Author Topic: Balsall Heath Memories 50's and 60's  (Read 320924 times)

daverock

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Re: Balsall Heath Memories 50's and 60's
« Reply #407 on: January 31, 2012, 07:59:11 PM »
Ok now I understand I'll keep posting to achieve PM position, it now makes sense as to why I was going round in circles to try & send a PM.
Thanks to all
Dave Rock

Andrew Sutton

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Re: Balsall Heath Memories 50's and 60's
« Reply #408 on: January 31, 2012, 08:14:04 PM »
No  need to call me Sir! Especially as if you are likely  a couple of years older than I am!

Old habits die hard.When I arrived in Hope St in January 1963 a strong tradition had already been established there of pupils' addressing female teachers as 'Madam'.This had been initiated by the previous headmaster who hated how the word 'Miss'sounded in a strong Balsall Heath accent and outlawed its use!

Incidentally, since posting here earlier this evening I found my former colleague Peter Carter on the Internet,his obituary I am afraid:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-peter-carter-1114641.html

He had gone on to become a successful children's author (by the way, this obit is incorrect in saying that he had taught in a Birmingham primary school: he was very definitely 'upstairs').

I know that Brian Wilson went on to become quite somebody in the field of deaf education, and just writing about these folk makes me also recall the names of Edith Pitt and Mrs Payne.

Ah, where are they now...?


john2000

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Re: Balsall Heath Memories 50's and 60's
« Reply #409 on: January 31, 2012, 08:46:13 PM »
Sorry Sir i Left in 1952. alan
And I left in 1955..J2
Growing old is mandatory..........Growing up is optional

alanmillard

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Re: Balsall Heath Memories 50's and 60's
« Reply #410 on: January 31, 2012, 10:26:02 PM »
No  need to call me Sir! Especially as if you are likely  a couple of years older than I am!

Old habits die hard.When I arrived in Hope St in January 1963 a strong tradition had already been established there of pupils' addressing female teachers as 'Madam'.This had been initiated by the previous headmaster who hated how the word 'Miss'sounded in a strong Balsall Heath accent and outlawed its use!

Incidentally, since posting here earlier this evening I found my former colleague Peter Carter on the Internet,his obituary I am afraid:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-peter-carter-1114641.html

He had gone on to become a successful children's author (by the way, this obit is incorrect in saying that he had taught in a Birmingham primary school: he was very definitely 'upstairs').

I know that Brian Wilson went on to become quite somebody in the field of deaf education, and just writing about these folk makes me also recall the names of Edith Pitt and Mrs Payne.

Ah, where are they now...?
Hi my Teatcher were Mr bowen a Mr James Mrs Lewis Mr holdam Mr Evens and Mr Barnard for wood work Mr green if you had the cane and on a couple of accasions i did and for silly things not like they do today. alan

john2000

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Re: Balsall Heath Memories 50's and 60's
« Reply #411 on: January 31, 2012, 10:34:36 PM »
Hi my Teatcher were Mr bowen a Mr James Mrs Lewis Mr holdam Mr Evens and Mr Barnard for wood work Mr green if you had the cane and on a couple of accasions i did and for silly things not like they do today. alan
Evens, was as deaf as a post, but if you said something that he didn't like he would hit you with what ever he had in his hand at that time, he hit a guy who was sarcastic to him, he hit him with one of them wooderen planes ( you know the ones they used to take the end of your finger or thumb off,) but he was a nice guy,
Growing old is mandatory..........Growing up is optional

Andrew Sutton

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Re: Balsall Heath Memories 50's and 60's
« Reply #412 on: January 31, 2012, 10:38:43 PM »
A quick Google search finds that Gordon Green died a couple of years ago...

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Head+who+believed+in+respect+for+kids%3b+TRIBUTES%3a+Former+teacher+and...-a0197450959

Andrew.

janey

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Re: Balsall Heath Memories 50's and 60's
« Reply #413 on: February 01, 2012, 03:15:29 PM »
Hope Street Secondary School 1963-5

I taught at HSSMM in those most difficult transitional times (with its wicked freezing winters!). The head was Mr Benson, there were Gordon Green, Brian Wilson and Enid Stott, and Peter Carter, and others who live on in the memory as vivid, visual images  to whom I can (shamefully) put no name.. I taught 4.2B and then up at the Annex.

