An amazing slice of Irvine’s history from the early 1980s has emerged on social media.
People in the town have been widely sharing the BBC film ‘Politics in Action: Please SIR’, which was originally shown on BBC 2 in November 1983.
The film documents the Save Irvine Royal campaign which sprang up as the school was under threat of closure at the time.
Featured heavily in the film is school captain Eric Potts, who went on to become an actor, writer and director, landing roles such as baker Diggory Compton in ‘Coronation Street’ and a memorable turn as wily baker Mr Henderson in ‘Still Game’.
Prominent Irvine lawyer and former councillor Matt Brown is also interviewed, giving his take on why the school should be saved.
Pupils who took part in a enthusiastic protest outside Strathclyde Regional Council’s HQ in Glasgow are also featured along with a lively public meeting, a rousing rendition of the school song and a school captains’ pow-wow.
Former Irvine Royal pupil Craig McAllister is one of the people who shared the uncovered film.
Craig, now a teacher and one of the award-winning Freckfest team, said it has shades of ‘Gregory’s Girl’ and is full of familiar faces, both on the staff side and pupils.
He told the Herald: “It’s a real cracker, I showed it to my in-laws and they loved it.
“ Even my kids were interested in it. ‘It looks like history,’ they said.”
The film brought back lots of memories for Craig. His mum and his late father are featured, along with several of his friends.
Although he has no memories of the filming taking place, he vividly remembers the SIR campaign.
He said: “I can remember all those Save Our School letters being stuck to the windows. Mr Spain, the guy who also did the ceiling in The Ship, is in the film when they’re screen printing.
“As an aside, it was always said that Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Pit & The Pendulum’ was inspired by the old clock in the central hall of the school.”
The old Irvine Royal building, which was opened to pupils in 1901, is still on the go as Sovereign House. The new Irvine Royal was created when it merged with Ravenspark in 1993.
Two other Irvine schools are mentioned in the film. Greenwood Academy was torn down and rebuilt in 2008 and Ravenspark no longer exists.
You can watch the film, which was posted by user ‘treffynnon19’ at https://youtu.be/FQ6OIq7Bnsc
