• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Aston Technical College

Astonite that's a great piece of educational history! And what a good example of the level of skills needed in Birmingham at that time. Enjoyed seeing your photos. Thanks. Viv.
 
Gosh I remember doing a PV diagram on that old gas engine and brake HP. Also the tensile testing machine...elastic limits and necking and stuff. What amazing pictures well done. I think it all became part of the Gosta Green sphere and University of Aston in Birmingham did it not. I got an ONC at Aston and HNC at Gosta Green.
 
Is this the Aston Technical College that was in Whitehead Road, opposite Aston Commercial School? I went to ACS and from the photos it looks like the same building.
 
There were some great teachers there that helped in my career. Mr. Grafton...mechanical science comes to mind. Superior teacher and humorous man...a great fan of Frank Sinatra and dabbled with miniscule radios. There was another of particular note whose name does not come to mind now. Mr. Read I think Behaviour of Materials perhaps. Both rare and talented gentlemen.
 
Astonite - Thanks for those pictures, they brought back memories and I looked up papers not touched since the 60's. I particularly liked the photo of the outside of the college. I didn't try very hard at 'proper' school, but when I attended night school at ATC for five years in my own time I tried much harder with the help of talented dedicated teachers. On the photo below - the name of the Principal on the first certificate seems a classic !
 
Great Astonite. It must have been 50s/60s era and Grafton and Read are on it. Memory's not so bad.
 
One of the things that I find fascinating is the diversity of courses on offer and the support available to students, there is an evening course on offer in milk pasteurization and distribution.View attachment 68396
 
The only time we had pasteurized was at school, my dad refused to drink anything other than 'stera', he said pasteurized made your tea taste like 'gnats pee'. Co-incidently, free milk was on offer at Aston Tech for under 18s. Can you get 'stera' in Canada Rupert or is it purely a British thing?
 
Never seen it here. Past is not known but I suspect that it is called homo here...homogenised. Then you get 2% 1% and so on down to water.
 
Spent many hours there on a day release Motor Vehicle Technology course in the early sixties.
I was on the mechanics and technicians course from 1946 to 1951, Mr Brtinat was the head of department. I worked at Roots Limited in Charlotte Street A Mr Cole was one of the teachers. I then taught in the evenings from 1951 to 1954 when I moved to Shrewsbury Technical College as a teacher of motor vehicle subject. I enjoyed it all. Baby bBrummie
 
Has anyone got a photo of the college ? Mac Atkins , Pete Murphy were two of my mates...lost touch i'm afraid...Mac worked for Fort Dunlop as a buyer
This looks like the building ... I remember walking up those steps long ago in the 1960s.
Click the up arrow to go to the thread ... :) ps: it's best not to put your email address on open forum!
index.php
 
Back
Top