall and grounds for £12,500. Other costs mean
the initial outlay is £48,841. These initial costs are however
dwarfed by much larger building and expansion costs. |
21 October 1947 |
The College opens with 60 male
students and seven staff. Most of the students had previosuly
served in the Forces. |
9 June 1948 |
Solemn mass is said at the
official opening of Middleton De La Salle Teacher Training College. |
April 1950 |
Brother Columba O'Donoghue
retires as Principal on the grounds of ill health after five years
in charge. Brother Augustine, 37 at the time, moves from being
the Head of De La Salle Boys School in Pendleton, Salford to become
the new Principal. He remains in charge for 28 years. |
15 May 1950 |
Pope Pius XII names St. de
la Salle as the official Patron of all Teachers and Student Teachers
in this the 50th anniversary of de la Salle's canonisation. |
July 1949 |
The first group of students
complete their training and leave De La Salle to start teaching. |
Summer 1951 |
The first of several national
Diocesan collections takes place to help with the spiralling loans
needed to pay for the expansion of the college. |
17 June 1953 |
The foundation stone is laid
for the first hostel - Our Lady's Hall. The Hall is completed
in Autumn 1954. |
11 June 1955 |
The foundation stone is laid
for the second hostel - Cardinal Griffin Hall. The Cardinal
dies the following year aged 57. The Hall is completed in 1957
followed by the completion of the gym. |
1957 |
Hopwood Hall is officially
scheduled as a building of historic interest. |
Early 1960s |
Further expansion takes place:
more residential accommodation and the restaurant are completed by
September 1962. Bishopcourt and the theatre open soon afterwards.
Work commences on the landmark chapel. Renowned architect
Sir Frederick Gibberd acts as consulting architect, Lowe and Rodin are the structural engineers and Taylor Woodrow are the constructors. Brother
Augustine and James N. Lowe were in Magdelene College,
Cambridge togther as undergraduates. They both admired the small round church just by Magdelene College and when Brother Augustine wanted a chapel for Hopwood Hall, he consulted his friend James Lowe about the possibility of a round chapel for Hopwood Hall. It is that connection that brought about the round chapel for Hopwood Hall and then later of course, Liverpool
Cathedral.
The chapel is used for the first time in June 1965 and mass is said
by the Bishop of Salford, Dr Thomas Holland. |
1970 |
In the past ten
years the number of students rose from 332 to 851. |
17 January 1971 |
Brother Columba O'Donoghue
the founding Principal dies in Ireland at the age of 77. |
1972 |
The 86 study-bedrooms comprising
Parkside are completed in time for the Silver Jubilee. The Jubilee
is celebrated on Founders Day, 15 May 1973. At the service Brother
Augustine is presented with the papal decoration, Pro Ecclesia
et Pontifice. |
Mid 1970s |
Much discussion takes place
about an amalgamation with Sedgley Park College. The outcome
is that the latter closes. De La Salle college is slightly renamed,
reduced in size and primarily provides courses leading to degrees
from the University of Manchester. |
7-9 January 1978 |
Hopwood hosts the first conference
of the Hierarchy of England and Wales. Cardinal Hulme is the
Chairperson. |
25 May 1978 |
Brother Augustine reaches retirement
age. Brother Wilfrid Costello soon becomes the third and last
Principal of the college. |
6 August 1982 |
An announcement by the Under-Secretary
of State for Education and Science, William Waldegrave, during Margaret
Thatcher's term as Prime Minister spells the beginning of the end.
He proposes that teacher training courses should end at the
college. The Governors were given just six weeks to respond. Students
signed petitions. |
22 November 1982 |
MPs discuss the closure in
an adjournment debate with William Waldegrave. |
1989 |
Courses end at De La Salle
College. |
1990s |
De La Salle College is sold
to Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council. The buildings are
used once more for education. The council starts a new tertiary
level college. Hopwood Hall College re-opens as a two campus
college with the other campus at Rochdale.. |
1994 |
The cross on the chapel is
taken down and the chapel is used for exhibitions, examination hall
etc. |
Autumn 1997 |
Reunion of former staff and
students takes place at Hopwood Hall. |
30 November 1997 |
Brother Augustine collapses
and dies in the early hours of the Sunday morning. Memorial
mass takes place at Salford Cathedral on Tuesday 20 January 1998. |
Wednesday 26 February 2003 |
Brother Wilfrid Costello (Principal of De La Salle College Hopwood Hall 1978-1989) dies suddenly. A Requiem Mass took place in the Brothers' Community Chapel St John's House, St Helens on Thursday, 6 March 2003. Interment was at St Helens Cemetery.
. |
Monday 24 October 2005 |
Brother Leander, who was at Hopwood Hall from 1967-78, as Bursar, dies aged 85. Since 1994 he lived in the Brothers Community at St. Helens. He died peacfully there, a few days after having a stroke. |