I was very young. Are any of my then colleagues still on this Earth?

Andrew Sutton.
Hello Mr Sutton,
Not sure about your colleagues, but some of your pupils maybe,
Brian Wilson was my class teacher, Mr Benson Head, Mr Green, deputy head, who went in to politics, Mr Carter told the best stories ever, Miss Stott Needlework, Miss Horton RE, Miss Chancellor, history, Mr Burgess, Art Miss Scandrett, Domestic science, So sad to hear about Mr Green, he was a brilliant teacher.
Just noticed Mr Carter has also passed away, I am not surprised he became an author.
Another couple of  names that  comes to mind Mr Shaw, Miss Brazier,

sheilacoopes

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Re: Balsall Heath Memories 50's and 60's
« Reply #414 on: February 01, 2012, 07:20:58 PM »
Hi, This is my first post, I went to Hope Sreet until 1962, Sorry to hear Mr Green has passed, He was a great teacher, Miss Stott also passed over fifteen years ago. After hope street Miss Stott went to Shenley Court where she taught my daughters in needlework. Yes we did call all female teachers Madam (Didnt know why though until i saw reason on this site)
Brilliant pictures I lived in Sherbourne Avenue right opposite the bomb peck, do you remember the shop Alices, She sold everything? Thanks for all the wonderful and sad memories. ;)

Andrew Sutton

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Re: Balsall Heath Memories 50's and 60's
« Reply #415 on: February 01, 2012, 08:03:20 PM »
Not too sad, I hope, Sheila, and some jolly ones too.

For example, I remember my very first 'playground duty', about this time of year in 1963. The people in the staff-room gave me an Acme Thunderer on a lanyard and I asked what I would have to do. 'It's easy,' I was told, 'Just stand in the middle of the boys' playground and every time you seen any boys running blow your whistle and tell them to stand still.'

So I was ready waiting at the start of playtime when the boys burst down the stairs and out of the door, yelling and scuffling, and running. I blew the whistle, and the whole playground froze, wondering who was this strange new young man. 'No running', I shouted, and because it was such a well disciplined school nobody did, till another class rushed out and I had to do it ll over again. Ad so on till the end of break.

They all they all lines up and filed silently back into school, looking at me most suspiciously.

When I got back upstairs to the classroom the whole staff were waiting for me, still laughing.

So sorry to her about Enid Stott. She was very good to me.

Andrew.

 

alanmillard

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Re: Balsall Heath Memories 50's and 60's
« Reply #416 on: February 01, 2012, 09:28:59 PM »
Evens, was as deaf as a post, but if you said something that he didn't like he would hit you with what ever he had in his hand at that time, he hit a guy who was sarcastic to him, he hit him with one of them wooderen planes ( you know the ones they used to take the end of your finger or thumb off,) but he was a nice guy,
Hi I think you are refuring to the old shooting plane with whitch you corrected the edges of the wood yes i know this well as i was one of the idiots that nearly took off the end of my fingers as my slipped at the same as i was pushing the plan. and while standing to attention at the end of our lesson i nearly passed out with blood poring from my fingers. Mr Evens got very angrey with me for slouching over the wood work table till he saw the blood thats when he sat me down put head between my legs to bring me round and i thank him very much for his help. alan

john2000

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Re: Balsall Heath Memories 50's and 60's
« Reply #417 on: February 01, 2012, 10:03:55 PM »
Hi I think you are refuring to the old shooting plane with whitch you corrected the edges of the wood yes i know this well as i was one of the idiots that nearly took off the end of my fingers as my slipped at the same as i was pushing the plan. and while standing to attention at the end of our lesson i nearly passed out with blood poring from my fingers. Mr Evens got very angrey with me for slouching over the wood work table till he saw the blood thats when he sat me down put head between my legs to bring me round and i thank him very much for his help. alan
I think that was the most dangerus tool in the workshop, you held the wood up tight to the stop and then push the plane ( which was on its side) up, then it would cut the clean edge on the wood youre holding, only problem was your hand would slip and the blade cut a nice square corner on your thumb or first finger,
But you have to admit learning to work with wood by hand tought us a lot, today they have all power tools, but with our skills if the power was down it would sort out the real carpenters from the electric cowboys, an .. I have met a few, .. but thats another story... J2
Growing old is mandatory..........Growing up is optional


 

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