RECENTLY, I had the privilege of showing a party of Dutch visitors the sites of historical interest in Blackburn. The second place we were to look at on our tour was to have been the Blackburn Curriculum Centre.

It was a building made up of two parts. The earlier and more gracious section was built in the early 19th century. It was one of the first houses built to stand on the side of the newly-constructed turnpike road to Preston.

Its owner was Dr James Barlow. He was a man in whom this town may take pride as one of the leading pioneers of caesarian surgery.

Later in the century this house was the home of one of Blackburn's members of parliament. Towards the end of the 19th century the building became Blackburn's Girls High School and a new wing was added to the east side.

This was the school attended by Kathleen Ferrier in the 1920s. A blue plaque was placed on the building, featuring Blackburn's Kathleen Ferrier Trail and Kathleen's fans from as far away as Australia visited it.

Yet, last week, when we thought the building was being repaired, it was turned into a heap of rubble. Signs in front of the ruin say 'helped by the government's urban programme' and 'Blackburn with Darwen Council education and training department.'

ADRIAN LEWIS, Lammack Road, Blackburn.