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Handsworth Technical School

The 'third year' comprised of students from the Building stream and Mechanical and numbered about upper thirties per class as I recall. So a third of the pupils would be from Building and we only met them ever at that time. Strange situation and it must have been the same for them. I remember a couple of students who stood out from the Building stream...John Brain and I think a Clark. About 1954 or so and you might have known them also. Very cleaver guys and one thinks that they went on to do great things in whatever way they chose. Although Clark was a Blues supporter and so like me backed a looser there. At least one HTS graduate became an MP....hmmm an education maybe wasted.
I still have maths text books which were written by the Head Master (Bryant?) at least I think so. Maybe from later technical college. Small ones about 8" x 6" and I saw my old log tables from then...a while back. It's funny...a sighting like that, when searching for something totally un-related, can suddenly bring back memories and hold up the search for a while. It doesn't matter there is no hurry now.
 
Hi Rupert, We did have a Nobby Clarke in our lot. A very clever chap always in the top three ,Ticker Hardin? who's Dad was a publican, Nobby and I think the other one was Holder or something like that.
My wonky memory tells me only Clarke went on out of those three. He was related to one of our neighbours in Tillingham St. Sparkbrook and I did bump into him a couple of times.
Due to my attitude towards studies I was not invited to stay on and I doubt if I would have had the sense to stay on.
If anyone should still be alive from that era they might remember me as having blonde hair with a DA I wore a maroon corduroy jacket, shirts styled exclusively for Frankie Lane, lairy ties and oxblood crepe soled shoes (what a Burke!!)
 
Hi Anvil man I was one of I think three who prided ourselves on being able to unlock all the lockers and desks at Boulton Rd and it was quite expensive as we had to buy locks in some cases to get the type of key. Fortunately most of the locks were rubbish.
My pride was that I have a good memory but I cant remember the looks or names of the other offenders and the one had also been at Stratford Rd Junior School and I worked with him part time at a tailors on Sparkhill.
One afternoon we were sprung by one of the masters and I thought we would be expelled or killed at least. Again I cant remember the Masters name but he watched us open a couple of desks then confiscated all our keys and let us go. I still cant believe that we got away with it but strange things happen!!
 
OK. Clarke with an 'e'. Always get that wrong. He watched the Blues games from the south stands about half way, as I recall him saying. I remember that because I always stood there but I never saw him at a game. We all started off with a school blazer and badge but you know how kids grow at that age...too small in no time. So replacement gear was merely the badge on a sports coat...already in the wardrobe. The school did not seem to mind; maybe realising that all family budgets were not necessarily flush with funds. I seem to remember that the transition from short to long pants took place in those years. I remember one teacher saying that he was always amazed how the little kids that started there had grown on the way out two or three years later.
A wonderful institution that does not seem to be around now. Even the second location appears to be derelict on GE. It's a different world now and making things for a living, has gone away....never to return. How can it if only the fogies know how? However there seems to be loads of office space available in soon to be 'derelict' empty factories on GE. What it is all for is a mystery to me. So I guess that the need for an HTS type school has gone away also. Ah...don't mind me. I'm an inveterate pessimist. I must be missing something. Maybe we can all get 3D printers and dial up gadgets to go.
 
Patience Rupert there is a slowly growing recognition over here that we need - - - - wait for it - Technical Schools though they will probably be called Academies. The wheel turns.
 
Hi All , better watch it as I don't want to keep putting stuff on a become a bit of a bore.
Re the PE teachers I think I recall Stokes as being well on in years and not being too fit ,but we all feared him. Think he played 1st Class Cricket for Warwickshire, and Ball was much younger and he had competed in the "48 Olympics with Discus and maybe javelin, used to show his muscles developed in these events.
Being in the Building stream most of my dim memories are of Boulton Rd and the newer building that housed the metalwork ,kitchens for the dinners and the brickwork area at the end where the bricks were neatly stacked after being cleaned after we knocked down the half completed pig sties we had laboured over.

On one occasion during a lunchbreak we grabbed some halfbats through the railings and started throwing them at these brick columns and it became a bit of a riot. The master on yard patrol was attracted by the noise and came to investigate and there was a stampede to escape and all but one boy fled. He was so engrossed he didn't know what was going on until he was caught by the scuff of he neck and marched off to the staff room.
As punishment he was made to spend the rest of the afternoon repairing the damage and the rest of the school were made aware of his labours.
I would like to say that as in the movies the rest of us came forward, confessed our guilt and joined him in this mammoth task. we didn't of course and to this day I feel a bit ashamed of my cowardice. Whoever you are, if you are still with us, I would like to apologise.
In regard to school trips Willy Whetton organised one to the local cinema to see "The Robe" as it was History? and we had to explain to him all about how Cinemascope worked which took up another whole lesson. We also went to Worcester to see the cathedral and Liverpool to see that cathedral being built only part being open to the public. I also think we went to Blackpool and in the "Free Time" we went to the funfair where one of the prizes on offer was a Flick Knife, the good old days!!
Cheers Tim
 
Tim I am sure I am not alone in saying that your memories are welcome. I left in 1958 after 2 years and do not recall any building stream so perhaps it had finished by then.



