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George Dixons Grammar School

Your form master was Mr. Sandercock. I started in form 1B went up to 1A for a year then went down to 2B.
 
Hello Calcbird,
I discovered your message to Janet today and was surprised to read my name. I didn't know I had a secret admirer when I was at George Dixon's !
Two years ago I joined the forum in the hope of finding old friends. No luck so far.I left the school when my family moved to London in 1959. Most my
adult life I have spent in Germany where I was a teacher until I retired.
I'd be really pleased to hear from you and find out your real name !
All the best,
Norma


I
 
Hello Calcbird,
I discovered your message to Janet today and was surprised to read my name. I didn't know I had a secret admirer when I was at George Dixon's !
Two years ago I joined the forum in the hope of finding old friends. No luck so far.I left the school when my family moved to London in 1959. Most my
adult life I have spent in Germany where I was a teacher until I retired.
I'd be really pleased to hear from you and find out your real name !
All the best,
Norma


I

Hi Norma,
Are you the Norma Pugh that used the number 3A bus to the Ivy Bush on Hagley Road? You wore your school beret on the back of your head and used to stand at the railings that separated our quads at school. You used to call me Spud, I never could reason why. I thought that you were beautiful.
 
Christopher Bird here, I was at GD from 1953 until 1958. I was in the Normans and Mr Orrin was the housemaster. I think that the other housemasters were Mr Sandercock (Britons), Mr Trout (Danes), and it was either Dilworth or Summerton who was the Saxons housemaster. I was a rule breaker - running to the canteen, My forelock was truly tugged and shaken!
 
Hi Norma,
Are you the Norma Pugh that used the number 3A bus to the Ivy Bush on Hagley Road? You wore your school beret on the back of your head and used to stand at the railings that separated our quads at school. You used to call me Spud, I never could reason why. I thought that you were beautiful.

Thank you for your message. I am the girl you describe who wore her beret on the back of her head (thanks for the compliment by the way). I used to catch the 2b at the IvyBush.,

I can remember one or two names: chris Bird (that's you, I think),Soapy Hudson, Ccharles Bonsall, Stevan Friar. the last two were in my class at Bournville Primary School. Which primary school did you go to and what did you do whenyou finished school ? I can't think why you were given the nickname Spud. Several of us were given nicknames.

viele Grüße
p.s. You might get two messages because I had problems sending the first one and have just written again.
I
 
I've only just read your thread. I was at GD's at the same time as you. I didn't realize that the school song I learnt by heart was just sung at the girls' school. If you're still interested in the text let me know.
 
Hi Janet,

I also started at G.D. in 1953, in form 2a, Miss Green was our form mistress - she later married and became MRS. CHATWIN. I was in contact with her until about 2003. I remember Miss Saul - just about the best teacher in the school and your first form mistress. Also Miss Mason, English. Miss Ore, Geography. Miss Player, History. Miss Montgomery, Latin. Miss Streather (later), Biology. Miss Currie, R.E. Mrs. Evans, Domestic Science.

I have a photo of Janet Lewis and Linda McAndrew (from your form) taken on the playing field when they were in Lower V.b. From 2a you may remember Carol Brown, Penny Daly, Pauline Griffiths, with whom I kept in touch. Also Suzanne Gooden, Elinor Hockley , Monica Elton, Suzanne Bailey, Nesta Clarke, Geraldine Fowler, Norma Clark.

It is 50 years since I last lived in Birmingham, but did make a trip there a couple of years ago which included a visit to the school. It looked very small in comparison to my memory of it.

Happy days indeed.

Moira
 
QUOTE=the doc;86016]I have been in Australia for nearly 40 years and would love to hear from anyone from my school years in Birmingham.

I went to George Dixon Grammar School during 1955 - 1959

Would love to hear from anyone who was there around the same time or who could let me have photographs and/or history af what has happened to the buildings over the past 40 years

Thanks

Jeff Holloway[/QUOTE]


I went to George Dixon Girls Grammar School from 1954 to 1959. Miss Organ was headmistress, Miss Boyter taught Maths, Miss Mclellough (sp?) taught English and Mrs. Chatwin taught French. Miss Montgomery taught Latin and I remember Miss Ore but not what she taught. Jeff, my brother Tony Fowler went to the Boys school but I think he left in either 55 or 56.
 
