Still leading from the front

Nick Brown: a raging enigma still

MARTYN MEETS... Nick Brown, dynamic former head of Oldham Sixth Form College

WHICHEVER way you look at it — objectively, subjectively or simply with genuine admiration — Nick Brown is a legend in Oldham.

This garrulous, hugely likeable man, who continues to support the borough although he officially retired 16 months ago, will not thank me for that . . . but the accolade is wholly deserved, and I do not shrink from the description.

The word “retired” is also hugely idiosyncratic as the founding principal of Oldham Sixth Form College is currently writing two novels. He has completed his first manuscript — the tome is with an agent and Nick is optimistic that a publisher will be found.

“It’s looking good at the moment, very good,” is all he will concede. Best to be cautious, writing a novel is the easy bit, getting it published is the genuine tribulation.

He is part-way through the second in this trilogy, using his love of knowledge of archaeology as the baselayer of his narrative and has started another, this one chronicling events of fifth century Athens BC.

Given that he continues his labour of love as chairman of Oldham Partnership — hence his frequent returns from his home in leafy Bramhall — he is hardly sitting back and enjoying life in the slow lane.

Although he is clearly enjoying his new life, away from the grinding, wearing, challenging demands of daily commuting and looking after hundreds of staff and more than 2,000 students in Oldham.

“I’m not a natural bureaucrat, the current principal, my successor, will take the college on, she will be so much better that I ever was.”

It was a statement, not to be challenged, or questioned, and the formidable 60-year-old intellect sat facing me would clearly brook no argument. It was a subject to which he returned often during our conversation.

We spoke in one of the majestic alcoves of his glorious rambling house, the type of home I have often dreamed of owning, sipping filtered coffee while the birds chattered in a huge garden bordered by an ancient hedge.

Did I mention Nick’s love of archaeology? Hope so, because this, too, was a subject to which we often returned during our discourse — it was only after Nick and his wife Jill moved into their amazing three-storey home that Nick discovered the ancient origins of the hedge. As you can imagine, it was a discovery he cherishes to this day.

The family -— there are three sons, one of whom has now flown the nest to pursue a career in event management and the resident friendly, ghostly presence they inherited — have been in Bramhall for more than 20 years and in my humble estimation, would be mad to move.

I fell in love with the house — Nick has his own library on the second floor, I discovered, supplementing the huge collection of written works which swallowed the groundfloor reception rooms adjoining our cosy internal enclave overlooking the rear meadow, sorry, garden.

There is absolutely no suggestion that they are looking to move on.

Nicholas Milne Brown is a Manchester lad, born and raised in Withington, who has returned to his roots after studying, working and living in Leeds during his early adulthood. He is clearly utterly content and comfortable in his surroundings.

Oh there has been chaos in his life too, but he has risen to the challenges and is reaping the rewards and benefits of a life lived in the spotlight that is education in a multi-racial borough like Oldham.

Yet he got into his career in the most bizarre circumstances. On leaving Leeds University where he read history and geography, he completed a masters degree in ancient history at Manchester, returned to his shared house in Leeds and took a job with the Royal Insurance.

You make the connection, for I cannot.

“I had to make some money,” was his explanation, “but it was incredibly boring.”

So much so, his housemates, tired of his moping and constant black moods, began applying for jobs on his behalf, without even bothering to inform Nick.

Eventually Nick was offered an interview for a teaching post at St Kevin’s RC School in Seacroft — shall we say it was a challenging part of town and leave it at that — and Nick spent two terms teaching history.

“They were good days,” he recalled, almost dreamily, adding: “It was certainly better that the Royal Insurance!”

And so began a career in the teaching profession.

The next time Oldham raises a Blue Plaque, maybe the names of those housemates who forced Nick Brown down that career path should be recorded for posterity for Oldham has most certainly been the beneficiary.

Deciding he quite liked teaching, he took a 12-month postgraduate course — “I decided that if I was going to do this I was going to do it properly, with the proper qualifications.”

After spending more time in Leeds, he applied for a post at Burnage College. He was coming home to Manchester.

He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming an assistant principal at a time when there were riots and racial issues aplenty. Little did Nick know at the time, but those experiences where to shape the rest of his life.

Archaeology was, is, remains, his first love and he took a post with Oldham Council, writing papers on the subject in the optimistic hope that he would play a lead role in a planned archaeological dig to restore a fort on the Roman road at Castleshaw.

You can guess what happened next, and his disdain for the gainsayers and NIMBYs who sabotaged the plans is as intense today as it was 20 years ago.

“That single project would have put Oldham on the map.

“I know my stuff and it would have been wonderful for the borough. It was a ridiculously short-sighted decision, stupid even.”

His voice trailed off, the exasperation palpable. Archaeology’s loss proved education’s gain.

A still-scowling and hugely frustrated Nick was prowling around the council corridors when Breeze Hill School was failing big time, short of its ailing head and with race issues rife within the school community.

Nick was parachuted into the school and within two years had helped engineer a turnaround which saw Breeze Hill return its best ever GCSE results.

By now he was back in full-time education and he applied, and obviously got, the principal’s role at the fledging Sixth Form College.

The multi-million seat of learning opened in the face of raging criticism and opprobrium from every quarter.

But if Oldham suffered from a severe bout of short-sightedness in abandoning the Roman fort project, they absolutely hit the jackpot with the Sixth Form College.

Nick is fulsome in his praise for the politicians — councillors David Jones and John Battye — and officers Bill Kneen and Derek Jones-Darlington whose collective force of personality and single-minded determination created the raging life force that is Oldham Sixth Form College.

Nick has revelled in the challenges, admits to being ruthless in his desire to see the college succeed in face of constant carping and criticism, and is justifiably proud of Oldham taking a national, educational lead to a degree that he continues to lecture, across the nation, on the college’s success.

“There is absolutely no doubt that the college has changed the demographic of Oldham — without the Sixth Form College we wouldn’t have a junior university nor the Regional Science Centre,” he declares with a positivity that brooked no argument from me.

I almost quailed in my armchair at his intensity of purpose and belief. No wonder the college succeeded, I mused and then he said, with a certainty that shook me into silence: “And the new principal will make the college even better, no question.

“I knew my time was up and I had to move on. I made that decision, after nearly 20 years in post — remember, I was appointed well before the building was even completed — in the sure and certain knowledge that my successor was already in post.

“Jayne Clarke will be the principal I never was, but needed.”

Goodness, I thought, that is a true statement of intent and inner belief.

Those are qualities Nick Brown has in abundance. As he contemplates a life of writing and catching up with his reading, watch for his novels — written under the pen name Nicolas Milne.

“Why?” I could not help but inquire.

“Well, when I went to Buckingham Palace to collect my OBE the programme had spelt my name incorrectly. I was listed as Nicolas Milne...”

Like much in Nick Brown’s life, it was bizarre yet somehow wholly appropriate.

n Next week: Meet his successor, upon whom Nick has heaped so much praise.