The day is Sunday 15 September 2003.
There are tears in my eyes and there is an eery silence in the room, I begin to unpack my stuff and organize the room, but I can't get over the feeling, Mum and Dad have left and I am alone. Once I have unpacked everything I decide it is time to go and explore and I end up at the Stumble Inn, the student union of the college. I am sick with nerves and I call my best friend at the time, Simon Ochyra. We chat for a while and then I go inside, I buy a pint of lager and sit down, a group of guys join me and soon my nerves go after five pints and the first night at Myerscough is nearly at an end. I briefly meet one of the guys staying in the same block as me but he says next to nothing and I go to bed without having had a drink with the people I would be staying with, something which would cause me discomfort over the first few weeks of my time in Bilsborrow.
Over the next few days my discomfort levels grew because I was not getting to know anyone in my block, it wasn't that I didn't want to though, I suppose our paths just never really crossed and pretty soon it was clear that they thought I was some sort of loner who wasn't interested in socializing. The distance between us grew further when they decided to bang on my window on the way back from a night out, and one evening when I had returned from watching football there was a road sign outside my door. Looking back on it now I would probably have handled the situation differently if I had a little more experience of living with other people and a little more self-confidence, but University is a place of learning and not just academically. Because I was detached and out of sync with the rest of the block I had to operate independently and go and get myself out there, so I went for a walk to discover the wider area around the college.
Myerscough College originated in the first agricultural courses to be run by the County Council in Lancashire, at the Harris Institute (then known as the Preston Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge) in Avenham in 1892. In 1894 a farm and land at Hutton, south of Preston were purchased, and the County Council Agricultural School was established. To this was added a base at Winmarleigh Hall, in 1948.
In 1962 the current farms and land at Myerscough were aquired for the College to expand, and in 1969 Myerscough became the main base for the College, when, as the Lancashire College of Agriculture and Horticulture, it was opened by the Queen. In 1993 the College was incorporated, becoming independent of the County Council, and renamed Myerscough College.
In 1997 the College left the Winmarleigh site, and in 1999 the Hutton site was sold. At this time the Fitzherbert Brockholes building was completed at Myerscough, and the Queen returned to open the new building. (courtesy of www.myerscough.ac.uk)
The college is located along St Michael's Road in the village of Bilsborrow, 8 miles north of Preston. The village has a premier inn, three pubs and the Guy's Thatched Hamlet, it sits on the banks of the Lancaster Canal and is a frequent destination for the students of the college when wanting a quick pint instead of travelling on the bus or by car into Preston.
Myerscough College originated in the first agricultural courses to be run by the County Council in Lancashire, at the Harris Institute (then known as the Preston Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge) in Avenham in 1892. In 1894 a farm and land at Hutton, south of Preston were purchased, and the County Council Agricultural School was established. To this was added a base at Winmarleigh Hall, in 1948.
In 1962 the current farms and land at Myerscough were aquired for the College to expand, and in 1969 Myerscough became the main base for the College, when, as the Lancashire College of Agriculture and Horticulture, it was opened by the Queen. In 1993 the College was incorporated, becoming independent of the County Council, and renamed Myerscough College.
In 1997 the College left the Winmarleigh site, and in 1999 the Hutton site was sold. At this time the Fitzherbert Brockholes building was completed at Myerscough, and the Queen returned to open the new building. (courtesy of www.myerscough.ac.uk)
The college is located along St Michael's Road in the village of Bilsborrow, 8 miles north of Preston. The village has a premier inn, three pubs and the Guy's Thatched Hamlet, it sits on the banks of the Lancaster Canal and is a frequent destination for the students of the college when wanting a quick pint instead of travelling on the bus or by car into Preston.
My unease at the situation with my fellow students in my block grew more unsettling and I contacted the person responsible for accommodation, Shirley Tait, and discussed the possibility of moving into a block with friends I had made from my course. 7 weeks into my time at the college I secured the move as their was a classmate who wanted to make the alternative view. I was starting to develop friendships and become more socially active, but it took some time and to be honest it was only really in the second and third years that I felt truly comfortable with going out so regularly and meeting people.
The college was, for me, home for three years. It had pretty much everything I needed.
A place to eat, watch television, sleep and use the internet; A place to go and drink, meet new people and have fun; A place to study in peace and quiet and, of course, a place to play the sport of my life - Golf.