Just joined and found this thread. I was at GD from 1963 to 1968. First year we were Miss Sowman's class 1E. Most vivid memories are Miss McColl for maths who was wonderful; Mr Colley for latin who was a novelty as the only male teacher at the time. Had some wonderful times there. Remember being in the school choir and winning the Bournville Schools' Choir competition. Swimming at Harbourne baths - so cold and I still can't swim! Happy days11
Hi Reggie,
We must have been in the same form - I also started in Miss Sowman's 1E in 1963, though I stayed on till 1970, eventually becoming Head Girl! I also remember Miss McColl, Mr Colley (very shy), Mrs Chatwin, then Miss Yeats for French, Miss Curry (RE),Miss Barber (music) and many others. I also remember freezing at Harbourne baths and I can't swim either!
 
I've only just discovered this thread concerning GD and intrigued to perhaps meet up with old colleagues. I was there from 1960-1967 and was wondering if any reunions had ever occurred for past pupile of that era or if any are planned in the future. I too remember many of the teachers for both good and bad reasons. Are any of that vintage still with us? For some peculiar reason I was called Arnie or Arnold at school-it being my third christian name Anybody out there who remembers me perhaps get in touch. BW
Robert H. Arnold Coutts

Hello 'Arnie',

A delayed response to your post. I wandered here looking for photos for the family album. I remember GD with a mixture of fondness and regret: fondness for those I got to know (including most of the masters) and regret that I did not take enough heed of our school motto.

To our shame, our class of 1960-1967 was the only one (so far as I know) where there were no upper sixth at what should have been our leavers assembly. We had all been expelled 'en masse' by acting head Mr Trout - a miserable and embittered man to my mind. Our transgression was to have gone off-site for a farewell drink. We had clearly breached the rules but perhaps a blind eye could have been turned? Our man Trout was not one to flinch from his duty. I have wondered whether we were formally expelled (with all that must involve) or simply sent on our way.

Reading your post and the comments of others has brought back a sea of faces and a welter of memories. Who can forget 'Uncle' Les Somerton's daily announcement, which ran 'any boys who have not yet obtained their lunch ticket, report to me in the ante-hall immediately after this assembly'. Elsewhere someone has mentioned Mr Hannay aka 'Quilp' and his Latin grace at lunch, but failed to recall his dire warning when crossed that he had 'made sixth formers cry'. However, he was a good teacher. I can still conjugate latin verbs at speed and complete a noun declension. I pay my respects also to Mr Pat Hanks (Art), 'Plug' Endall (Economics), 'Jaffa' Orrin(Geography), Mr Tom Long (Spanish), Mr Sandercock (History) and Mr 'Silence!' Little (French). Others have mentioned Mr Walker aka 'the Pork'. He was teaching at GD when my father and uncle were there so he must have been a good age in our time. I remember he would patrol silently round the school looking for rowdy forms to bring to heel, or lean out of his study at the end of the day to make sure the lower years were wearing their caps to go home. I still remember some of his favourite lines such as 'mind your p's and q's Phyllis' and the challenge to give a rapid response to his question 'how many beans make five?' Any permutation was accepted but it had to be rapid or you risked having your forelock tugged.

I still haven't found any good pictures of the old school. It seems to have faded from view.

