It's never too late to learn according to Mary Gilmartin. That's why, seven years ago at the age of 63, she decided to go back to school and make up for the education she missed when she was younger. Now Mary's studying for a degree in Local and Regional Studies at Bradford University. Isobel Fox reports.

MARY GILMARTIN firmly believes you can look back at the past, but you can't live in it.

And now she's looking after her future by going back to the books to compensate for the lost years of her childhood.

For the 70-year-old, of Heaton, has proved that age is by no means a barrier to success.

Having to leave school at the age of 14, forty-nine years later Mary decided enough was enough and returned to college to put right the years she had missed in mainstream education.

Now she has two GCSEs and two A Levels under her belt, and is in the process of studying for a degree in Yorkshire Local and Regional Studies at Bradford University!

"I said to myself I was going to do it and I didn't let anything stand in my way," says Mary.

"It's been an absolutely wonderful experience and I would say to anyone who was thinking of going back into education at on older age to stop making excuses and to get on and do it!"

Family circumstances were the major factor behind Mary leaving school at the age of 14.

Says Mary: "There were three boys and two girls in my family. My father was a caretaker and had very little money and, after the age of 14, it was a question of the boys getting an education and the girls getting married."

So despite gaining a scholarship to St Joseph's College, Mary found herself attending commercial school for a year, after which she found work as a shorthand typist at Marks & Spencer.

In 1956 she married husband Maurice, and the couple were soon busy bringing up their four children. As well as that, Maurice owned his own tiling company and Mary would work as his secretary from home.

The family were used to a happy, stable life when, 25 years ago, tragedy struck. Maurice died of cancer after a long illness, leaving Mary on her own to bring up their four children. The tables had turned, and it was up to Mary to be the breadwinner of the family if she was to raise her young children.

"I knew how to be a secretary so that's what I went back to work to do," says Mary.

Eventually she was able to get a full-time job as a medical secretary and ended up in the anaesthetic department at Bradford Royal Infirmary, a job which allowed her to get more involved in talking to and meeting the patients, something which would prepare her for later role as a chaplaincy visitor.

It was during this time Mary felt it was high time to fulfil her long-term ambition of going back to college to fill in the gaps in her education.

At the age of 63, she took the plunge. Enrolling on a course at night school, Mary completed GCSEs in English Language and English Literature. And not content with this, she then went on to complete A Levels in both subjects too.

Says Mary: "When I was younger I was never able to go on to St Joseph's College, which was the pinnacle of what I wanted to do at that time.

"I passed the scholarship with a red tick, and it was during the war, which meant school was open on an ad hoc basis.

"It was circumstances which put me back then and I thought to myself, I'm going to do what I wanted to do and I'll prove that I can do it.

"Going back to do my GCSEs and A Levels was absolutely marvellous. For one thing, you have empathy with young people - I had grandchildren doing GCSEs when I was doing mine and we'd sit down and talk about it. I can understand them now and I understand their fears.

"Now I can talk to people about all sorts of things. I don't regret what I've done one little bit."

Now Mary is on to bigger and better things and is studying for a degree at Bradford University.

"I remember trying to find out about further education, but I couldn't get a grant for a part-time course," she says.

"But then I phoned up Bradford University and the girl there was brilliant. She was so positive and told me not to worry about the cost. I was allowed a bursary for adult learning and now I'm in my final year of the course."

Mary has done so well in her mission to go back to school, that in May 1997, she was recognised by an award from the NIACE - the national organisation for adult learning.

She is now helping out with a free telephone service for people to find out more about learning opportunities.

Says Mary: "I would say to anyone thinking about adult learning to get back into the swing of things.

"It's given me confidence and a sense of worth. I understand young people and treat them as equals as I expect them to treat me too."

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