BernardR
 
Technical Schools training for the service industry mostly I suspect. At least that is the scenario in NA. What used to be City and Guilds level is appropriate perhaps. Math and calculus is little required today outside of scientific endeavours...maybe that was always the case for most that mastered it. It's the normal run of history and nothing lasts for ever.
 
Hi Tim, I remember Mr. Stokes the P.E. teacher, that was between 1943 - 46, he was quite athletic then.

best wishes to all,Reg
 
Hi Reg, Don't know what age our Mr Stokes maybe only his 50,s but to a 13 year old that is OLD. Maybe I should google to see if there is anything about him, or maybe I should get a Life?
A bit of my missing memory has surfaced, the lad whose name I could not recall was Robert(Bobby) Pritchard I think.
Another ex Stratford Road School boy was Keith? (Willy) Abbott, very athletic he was expelled from HTS for knocking out a teacher who picked on the wrong boy. From the top of the Gym building you could see into Mr Bryant's office and the procedure ( which seemed to take hours) was watched and reported to all and sundry. His father came in from Solihull (?) to fight his case and take him home. He was a hero for a few days and a bit rubbed off onto us who knew him.
Cheers from Down Under
 
Was at Handsworth Tech: from April 52 till 54, I was only 13 when I started in 1B and many of the lads were 15, it was a great and sudden growing up. Names I remember: Derek Parkes, Brian Podmore, Alan Wills, Barry Page, Alan Williams (who lived in Tudor St). Alan Wills married the girl who worked in the 'tuckshop' in Union Row. I only excelled at woodwork and made my 'Anvil' pattern and when I left got a job as Apprentice Pattern Maker at Shipways, Lozells Rd.....Remember having snowball fights with the firemen from next door and when I finished Nat.Service (Royal Engineers). joined the Fire Service and spent a few years as Officer I/c Stafford Rd. in the 60s. Got the long full photo of the school 1952 but its much to long to add here. Great reading others memories, it was a great school and many of the technical aspects learnt helped immensely in my 30 years in the Fire Service........
 
Yes I was there from 1952/1954.Bryant was the head and Creeping Jesus the assistant.If remember correctly we were divided into houses Watt Murdoch Boulton etc etc.
Played for the footy team
 
My aluminium Anvil is perched above my computer as I was there from 52/54.Had a friend at Shipways named Ron Grainger
 
Hello Down under I was there 52/54 Mr Stokes was a crotchity old boy who apparently suffered with arthritis.I liked him very much.His assistant a young fellow used to like laying the pump to my backside,it made no difference,Mr Stokes had a different approach,hence I was good at athletics and bad at Gym.
Remember bowling to him in the annual teachers V pupils cricket.I was considered something of a demon bowler,so he proceeded to smack me to the boundry aaah wonderful memories
Regards
Graham
 
Hi

Yep almost forgot it the Stokes pump in the Gym. God knows what they would make of it today what
with Pancho Smths Strap.

Happy Days

Mike Jenks
 
Yes, I remember Ron. He started at Shipways just before I did my National Service......I did not return there after I was demobbed....but visited on a couple of occasions.
 
Hello again--all good fun.We hid the registers in the loft caused chaos and stacked the wood work benches on top of each other,rebelling against the woodwork teacher ---
Graham Longley
 
Hi Longley, Not surprised that Stokes belted you to the boundary as he played for Warwickshire in his salad days.
Have a problem with the anvil, was it an engineering thing? Maybe as I was in the Building Stream our metalwork all about tinsmithing work and plumbing. One time I was talking to a plumber here in Oz who was in the same boat club as me and I was telling him how we did lead plumbing, wiping the semi molten lead joints with a moleskin (the way the Romans must have done it) and he couldn't believe that it went on in the 50's. At that time it was all copper pipes and expansion joints.
Now again it is all plastic- Christ I am old!!
 
I haven't seen mention of the paper bag water-bombs lately in the posts.
Attic Launch Window.
HTS_Attic_Window.JPG
 
Last edited:
Metalwork.JPG Picture of metal work items made during 1951-1953. I originally Posted them on #191 but unfortunately they were "hacked off!!".
 

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