I took up golf at the age of 11 but it was never my intention originally to study golf management, after attending an event at the University of Bath I was set on going to Liverpool John Moores University to study Sports Journalism. But a feature on Sky Sports World of Golf programme inspired me and changed my mind. The feature showed Myerscough and from then on I was set on going there. This was a big decision. It had implications for all of my family and it was not easy, until we attended the open day.
That damp, grey Saturday morning was the moment my parents were convinced and it was the moment I knew I was making the correct decision. At the age of 18 I was diagnosed with high-functioning Asperger Syndrome, so the University I chose depended quite heavily on the level of support offered by the college. The support for disabled people at Myerscough is among the best in the country and the institution has received recognition for its work with disabled people. Without this support I would never have made it through the first year, let alone the three years.
The college also has almost unrivalled facilities for golf on a university campus in the UK, with a nine-hole golf course, driving range and indoor practice and teaching facilities. The golf management course is led by a golf professional - Rick Daniels and during my time at the college I was taught by Dominic Sainsbury and Greg Thorpe, also golf professionals. As well as Drew Wallace, who was a decent amateur golfer playing off single figures at the time. The college also had Stuart Blair and Andrew Marr who were teaching professionals and gave lessons on the golf lesson day, which was Thursday each week in the golf academy.
Rick Daniels' support throughout the three years I spent at Myerscough was absolutely vital, without it I would have struggled to get through to the end. He was there to help with problems regarding my studies and much more, his professionalism is unwavering but he isn't distant and doesn't rule with an iron fist like a lecturer from years gone by. He treats all students like adults and in turn gains their respect for doing so, and he communicates the topic and information clearly and in detail. In the last 7 years since leaving Myerscough I have remained in touch with Rick and I will be meeting up again with him shortly at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in St Andrews.
The support of the staff, the facilities and the other students helped to make my time at Myerscough the most exciting and fulfilling time of my life, it set me on the road to being an independent adult and proved to myself I could operate in the world despite the difficulties that I have. I would recommend Myerscough to any young golfer looking to get into the industry, but I would also recommend the college to sports, equine, floristry and students of any discipline. It does what it says on the tin,
Providing Opportunities for All.
The college was, for me, home for three years. It had pretty much everything I needed.
A place to eat, watch television, sleep and use the internet; A place to go and drink, meet new people and have fun; A place to study in peace and quiet and, of course, a place to play the sport of my life - Golf.
I took up golf at the age of 11 but it was never my intention originally to study golf management, after attending an event at the University of Bath I was set on going to Liverpool John Moores University to study Sports Journalism. But a feature on Sky Sports World of Golf programme inspired me and changed my mind. The feature showed Myerscough and from then on I was set on going there. This was a big decision. It had implications for all of my family and it was not easy, until we attended the open day.
That damp, grey Saturday morning was the moment my parents were convinced and it was the moment I knew I was making the correct decision. At the age of 18 I was diagnosed with high-functioning Asperger Syndrome, so the University I chose depended quite heavily on the level of support offered by the college. The support for disabled people at Myerscough is among the best in the country and the institution has received recognition for its work with disabled people. Without this support I would never have made it through the first year, let alone the three years.
The college also has almost unrivalled facilities for golf on a university campus in the UK, with a nine-hole golf course, driving range and indoor practice and teaching facilities. The golf management course is led by a golf professional - Rick Daniels and during my time at the college I was taught by Dominic Sainsbury and Greg Thorpe, also golf professionals. As well as Drew Wallace, who was a decent amateur golfer playing off single figures at the time. The college also had Stuart Blair and Andrew Marr who were teaching professionals and gave lessons on the golf lesson day, which was Thursday each week in the golf academy.
Rick Daniels' support throughout the three years I spent at Myerscough was absolutely vital, without it I would have struggled to get through to the end. He was there to help with problems regarding my studies and much more, his professionalism is unwavering but he isn't distant and doesn't rule with an iron fist like a lecturer from years gone by. He treats all students like adults and in turn gains their respect for doing so, and he communicates the topic and information clearly and in detail. In the last 7 years since leaving Myerscough I have remained in touch with Rick and I will be meeting up again with him shortly at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in St Andrews.
The support of the staff, the facilities and the other students helped to make my time at Myerscough the most exciting and fulfilling time of my life, it set me on the road to being an independent adult and proved to myself I could operate in the world despite the difficulties that I have. I would recommend Myerscough to any young golfer looking to get into the industry, but I would also recommend the college to sports, equine, floristry and students of any discipline. It does what it says on the tin,
Providing Opportunities for All.
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