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Anstey College

rowan

rowan

Born a Brummie
When I was about 8 or 9 I had to attend Anstey College for excercises on my feet I had to write my name by holding chalk between my toes and do all sorts of movements with my feet in the hopes that my feet would straighten and grow.

I can still hear my name being called out that it was the day "you are off to Anstey today"

They never grew much (size 3) but I can still write my name with chalk ( and a fat lot of good that has helped through my life!!)

Any other members go to this college or can tell me more or have photographs?
 
I did not go to Anstey but had similar exercises imposed on me - I went to the clinic in School Road, Yardley Wood by the Library.
 
Rowan I had to go to Trinity road clinic for the same reason and had to build bricks with my feet to try to straighten them. I too have small size 4 feet. The Anstey college I knew trained PE teachers. Jean.
 
Rowan if it is the same Anstey I know someone who taught there and maybe she has some photo's. Where was your Anstey Rowan.?.
 
The Ansty that I know is between Coventry and Nuneaton may not be the same place though. Dek
 
I think it was Erdington or Wylde Green as I went from Sir Josiah Mason Orphanage and it would have been in the late 1940's.

I vaguelly remeber it was on the right hand side going down from the Chester Road towards the Walmly cinema?
 
I know the one at Wylde Green was a PE teacher training college in the 1970's as I had several friends who went to train there. There are some photos on the Connecting Histories website but afraid I can't get the link to work when pasted into this message. So here's an extract:


Archive Catalogue Description

Anstey College of Physical Training was founded by Rhoda Anstey in 1897. It was the second women's physical training college to be established after Hampstead Training College (later Dartford College) which was founded by the Swedish physical educationalist Madame Bergman Osterberg where Rhoda Anstey herself trained in 1893 - 1895 . Anstey's first location was at the Leasowes a house in Halesowen formerly the home of the poet and landscape gardener William Shenstone (1714-63). In 1907 Rhoda Anstey moved the college to Yew Tree House on the Chester Road in Erdington, where it remained until 1981. From its outset the college forged close links with Birmingham University for students to receive instruction in Anatomy and Physiology and also with local schools where students undertook teaching practice and from where pupils came to the college to be taught physical education and remedial gymnastics. In the early days the college trained women professionals in: "….Educational Gymnastics, Medical Gymnastics, Anatomy, Physiology, Hygiene, Dancing, Swimming and Games and …. to prepare girls to take up the work of Physical Education in Schools" (Rhoda Anstey, Founder /Principal 1904 , College Magazine 1, p3).

The college had to move in 1981 as part of the Department of Education and Science's restructuring and became the Anstey School of Physical Education within the Birmingham Polytechnic on Westbourne Road, Edgbaston. The college finally closed in 1984. Throughout its history and still with us today there is a dynamic Anstey Association of former students and staff who have lovingly collected and safe guarded the custodial history of the college in this archive and also retained other memorabilia and larger scale items in the Anstey Room in Ravensbury House,Westbourne Road which is part of the University of Central England ( formerly Birmingham Polytechnic). Regular gatherings of the Anstey Association continue to foster the ethos of the college to physical educationalists
 
Thank you Vivienne that is most interesting.

I wonder if there are more members who went there? I'd love to see some photos of the building.

I recall a long sweeping drive up to a large house? and it seemed to be very light inside...................but then I was only about 8 or 9years old
 
Hi Rowan. Here are some references for the Anstey College records held by Birmingham City Archives. There's a book available from the library too, so there might be photos in that if you can get hold of it. Also there's one other photo on the Connecting History site of one of the buildings:




View attachment 66645Archive Organisation and Structure

The material that forms the collection had been housed by the Anstey Association in The Anstey Room, Ravensbury House, Westbourne Road, which belongs to The University of Central England (formerly Birmingham Polytechnic) before being transferred to Birmingham City Archives. The archive comprises formal and informal documents, academic records, correspondence, photographs, annual reports and magazines, anniversary celebrations, items from special events, memoirs and other memorabilia. Other larger scale items that could not be housed in this collection remain at Westbourne Road.