Peter Kind
 
Have posted on this thread before, but I was at GD from 1957 to 1962. I remember most of the teachers mentioned - most I have to say were all right, but one or two were absolute tyrants. I remember Mr Percy (FAP) who was a nice old boy if rather bumbling, and of course 'Polly' Worthington, who taught maths and always struck me as someone who felt he should have been called to higher things, rather than wasting his talents on grubby kids. Les Summerton taught physics, and was possibly the most boring human being I have ever known. I'm surprised to read that Graham Trout got all shirty when a few boys on their last day at school went for a celebratory tipple - he never struck me as being that way inclined. I last saw him in an Indian restaurant in town. One of the best teachers I recall was dear old 'Chunky' Brooks, who taught art, wore a bow-tie, and he was a very genuine and kind-hearted character, who really did try to inspire. Pat Hanks was another art teacher, and also very approachable. I remember he was trying to start a small business making products and materials for artists, but don't know if it ever worked out for him. I hope it did. Geoff Fletcher, who taught - or tried to teach - music, was another decent bloke; he was also the choir-master at St Martins-In-The-Bull Ring. I recall his owl-like features as he sat at the piano thumping out notes to 35 rapidly-maturing young men who didn't give a monkey's about music! My favourite teacher - said this before - was 'Toffee' Sharp, who taught English and English Lit. Unlike Geoff Fletcher, he could silence a class as he read Shakespeare aloud. In 1983, twenty years after I left GD, I went to one of their open days and there was old Toffee, who actually remembered me. I think he ended up as deputy head of the school. A very nice bloke.

G
 
Hi Big Gee. I was at GD 1955-1960. The open day you mentioned was probably the 100th anniversary of the City Road premises. The school had been founded in 1884 and we were told that it was the oldest state grammar school in the country. I also met Toffee Sharp at the open day. Not only did he remember me when he was my form master in my second year but he also recited the register of boys names from that year. He actually became heard of the Sixth Form on the amalgamation of the two schools. I remember Chunky Brooks teaching art.

Geoff Fletcher did not teach music in my opinion because he treated the music lessons purely as hymn practice and as a recruiting ground for the choir at St Martins. I think once a year he the taught one period of music theory and played a record of the first movement of Dvorak's New World Symphony which none of us appreciated.

I never liked Mr Trout although he never taught me. It did not surprise me to hear that he excluded a whole year of sixth form.

About 40 years ago I saw Tom Long who taught French and Spanish in Safeway's Harborne. Imagine having him for double Spanish followed by double French each Friday morning as happened to me in the fifth form.
 
No one seems to have posted a picture of the school on this tread. I have managed to find this old photo
https://cdn.staffordshire.gov.uk/birmingham/60/51/WaterMark/8431-0.jpg
Why it is on the Staffordshire website I do not know as this part of Birmingham was always in Warwickshire.
No traffic and a wheelbarrow in the road!
The first half of the block was the Boys Grammar School and the second half was the Girls Grammar School. Beyond the tower were the junior and infant schools
 
Wow...I nearly caught my breath when I saw that picture.... The entrance to the Boys' School is the archway to the left of the photo, which led onto a corridor which in turn gave onto the 'ante-hall' and also the entrance, to the left, of the studies of Mr Rumsby (Beak) and the dreaded Mr Walker (Deputy Beak). I myself was once summonsed to the latter, following an unfortunate incident in which a picture in the Main Hall was broken. Mr Walker a.k.a. Wally a.k.a. The Pork greeted me with 'Kitty Cane' already in his pudgy hands. Fearing the worst, I confessed all, and to my amazement I was dismissed without punishment. Incredibly enough, there was a human side to The Pork, as I found out one day after school when I discovered to my horror that I'd lost my bus-fare home - and it's a long way from City Road to Perry Barr. I came across The Pork in the ante-hall, and he demanded to know why I was still on the premises. I explained my predicament, and to my lasting astonishment he asked me how much my bus-fare was, then handed me the exact amount. With a dire warning that it was repaid the following morning - which of course it was.

Anyone remember 'Butch' Winson, who taught French and was also a rugby coach? And Michael Harrison, who also taught French?

Regarding the question of whether the school was in Warwickshire or Staffordshire, I have a (very) vague memory of once reading that City Road was actually the boundary between the two counties.
I'd be very interested if someone on this Forum could confirm this, or otherwise.

