Hope Street School

[lroger]

Born in 1957 in Erdington I was evicted from that property (well, with my parents) and found myself living at 8 back of 100 Hope Street - almost opposite the school. That was 1962 and I was 5 years' old. I actually remember starting school behind those huge green gates. Anyway, I got on ok there and made many friends. Some I can still recall today: Jimall Din, Peter Hurskin and Malik Sonahar. This was a time when England was taking in foreigners from the four corners and that explains my love of Indian food today as I used to go to their parents houses and EAT! I think that I remember a teacher called ''MRS EDEN'' - she taught me to read and I had great respect for her patience. If her glasses wern't on they hung around her neck on a pearl chain. Does anyone else remember her? Also, I loved the bread pudding from the ''cake shop''.

[janey]

Hi I went to Hope St seniors, 62/66 I remember Peter Erskine, as I was friends with his sister Pat, he lived in Sherlock St, and then moved over to the new development on Bristol Rd,,

[alanmillard]

I went to Hope street from 1954 to 1957. I remember Mr Griffiths, Mr Heath, Ms Clissold. Abe Afford. I remember I was always getting the stick, mostly for my cheek. I used to shout ouch and then burst out laughing, that realy riled them up. I was not a nice boy according to the headmaster. I used to get on well with Mr Griffiths and Mr Bowen " The PT instructer".
Can any one remember the old church hall in Hope Street were we used to do PT, also going up tp the Pebble Mill Sports ground on the bus.
People do not believe me when I tell them that our playground was tarmac.
My Grandfather also went to Hope Street in the 1890s and my great grandfather has a monumental masons business in Hope Street, but I am not sure of the exact location.

Regards
Dennis

was this not next to or within the same church building. alan

[janey]

I remember the hall at the bottom of Hope St and going on the bus to the playing fields, 1962/66 seniors

[john2000]

Well, did any of you learn to be gardners ?  where we did our bit of digging, Mr Jones was our man out in the field, even showed us which end of the spade to put in the ground, funny but after all the work we put in into the growing of ( what ever), we never saw any of it on our table at home,

[janey]

Never done any gardening there, but I knew someone named Bobby Mason, he would be about 65 if he was still with us, is he the one you mention in the Balsall Heath post.

[john2000]

Never done any gardening there, but I knew someone named Bobby Mason, he would be about 65 if he was still with us, is he the one you mention in the Balsall Heath post.

There was only one Bobby Mason I knew, ( his family where Irish ), do you remember where he lived and the name of any of his mates, ? ..J2
.... I dont remember any girls doing gardening, I think they tried to teach them to cook,..but with all the snack bars and fish& chip shops opening up, I dont think they did a good job, ( a bit like me and gardening,?)

[Anne from Stirchley]

I dont remember any girls doing gardening, I think they tried to teach them to cook

John, Swanshurst Grammar was funny. In our domestic science classes (our grooming for being future housewives?), we had a little flat where we were taught how to take care of a home. We also had cooking lessons and one of the first lessons was how to peel spuds. We then all went home and told our moms that they had been peeling spuds the wrong way. This went down well with our moms, as you can imagine.

[janey]

There was only one Bobby Mason I knew, ( his family where Irish ), do you remember where he lived and the name of any of his mates, ? ..J2
.... I dont remember any girls doing gardening, I think they tried to teach them to cook,..but with all the snack bars and fish& chip shops opening up, I dont think they did a good job, ( a bit like me and gardening,?)

Well his parents lived in Hope St, but he spent most of his time living with his grandparents, in William Edward St, he had two sisters that I recall, one was named Pat, can't remember the other name, or if there were any more of them. Oh his mates Davey Kane, Micky Cleary, Ronnie Cogan, Micky Spicer.

[john2000]

Well his parents lived in Hope St, but he spent most of his time living with his grandparents, in William Edward St, he had two sisters that I recall, one was named Pat, can't remember the other name, or if there were any more of them. Oh his mates Davey Kane, Micky Cleary, Ronnie Cogan, Micky Spicer.

The only people I knew in William Edward St was the Griffes, my mate was Frank, I remember he had a younger brother, and some sisters, they lived on the left hand side as you go down from Conybere St, if I remember right I think they where in the rag trade as well..J2

[Jenkins129]

Hi everyone, just come across this topic about Hope Street school. I attended the junior school between 1957 & 1962 ( ? not too sure ) and have vague recollections of a miss Pat Erskine in one of the earlier threads. The following are some of the pupils whose names i can still remember ; Tony Ward, Joey Floyd, Johny Hannah, Johny Randall, Heather Brown & Audrey Bradley. What was the name of the headmaster who loved his cricket? ( pre-school sessions in the hall ) Played football in Calphorpe park, walking up Varna Road ( interesting sights ), going to the Locarno Ballroom in Hurst Street, Saturday mornings bopping to Cilla Black, the Searchers, Dave Clarke Five etc, bag of chips from the chippie next door and a slow walk back to Hope street. Prior to that it was the Bristol Cinema for the morning matinee, straight out over to the "bomb peck". Oh ! by the way in them days i lived at 5 / 65, middle court. ( Dennis Fuller ) Many thanks for your time in reading my little walk down memory lane, who knows, some more names might come out of the woodwork. Best Regards, The Droog