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St Michaels RC School Floodgate Street

S

smiler

master brummie
Did anyone go to St Michael's RC School, Floodgate Street, Digbeth ?

I cannot find any mention of it anywhere, this school was a Catholic School, bombed out of Bordesley Street in the Second world war and moved to the old Floodgate Street School, Digbeth in about 1943.

This school educated!!!! many rough and ready catholic 'brummie' lads, some of whom went on to be 'millionaire's',(to my knowledge) but I have never found anyone posting anything about this school.

Post war the headmaster was Mr McCoy, who's reputation was legend, it was a hard school where boxing was encouraged for a preparation for later life.

Well where are the old 'boys' what have they done!! Did their time at' Saint Mick's' see them all right in life? You know that you are out there!!

I went there 1958-63, it was an 'education' but stood me in good stead through life and allowed me to retire independent at 54!! not so bad!!!

So any memories out there!!!! Will anyone contribute, please.
 
That little hard man McCoy is well remembered and St Michael's boxing club was legendary.
When I get the time to track it down I'll send you a staff photo that I've got which includes the giant Mr Holsey, an ex heavyweight boxer who, when he wasn't belting kids with a cricket bat used to also teach boxing and, believe it or not, music!
 
Yes, I remember Mr Halsey he was about 6'4'', I remember him as being fair but in those days a quick back hand was part of the 'education'.

He had a number of brothers all of the same size, one was a Police Officer in the Birmingham City Police.

Do you remember 'old' Joe Parker, always had a fag hanging out of his mouth, even in the class and blowing ash everywhere. I remember he was deadly with a blackboard rubber at 20 pace's.

Well that makes 2 of us who went to 'St Mick's', there must be thousands of others, boys and girls out there, I look forward to reading their memories and how attending there stood them in life.
 
Well guys I also went to St Micks for two terms in 1A Joe parkers class, sat next to Jonnie Griffin who became a B'ham counciller I believe. Yes I was in the class when ..... Edit to remove named person .....was arrested due to a complaint from one of his girl students. There's a lot of activity & photos on the friends united site.
I hope you like the 1st year football team. Any one know the missing names?
 
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Hi Bob i did not go to Saint Micks,i went to Saint Marys Hockley
I boxed for my school,i can remember going to St Micks to box it was a big school compared to ours i fought a kid from there three times,home and away,and met him again in the early rounds of the school boys A B As it would not be fair to mention his name on here

Some time back in one of Chinnys mags there are some good photos of St Micks boxing team and he is on the photo if i can sought it out i will let you know what edition it was in i will PM you
forgot to metion i beat him three times
Mossy
 
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The names that are missing are:

Desmond KELLY(full name) Peter HART, John LOVELL, Bobby HALL and in the middle with the ball John HAMES.

Still a couple to name, I hope this helps.
 
Smiler thanks for the info but my memory is not as good as when I was there in the flesh.
Whats the position of john Lovell is he the one to the right of Micky Floody? Which one is Bobby Hall? and I will then correct and post new photo. Where you in 1A class?
 
Sorry about the delay in answering this Bob, been busy, well to put the name's to faces.
Back row, from left, Peter Harte,John Mullen, Desmond Kelly, Micky Floody,John Lovell, Not known, then you.
Front row from left, Not known, Bobby Hall, John Hames, John Griffin, Not known.
Obviously with Old Joe Parker at the back, the only time he never had a fag in his mouth!!

I have the footbal team photo from the previous year which I am on, I will try and post it.

I will now keep a regular eye on this thread to answer any questions you might have.

What surprises me is that all the kids who went to St Micks there's only you and me who seem interested in remembering it, perhaps they all had bad memories, personally I though it was a rough and ready education but what else did we expect in the 50's after the war!! Its what you did after what counted. Much better in the 60's and 70's as you have shown by your stories and photo's around town.

Smiler
 
I was at that school for a year, remember Mr Parker, don`t remember any of the rest. Someone said it was a rough school, maybe maybe not. Went to a few places in Ireland and things were just as bad. Thomas 1971 class Ist year
 
Hi i went to st michaels school started around 57, remember all the staff, the headmistress was i think miss hill,my favourite teacher was miss bentley, my best friends where joyce kelly and jean mccarthy
 
hi i went to st micheals around 57 my favourite teacher was miss bentley
 
hi i mainly remember the female teachers miss kemp, miss bentley mr mccoy mr odonel, mr higgins (VERY SCARY)mr halsall miss hill mr parker,
 
hi i also went to st michaels and remember a lot of staff and pupils
 
hi am getting lost not sure how to post notes, i also went to st michaels, and remember loads of pupils and staff
 
Hi, Boomerang,

I remember Joyce Kelly, she was older than me but she had an elder brother John Kelly and a younger brother Desmond (Dessie) Kelly, who was in the same year as me!!