G
 
great photo of GD david...is it still standing...?

lyn

Yes Lyn, the school is still standing. The main different at the front is that the small door (know as the laundry door in my day) that you can see half way along the block in what we used to call the Front Quad has been enlarged with a porch and is now the main entrance and a break has been made in the fence for a new gate. The old entrances to the boys school on the left and the girls school on the right just before the tower are now, I presume, just fire escapes as the gates are now locked. However I cannot speak for the back of the school as a new block has been built and demolished since I was there. The primary schools have new premises on the old girls playing field higher up City Road under the Building Schools for the Future Programme .

On Big Gee's question on the city boundary. The Warwickshire/Staffordshire border ran from near the Bear at Bearwood along the Shire Brook (clue!) crossing Portland Road at the terminus of the 5A/7 bus route (which connected with the Midland Red/West Bromwich Corporation joint bus route 252 onwards into Staffordshire). The Shire Brook continued on until it joined the Hockley Brook so might have crossed the lower part of City Road. I think that there is significance in the name City Road as it could have been cut when there was a boundary change. The no.11 Outer Circle in the old days never crossed the city boundary and those of us who remember the "Funeral Service", as we called it, remember the buses crawling at walking pace up the mile long straight City Road so as not to be early at the Bundy clock at the Kings Head Bearwood.

Although the "Pork" always talked about "Kitty", his cane, he told us that in his whole career as a teacher he had only ever caned two boys. It was all talk. I was in detention once and I witnessed him as a very good teacher as he was at the same time as supervising the detention he was giving a group of prefects some extra coaching in chemistry as, in those days, we always had boys trying for Oxford.

Here is one for old Dixonians "May be grooming Oxford Scholars...Go there" is an exact anagram of "The George Dixon Grammar School for Boys". I have to say that I have my doubts nowadays.
 
Wow...I nearly caught my breath when I saw that picture.... The entrance to the Boys' School is the archway to the left of the photo, which led onto a corridor which in turn gave onto the 'ante-hall' and also the entrance, to the left, of the studies of Mr Rumsby (Beak) and the dreaded Mr Walker (Deputy Beak). I myself was once summonsed to the latter, following an unfortunate incident in which a picture in the Main Hall was broken. Mr Walker a.k.a. Wally a.k.a. The Pork greeted me with 'Kitty Cane' already in his pudgy hands. Fearing the worst, I confessed all, and to my amazement I was dismissed without punishment. Incredibly enough, there was a human side to The Pork, as I found out one day after school when I discovered to my horror that I'd lost my bus-fare home - and it's a long way from City Road to Perry Barr. I came across The Pork in the ante-hall, and he demanded to know why I was still on the premises. I explained my predicament, and to my lasting astonishment he asked me how much my bus-fare was, then handed me the exact amount. With a dire warning that it was repaid the following morning - which of course it was.

Anyone remember 'Butch' Winson, who taught French and was also a rugby coach? And Michael Harrison, who also taught French?

Regarding the question of whether the school was in Warwickshire or Staffordshire, I have a (very) vague memory of once reading that City Road was actually the boundary between the two counties.
I'd be very interested if someone on this Forum could confirm this, or otherwise.

G

Hello Big G,

I remember 'Butch' Winson clearly. He had a number of ways of entertaining himself during lessons. One was to take the window pole, extend it horizontally at head height and swing it across the desks. I assume this was to help us sharpen our reflexes and help us remain alert. Another of his favourite tricks was to select someone's rule (for as Mr Sharp would point out the term ruler refers to e.g. the head of a country), place it in an open sash window and subject it to the patented Winson Window Test. Sadly for the pupils concerned, their rules usually proved inadequate and snapped. Bizarrely, nobody ever complained.

Peter
 
I remember Mr Winson, don't remember the nickname Butch but think I remember the window pole.

Another story about Walter Walker, the Second Master, for you. During the war he used to sleep on the school premises as he was the fire watcher. I think he slept in the basement in the area we called Metro during raids but most nights he slept in Room 5. He told us that one night he climbed the tower and carried an unexploded incendry bomb down and left it in the middle of the primary school playground for the Bomb Disposal to collect.
 
Although I know nothing about this school, enjoying reading these recollections very much. Thanks all for posting and keep them coming. Viv.
 
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