MS 2569/1 Records of Anstey College
MS 2569/2 Anstey Association Reports, Newsletters and Magazines
MS 2569/3 Anstey Association
MS 2569/4 Prinicipals, College Staff and Students
MS 2569/5 The Ling Association - the Swedish Influence
MS 2569/6 Photographs
MS 2569/7 Memoirs of Former Students
MS 2569/8 International Exhibitions and Demonstrations
MS 2569/9 Obituaries
MS 2569/10 Significant Celebrations
MS 2569/11 Related Printed Material
MS 2569/12 Miscellaneous

Further Contexts

"A History of Anstey College of Physical Education 1897-1972", by Colin Crunden is available in the Central Library in the Local Studies and History Section (48.03) and Social Sciences Library (A371.73 CRU). Sutton Reference Library also hold copies of this publication as well as "Anstey College of Physical Education Newscuttings".






 
Rowan that is where I remember it being. We would catch the bus home from Josiah Masons and Anstey College was on the right between Wylde Green Station and where we would turn at the Pavilion cinema into Gravelly Lane.
 
When I worked for Claribel Coaches 1966-69 I used to take the students to Snowdonia for outward bound training, I would take them, leave them and fetch them back the following week. They also used to go to Scotland for ski-ing in the winter, the driver that took them there used to stay with them all the time that they were there. That was a cream job, never did manage to do that one.
 
Glad I found this thread. Josephine Tey, the crime writer, attended this college, and the Physical Training College in her 'Miss Pym Disposes' is based on it - partly. It sounds absolutely fascinating, with such a varied curriculum.

maria
 
Rowan the tutors used to bring their trainee teacher to Wyndley and would help with the lessons every Friday morning. Heather Shilling was the head tutor at that time.
 
Thank you for that link, berniew.

Jospehine Tey/Elizabeth Mackintosh was a student there during the First World War. Apparently she used to give PT classes to factory workers during that time, as voluntary war work and to gain experience as well, I suppose.

maria
 
Claribel said:
When I worked for Claribel Coaches 1966-69 I used to take the students to Snowdonia for outward bound training, I would take them, leave them and fetch them back the following week. They also used to go to Scotland for ski-ing in the winter, the driver that took them there used to stay with them all the time that they were there. That was a cream job, never did manage to do that one.
Click to expand...
Bit like when we used to take the Littlewood girls to RAF Gaydon or the inner and outer circle route from the Tower ballroom, never any shortages of volunteers:)
 
I went to Green Lanes School and they discovered I had spinal curvature so I was sent to Anstey College. It was on Chester Road just up from Chester Road Station and although I was only 9, I was told that it was indeed a PE Teacher training college. I lived in Court Lane and used to walk both to school and home from school as the S73 midland red bus did not run at the right times to use it. I believe it ran as the S73 from Beggars Bush to Chester Road tram terminus and then changed number and ran along Boldmere Road and back then reverted to the Chester Road run. I never knew if those ladies cured my spinal curvature
Bob
 
Just found this photo on Ebay. Never heard of this place before. Interested reading the posts on here.
anstey.jpg
 
new to me as well froth..wonder where it was situated looks a nice building but i bet its not there now
 
I had a number of friends who went to Anstey to train as teachers specialising in PE. It was near Wylde Green. If you were travelling on #28 to on the Chester Road (near the Bowling Alley) I'm pretty sure there used to be a brown sign with gold writing on the roadside with "Anstey College of Physical Education" written on it. Think the sign had a gable on the top. Viv.
 
Anstey was a P.E. college and its students ran classes as part of their training. I was deemed to be round shouldered and flat footed and had to attend them. I remember that we had to balance on narrow beams and pick up bean bags with our toes. The old college has long since gone and the site now contains old people's bungalows.

The old Wylde Green Pavilion cinema, a short distance away on the other side of Chester Road, has also been demolished and houses built on the site. The old cinema was turned into a bowling alley for a time.

My grandparents lived in Holifast Road, and it appears that the land upon which their house was built had once been an orchard. Their garden contained a very prolific pear tree and we seemed to live on pears throughout the year.
 
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