I was delighted to welcome Shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove to Keighley and Ilkley earlier today for a tour around the hugely impressive Keighley Campus of Leeds City College, due to open in September.
We preceded the visit with a short walkabout in Keighley town centre, accompanied by around 20 members of my campaign team.
Then it was on to the main event at the new £35 million campus where, in 2008, I joined the principal in formally launching the construction phase of the site.
It is a project very close to my heart, and not only because I am a former student of what used to be Keighley College.
But also because without the joint efforts of Conservative-led Bradford Council and the College to work together to locate, assemble and prepare the new 3.5 acre site adjacent to the town’s railway station, the dream could never have become reality.
The result is a modern, state of the art facility incorporating specialist vocational and general accommodation.
Despite the well-documented difficulties with air travel at the present time, we were able to buck the trend by boarding a plane – a "Keighley Airways" plane.
OK, in truth, it was just a mock-up, yet a very impressive mock-up which will shortly be utilised as a top-notch training facility for in-flight catering and attendance training.
As well as witnessing a remote-controlled robot do its stuff in what will be the hi-tech STAR Centre designed to encourage and stimulate interest in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), Michael welcomed the opportunity to meet and chat with members of staff and students.
We preceded the visit with a short walkabout in Keighley town centre, accompanied by around 20 members of my campaign team.
Then it was on to the main event at the new £35 million campus where, in 2008, I joined the principal in formally launching the construction phase of the site.
It is a project very close to my heart, and not only because I am a former student of what used to be Keighley College.
But also because without the joint efforts of Conservative-led Bradford Council and the College to work together to locate, assemble and prepare the new 3.5 acre site adjacent to the town’s railway station, the dream could never have become reality.
The result is a modern, state of the art facility incorporating specialist vocational and general accommodation.
Despite the well-documented difficulties with air travel at the present time, we were able to buck the trend by boarding a plane – a "Keighley Airways" plane.
OK, in truth, it was just a mock-up, yet a very impressive mock-up which will shortly be utilised as a top-notch training facility for in-flight catering and attendance training.
As well as witnessing a remote-controlled robot do its stuff in what will be the hi-tech STAR Centre designed to encourage and stimulate interest in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), Michael welcomed the opportunity to meet and chat with members of staff and students.
And, if you’re in the mood for a chat, there’s generally no better company than hairdressers.
Before leaving, Michael expressed a willingness to return to the campus in September when it is fully operational.By then I hope he will be playing a key role in a new Conservative Government.
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