Harry Lucas School

[Bodger]

Used to teach art 1966-1969 when the school closed. My first teaching job, had a great time there.

[netty]

Welcome Bodger, pity you didn't teach there a few years earlier, you could have give us the low down on a certain Mr Peg Monkey.

[Peg Monkey]

Used to teach art 1966-1969 when the school closed. My first teaching job, had a great time there.

Hi Bodger, I attended HLS 1960-65, in the same class: Michael Leddy, Ex Lord Mayor of Birmingham.
Peg
Link: Tried to insert a couple but both rubbish, sorry, you'll find Mike on Wikipedia, Lord Mayors of Birmingham

[Peg Monkey]

Welcome Bodger, pity you didn't teach there a few years earlier, you could have give us the low down on a certain Mr Peg Monkey.

I prefer to keep a low profile, Net, Me and Mrs M posed for a charity pic a while ago, I agreed to do it on the condition it would not appear in the Police Gazette.
Peg

[Peg Monkey]

It's good to see a bit of dialogue on this thread - plenty of views, as you can see, but not a lot of comments, sadly the school vanished without trace many years ago and now only exists in the minds of those who attended there, and the odd priceless pic: http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=12554.msg655118#msg655118
Peg

[Peg Monkey]

Sobering thought: The School closed in 1969 and raised to the ground shortly after for the Joseph Lucas, Gt King St, carpark, that's 52 years ago, if you were a 21 year old teacher at the school when it closed you are now 73.
Stay virus-free.
Peg
P.S. Does anyone know what now occupies the site where the school once stood? The northern boundary of the school site was Farm Street and the southern Bridge St West.
Link school plan: http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=12554.msg655119#msg655119

[Peg Monkey]

The lads in my class at HLS all attended metalwork from the 2nd year but as the school had no workshop facilities on the school site every Friday morning we all went direct to Gem St School (near Aston Uni) where good facilities existed, we stayed there for the whole morning, this was important to me as I had plans to become an engineering apprentice when I left school.
I made a number of items during the 4 years I was attending the metalwork classes but sadly all have been lost except the tea caddy spoon shown on the attachment. The image is dated 1964 but I think that is a mistake, the spoon was one of the very first things I made whilst attending the metalwork class which means it is more likely to have been made in 1962. The paper knife was the last thing I made and this was done when our CSE exams were over and the pressure was off but we still attended the Gem St workshop.
I took many items I had made when I attended the interview at Salisbury Transmission in Witton where I was offered a 5 year Birfield Technical Apprenticeship.
Peg

[Peg Monkey]

For all my stay at HLS I commuted from the Lyndhurst Estate, Erdington - 64 to Aston Cross then the Inner Circle 8. Why? - It's a long story, but I've explained in a post somewhere on this topic
Peg
Link Aston Cross:  https://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=15040.msg669228#msg669228
P.S. In case you don't know the building behind the tram is Ansell's Brewery, it's fragrance, together with HP Sauce, just made up the road, pervaded the whole area when they were both in full swing.

[Peg Monkey]

Ready for a disaster story of epic proportions? Coming soon - my CSE results.
Peg

[Peg Monkey]

Ready for a disaster story of epic proportions? Coming soon - my CSE results.
Peg

Well, OK not quite a disaster, but disappointing: in the past the odd bright spark had been entered for O Level but none of us in my class was considered up for it so it was CSEs, a Grade 1 is equal to an O Level we were told. so once Christmas 1964 was over it was back to school and heads down working hard for exams in the following May, my choice of subjects is shown on the attachment, I considered my strongest subjects were: Metalwork, Technical Drawing and Woodwork and I thought I stood a good chance of getting a Grade 1 in these 3. As it turned out I go no Grade 1 at all just a Grade 2 for both Metalwork and Technical Drawing and inexplicably a Grade 4 for Woodwork. Inexplicable because I had been top of the class or very near for all the 5 years of woodwork classes and the exam pieces I submitted were very good, even now I can only guess, however unlikely it was, it was a case of mistaken identity, with me receiving someone else's mark and vice-versa.
It begs the question why did I not raise the issue with my woodwork teacher, Mr Flemming? Firstly, the results came through to us in early August when we had left school never to return, but more importantly, I was planning a career in engineering where a woodwork qualification would have been no use. Grade 2 Physics was a pleasant surprise and Grade 3 English disappointing but Grade 4 Maths was a disaster, even if predicable.
So how did I fare compared with the worst and best in the class? - No idea, as I said we had all left and gone our separate ways never to meet up again, partly due to me living a 2-bus journey from the school.
Actually I tell a lie - fate brought me and a best schoolmate together at Erdington Tech when we were on the same engineering course, I wanted to renew our friendship but he deafed me out completely, presumably thinking I was in the past and he now had a new circle of friends, ah well, that's life.
Anyway, I'm now 71 and retired so none of the above makes any difference whatsoever.
Peg.
P.S. As disappointing as my CSE results were they were still enough to get me a Birfield Apprenticeship.