I am just wondering if anyone has any memories or history of St Stephens RC primary school, Nineveh Road, Handsworth? The school closed in the early eighties I believe, and is now a Caribbean day centre. I went to the school 1974-1979. The school seems to have be forgotten, so any info on why it closed or any memories would be welcome. Thanks.
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St Stephens Primary School
- Thread starter kraggy
- Start date
Staffsyeoman
Brummie babby
I was there from 1967-73; Head teachers were Clancy and Flanagan; my class teacher in my final year was Mr (Harry) Bartrope who was a shock to us all as he had long hair and a bandit moustache! But he was the nicest, kindest of teachers I could have hoped for who did what the best teachers did; he pushed me to do well and better. Most of our teachers were wonderful people but we did have some real horrors (funnily enough, they were women and I won't name names) who seemed actively to dislike children.
I don't recognize him here, though he wasn't a nice teacher if I remember.
Thanks for those. I was actually looking on Google Street view and it takes you into the old playground! Where did you get that pic of Mr Walmsley and is he still alive now?
He must be in his 70's now then? I was SS from 73 to 79 so must have seen you around! I then went to St John Wall in Oxhill Road until 84. Live in Shropshire now...
Kraggy, could you pm me your real name?
It's ok, it's Andy Wardlow. I remember some names from St Stephens, such as Eamon and David Smith (brothers), Anthony Slattery, etc... I was friends with a Tony and Jimmy Rogers, they had an older brother Brendan (Brian) Rogers.
Yes, he lived in Handsworth Wood Road, I went to that house loads of times back in the day. I think he lives near B'ham centre now as I was in contact some years back. He went to Cardinal Newman School with his brothers. They also had a sister, Margaret. I'm trying to think of other names though it's hard some 40 years after leaving the school!
i went to st stephens around 1971 and margaret rogers was my best friend i was always at her house too !! i went to cardinal newmans after ss
Thanks for these photos. The caretaker when I was there was a Mrs Bowes if I remember. It's strange seeing cars in our old playground too, I spent five years running around there, playing Tig and British Bulldog! It would have been great if somebody had some group photos, I don't have any but do have a few photos from when we had Confirmation in 1978 or 1979, i'll try and find them out...
Yes, they lived just at the top of the road didn't they? Their mom was Alice and the dad was called Barney and they had a little terrier dog called Andy! I was in touch with Brian (real name Brendan) the older brother some years back. He stayed in Birmingham and Tony eventually went to Ireland and set up a business there. I don't know where Jimmy is, though heard from Brian that Margaret died some years ago now, not sure if you are aware or not?
He didn't smile back in the 70's either...
Staffsyeoman
Brummie babby
I left in 1973 to go to St Philip's in Edgbaston; I was the only one to go there.
thankyou so much for your reply kraggy, no i didnt know she had died i,m really sad to hear that but at least i know, i would love to see a photo of her......yes i remember the dog and the house, there was 5 of us sisters at st stephens our surname was sweeney. was you mates with all the brothers? i remember their dad always had chicken soup before his dinner every evening 
I was mainly friends with Tony, I have a photo somewhere of him, me and Jimmy on confirmation day at St Stephens, somewhere around 1978/79. I will try to find it and scan it to this forum. You didn't happen to have a brother called Eamon do you? I remember an Eamon Sweeney at school, he might have been in my year.thankyou so much for your reply kraggy, no i didnt know she had died i,m really sad to hear that but at least i know, i would love to see a photo of her......yes i remember the dog and the house, there was 5 of us sisters at st stephens our surname was sweeney. was you mates with all the brothers? i remember their dad always had chicken soup before his dinner every evening
In the photo of the playground, if you go through the green gates, just to the right of the small 'barred' windows... that was where there was a tuck shop in the 70's, I remember buying viscount mint chocolate biscuits for around 2p and soft drinks in a plastic container and a straw.
I was there 73-74 then went to St. John wall
hi kraggy, no we were all girls, yeh be nice to see the photo !
Qu.Be
Heróiam sláva
I was there for a bit in the mid 70s, for my sins.
Had John Honey as a teacher in junior 4. He was a right showman; I remember him teaching us a hymn and singing the first line, sweeping his hand into the air like he was doing opera.
One day he took our power ball and spent some time throwing it against the wall of Junior 3, closer and closer to the top until it went on the roof, while he was on playground duty. Then he shrugged and wandered off.
Mr Honey was so-so to get on with, Mr Walmsley less so. Mr Bartrobe (sp) looked like Martin Lee out of Brotherhood of Man. Mrs Flannagan was headteacher and pretty good, but you didn't mess her about – command presence or what.
