Report - Birkdale School For The Hearing Impaired - Southport - September 2016

[VauxBex]

Birkdale School For The Hearing Impaired - Southport
September 2016

History​

Originally built in 1904 as a boys boarding school it was taken over in 1948 by The Liverpool School for the Deaf. The name was later changed to the Birkdale School for Hearing Impaired Children. It was eventually closed in 2003 and has been empty since. One end of the main building was partially demolished after the inevitable fire in 2010. The most recent redevelopment project was rejected by the local council in 2011.

All the internal photos are in the more modern section as I was advised by a fellow explorer that access to the main building is severely unsafe, i.e death trap, so didn't bother. Did have a look at ways in but saw that it wasn't possible.

Media​

I have no idea what this is...?

 

[Alyxxxx]

It seems a lot has moved since I was there...

 

[Bolts]

That watermark

 

[VauxBex]

First time using an editing app on my phone. Hence why I put the originals in as well.

 

[Alyxxxx]

OMG!!!!!!!!! How dare you use a WATERMARK.

 

[VauxBex]

I know totally! I should be put in the stocks!! @Alyxxxx

 

[Alyxxxx]

I'm disgusted with you @vxer13, you've really let yourself down using a watermark!

 

[VauxBex]

I know. They are like a definite no-no I should be punshed. God has made his decision. @Alyxxxx

 

[Bolts]

 

[Togitha]

Great stuff, looks really interesting

 

[G7OEA]

The photo that is captioned "I have no idea what this is...?" I can tell you. It is part of a system called a group hearing aid. What you were looking at was the teacher unit. it would have had a microphone plugged into the socket above the mic on off switch. If it was being used by a student then there would have been a set of headphones with a mic attached to the headset.

This allowed all the students to hear each other as well as the teacher and were capable of amplifying sound much higher than the standard hearing aid. these units would put out a sound level of 128db into the headphones. that is like standing next to a jet engine.

When I had to service then I had to use specially made in the ear ear defenders. Even then this only brought the sound level doen to a comfortable level and only just a safe level.

Hope this helps