THE doors are thrown open at Furness College on Wednesday to give prospective students a chance to see the £47m campus at Channelside, Barrow.

To mark the annual open evening we are taking a look at pictures from The Mail archive of students and college events through the decades.

Wednesday’s event is from 5pm to 8pm and offers the chance to meet specialist tutors and learners in subjects such as computing, engineering, construction, catering, sports, or hair and beauty.

Visitors can tour college facilities, including a restaurant-standard catering suite, hairdressing and barbering salon, engineering and construction workshops and sports facilities, including gym, sports hall and 3G pitch.

An all-day carnival was held to mark the completion of the new Channelside campus on Saturday, April 27 in 1991.

The college’s oldest former student, Alma Oldham, aged 79, came along to open the event – which included displays, exhibitions and even hot air balloon rides.

Members of the RNLI Barrow lifeboat staged a mock rescue in Walney Channel and there was a demonstration of windsurfing skills.

Entertainment included a display of motorcycle skills by Broughton trials rider Nigel Birkett.

College facilities were on show, including the motor vehicle workshops, laboratories and the construction building – where bricklaying, joinery and painting skills were displayed.

College principal Maggie Chadwick said: “The aim of the carnival is to invite all local people to come along and enjoy themselves.”

In 2002 the college was visited by Mick Farley, executive director of Cumbria Learning and Skills Council, to meet students on a prototype 18-week skills course for staff looking to retrain.

Don Logan, Furness College head of school for engineering and technology, said: “The course is for mature students who are training for work in a different field to what they normally do.

“Some of the mature students are full-time students, some are bursary supported.

“This is a prototype course, it’s the first time we have run it.”

Mr Farley said: “It’s a wonderful facility here.

“I’m sure the college will take advantage of the new facility and it will make a real contribution to up-skilling workers in the community.”