Letter: Michael Barratt Brown’s vision made Northern College possible

A critical feature of the work of Michael Barratt Brown in establishing Northern College lay in building links with local women’s groups. From the start they wanted to know, “What could we learn?” We asked, “What do you want or need to learn?”

They had discussions in local schools or community centres, and at home with their coal-mining husbands. There were key issues given the residential nature of the college. How can we have a weekend at the college with our children? Husbands asked who would cook their meals over the weekend. These issues were worked through, slowly, and agreements made with the college and within families through the first years of operation.