In 1988, when the governors of Aldbrough St John School were organising the protest to the proposed school closure, some other villagers were equally voluble in saying "If the school closes it will make a fine Village Hall and as it was built by public subscription it belongs to the village anyway."  This was a totally false piece of folklore, but if something is said often enough over the years it is eventually believed.  It certainly undermined the protest to the school closure.  As the history of the school is an interesting one I am setting down the facts, as I know them.

 In 1989, in order to clarify the position for the governors, the Chairman of Governors, the Rev. Keith Atherly went through Diocesan records relating to the school.  As Vice-Chairman, I gained permission to check through the Archives of the Dukes of Northumberland at Alnwick Castle.  The following is a summary of what Keith Atherly and I found in the various records.