The family lived in Theresa Road, Sparkbrook, near Farm Park.

A photo of Dessie Kelly is in the photograph of the football team on page one of this thread, standing in the back row.

They were a lovely Irish family who I am happy to say I knew well.

Smiler
 
You can find this school on the web site Friends Reunited...www.friendsreunited.co.uk Enter St. Michaels R C School in the School search engine at the top left hand corner of the Home Page
and there are 21 Schools of that name on the list. The Birmingham St. Michael`s is on Page 7 and scroll down ..it`s the 6th down. Lots of info
and ex-pupils there...some photos there too. It`s a free site now.
 
I went to St Andrews [Ada Rd] 66-69 circa but knew a few who went to St Micks.
 
Hello - I've just joined the forum and posted a note about the school in the 'Welcome' section. Take a look


smiler said:
Did anyone go to St Michael's RC School, Floodgate Street, Digbeth ?

I cannot find any mention of it anywhere, this school was a Catholic School, bombed out of Bordesley Street in the Second world war and moved to the old Floodgate Street School, Digbeth in about 1943.

This school educated!!!! many rough and ready catholic 'brummie' lads, some of whom went on to be 'millionaire's',(to my knowledge) but I have never found anyone posting anything about this school.

Post war the headmaster was Mr McCoy, who's reputation was legend, it was a hard school where boxing was encouraged for a preparation for later life.

Well where are the old 'boys' what have they done!! Did their time at' Saint Mick's' see them all right in life? You know that you are out there!!

I went there 1958-63, it was an 'education' but stood me in good stead through life and allowed me to retire independent at 54!! not so bad!!!

So any memories out there!!!! Will anyone contribute, please.
Click to expand...
 
Hello

I went to St Michaels I left in 1965.

I remember Joe Parker and not with fond memories. He taught us French and was constantly having a drink from a hip flask which he said was "cough medicine"
Mr Halsay took us for Geography he was a gentle giant really.

Did Miss Bently take the girls for PE?
I have such happy memories of my years there.

In my year were
Lizzie Skillen
Pat Casey
Maureen Rooney
Matthew Dolan
John Clements
Susan McCoy
Joseph Pender
Tony Joyce
Mary Keenan ( her sister used to teach Irish Dancing)

do you remember having to walk upto st Anne's church on Friday's for Benediction and the Latin masses in the hall . Oh how sore my knees were.
Was Mr Odonal the teacher who always smelt of TCP?

Maureenxx
 
Hello Maureen - I posted a lengthy reply to your thread but I'm not sure you got it and foolishly I didnt save it so I could kick myself! I have asked the webmaster of the site for reassurance it has not been lost.

I did ask in that reply for your maiden name but if I'd looked a bit closer at your post I'd see that you included it.

I remember the name but cannot put a face to Maureen Hodgetts and maybe you'll feel the same way about me! Have you by any chance got a photo?

I note that you married a Sinicola. No sorry I dont know anything about them but its sounds possibly Italian. Did he by any chance go to St Michaels?

My real name is not Moyles, its Haran

You may prefer to contact me at my email address which is: [email protected]

Regards

Brian
 
Brian How can you not remember me. I am heart broken.

I do have some old photographs but will take a time to sort out.

yes I married into an Italian family but no he did not go to St. Michaels he lived in the posh part of birningham. It was then Sheldon near the airport.

No I did not see your first reply, but am so excited to hear from you today

Did you used to live off the Stratford Road?


maureenxx
 
St. Michaels is still there or was a few years ago,I went to a talk by Carl Chinn there.
I remember it from the late 40s.good boxing club,can't remember if they ever beat our school,Upper Thomas St.though.
 
I think you may see some photos of the Kelly brother on the Lucas Memories site

www.lucasmemories.co.uk


If you go on to the site click on Formans Road on the menu on the left, and then click the Sports Gallery

Jackie
 
hi mr t,. i had to go on for 12,more months, when the sch closed, we had to walk from st martins flats to bolton rd, my sister would have been in your year she left in 1976, jackie, i still see mr winston[dermot]. now & again on our travels, do you know what happened to [michael glennon] he was out of my glass, a few have passed away from my year of leaving 1977, do you have any fotos from school, i never remember any photos, being taken of us do you, like school fotos, like they have today?[ unless our parents hid them? from us? did you have a sister in my year it begins, with a K.. take care,..regards,... christy,....
 
A friend of mine went to st micks I think it would have been in the 50s his nick name was Banger given name Brian cant recall last name ..must be haveing senior moment oh I think its Cunningham.
Jean N
 
Hi Christy

I never went to St Michael's School, I run a web site Lucas Memories and there was names that came up the Kelly brothers I though there maybe photos on my web site that was the kelly brothers that went to St Michael's so I put a message on for the person to check the web site to see if it was the same Kelly brother

Jackie


www.lucasmemories.co.uk
 
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