A school has thanked one of their most famous former students after she returned to her own stomping ground.

The school has praised  broadcaster Victoria Derbyshire for having a "stellar career" and possessing a "keen social conscience" after she returned to the borough for Channel 5's No Place Like Home.

The 54-year-old revisited Bury, Ramsbottom, Rochdale and her old school, recalling happy memories from small things like getting the bus with her friends.

Bury Grammar School principal Jo Anderson said: "We were all thrilled to meet Victoria when she came back to her old school.

The Bolton News: Victoria Derbyshire returned to Bury Grammar School for the Channel 5 show, 'No Place Like Home.'Victoria Derbyshire returned to Bury Grammar School for the Channel 5 show, 'No Place Like Home.' (Image: Public)

"She is even more engaging and impressive in person than on screen, and that is saying something. 

"We are so proud that an Old Girl of Bury Grammar School should have enjoyed a stellar career and clearly has such a keen social conscience.

"When she talked about the northwest having had such progressive attitudes to education and being a ‘hotbed of radicalism,’ those ideas really resonated with us.

"While our school has a distinguished history, we also pride ourselves on being forward-looking. Thank you for coming back to Bury Grammar School, Victoria!"

Read more: Victoria Derbyshire returns to Bury to discover history of town

During the show, the audience was given an insight and brief history of the school which dates back to 1570 and was strictly for boys.

In 1729 that changed following the death of local historian, Anglican Reverend Roger Kay.  

At Roger Kay Hall, Victoria was met by Kate Gibson, a social historian of 18th century Britain, to find out why the school has a controversial and radical history. 

 

Ms Gibson said: “We actually know a lot about Roger Kay as he left his wishes for the School in his will and that is printed in this 19th Century copy of the Book of Statues.

“It says 'I order that 10 poor girls born or to be born in said town and parish, be sent to the free school (this school) and he says to make them perfect in reading the Bible and to teach them to write well and to be good accountants and to fit them to trades or to be good servants'.

 

“Roger Kay had very specific views in mind for these girls and although it wasn’t unusual for girls at this time to have some educational provision that this increased a lot over the 18th Century.”

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