Mrs Jones was very kind; I think she looked after what we'd call Special Needs today? There was also Miss Bodenham, Mrs Cronin whose names I remember. The pianist was Mrs Reardon, who came in for the evil that was Singing (the boys mostly hated it) and School Mass. She also dragged in for the class plays at Christmas and summer; having listened to my own youngsters' classes singing, I hope she was well paid!
There were prefects from Junior 4 who the teacher would get to keep an eye on a class for a few minutes if they needed to duck out; perfectly normal at the time, but there was a right fuss about 25 years back when the school down the road tried the same thing – putting two eleven-year-old kids in charge of a class of eight-year-olds.
If you messed about in the playground at lunchtime, the dinner ladies would send you to stand against the wall while they stood chatting; I reckon they had Mum-sight and could keep an eye even while you thought they were paying you no attention, but being grassed-up was also a possibility.
There were good kids and bad kids, same as anywhere, and kids who just 'needed' picking on, apparently. There was an English kid (that is, English Catholic parents not Irish Catholic like lots of us were). He was a bit odd but I reckon that was down to his folks not having a telly, but one day one of the lads (John or Paddy?) called him a nose-picking Englishman. I was there thinking there was going to be a scrap; he didn't argue about the English bit but said he didn't pick his nose and anyway always used a handkerchief – he got an apology!
I used to like watching the trains go past on the railway line rather than doing lessons; when I was 17 and started going to the pub we'd sometimes duck onto the tracks to walk home at night. Often thought it would be good to do the kids a favour and drop a petrol bomb on the roof from there! Mind you, the place got closed down a year or so after and I was dead annoyed because it hadn't been such a bad place – we'd dug out beds and grown veggies in the patch of grass at the back of the kitchens by the windows of Infant 1, after all, and that was special.
Had John Honey as a teacher in junior 4. He was a right showman; I remember him teaching us a hymn and singing the first line, sweeping his hand into the air like he was doing opera.
One day he took our power ball and spent some time throwing it against the wall of Junior 3, closer and closer to the top until it went on the roof, while he was on playground duty. Then he shrugged and wandered off.
Mr Honey was so-so to get on with, Mr Walmsley less so. Mr Bartrobe (sp) looked like Martin Lee out of Brotherhood of Man. Mrs Flannagan was headteacher and pretty good, but you didn't mess her about – command presence or what.
Mrs Jones was very kind; I think she looked after what we'd call Special Needs today? There was also Miss Bodenham, Mrs Cronin whose names I remember. The pianist was Mrs Reardon, who came in for the evil that was Singing (the boys mostly hated it) and School Mass. She also dragged in for the class plays at Christmas and summer; having listened to my own youngsters' classes singing, I hope she was well paid!
There were prefects from Junior 4 who the teacher would get to keep an eye on a class for a few minutes if they needed to duck out; perfectly normal at the time, but there was a right fuss about 25 years back when the school down the road tried the same thing – putting two eleven-year-old kids in charge of a class of eight-year-olds.
If you messed about in the playground at lunchtime, the dinner ladies would send you to stand against the wall while they stood chatting; I reckon they had Mum-sight and could keep an eye even while you thought they were paying you no attention, but being grassed-up was also a possibility.
There were good kids and bad kids, same as anywhere, and kids who just 'needed' picking on, apparently. There was an English kid (that is, English Catholic parents not Irish Catholic like lots of us were). He was a bit odd but I reckon that was down to his folks not having a telly, but one day one of the lads (John or Paddy?) called him a nose-picking Englishman. I was there thinking there was going to be a scrap; he didn't argue about the English bit but said he didn't pick his nose and anyway always used a handkerchief – he got an apology!
I used to like watching the trains go past on the railway line rather than doing lessons; when I was 17 and started going to the pub we'd sometimes duck onto the tracks to walk home at night. Often thought it would be good to do the kids a favour and drop a petrol bomb on the roof from there! Mind you, the place got closed down a year or so after and I was dead annoyed because it hadn't been such a bad place – we'd dug out beds and grown veggies in the patch of grass at the back of the kitchens by the windows of Infant 1, after all, and that was special.
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Staffsyeoman
Brummie babby
Mr Bartrope (Harry). Taught me in Junior 4 in 1972-73 - a Geordie, I recall. Was very fair, and encouraged me to stretch myself. We thought he was a rather groovy teacher by comparison with the others!
Qu.Be
Heróiam sláva
Ta
One letter wrong in 50 years ain't so bad though!
Specially as mi mum always called him Mr Bathrobe...
