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Clifton Road School Sparkbrook

daverock

master brummie
Hi
I have been reading a lot of messages from Dennis Road school & as it was very close to Clifton Road & there was a room at Clifton Road school which I seem to remember was used for Woodwork I wondered whether anyone has any memories of Clifton Road School.
I was there from 1949-1955 & can remember lots of old friends including Graham Webb & Chris Sullivan, the others were Robert Gough, Mick Beasley(sadly killed in the Pub Bombings) Denis Herbert, Alan Chance, Roy Oswell, Geoff Potter, Robert Mapp, Micky Maughan, Dave Thomas,Tony Withers, Dougie Murdoch, Lawton Critchlow, Marion Van Barrs, Andee Sewell, Joy Hawker, Eileen East, Susan Middleton,Carol Ecclestone, Ann Savin, Don Maclean,Gary Satterthwaite, Freddy Bishop, John Wright to name a few.
Joy Hawker was the sister of Ken Hawker of the 'Ivy League' from the 60s-70s & of course all of us still remember Don Maclean.
Teachers I remember are Miss Seal & Chalky White.
Does anyone out there remember Mr Barr the dreaded 'schoolboard man' when I left school & went to Matthew Boulton he taught Liberal Studiesat Night school & I found him a different person from the one I remembered from my junior days.
I look forward to maybe hearing from a few of the above mentioned soon.
Cheers
Dave Rock
 
hi Dave Rock,
i am another one that attended Clifton rd school Graham Webb is my cousin i can't remember the names of the teachers but i remember my time their the woodwork shop was for the use of the seniors i used to go there from Dennis rd school, some more names Bob Walton Alan Blackburn Terry Ward Ted Eaton Alan Pearce Jean Sheldon.
 
Dave,
when i was in the infants one break time i said to Graham letts go home i think we were told off for doing it but if that happend today the police would be out looking for us, i bet the school was worried in those days
 
Hi Dave, what took you so long to come up with all those names, reading them was like stepping into a time machine!

Clifton Road was my first school and I was known as 'the giant' because of my size, these days when my kids come round I feel more like 'the midget'. Somewhere on this forum I've posted that photo of yours with us all sitting in the classroom and I do look big compared to the others. Just found the page on this forum and here is the link; https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21843&highlight=clifton+road+school&page=12 There was a girl in our class that I had a crush on, her name was Janet Coleman. And the plump girl with a Dutch name was Marion Van Baars.

Fred, that half day was the first and only time I played truant from school, I felt awful and wicked at the time. Good job we had understanding parents.

Graham.
 
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Hi
Janet Coleman lived in Ombersley Road & now lives in Solihull, her parents only passed on a few years ago, her Dad used to ride in the TT races on the Isle Of Man. Her Nan had the little shop at the bottom of Ombersley Road.
Other names have come to mind now like the late Micky Holmes & Ray Simmonds, but his marriage didn't last. I was best man at his wedding as I used to be engaged to his wifes sister. Trevor Stretch lived at the bottom of St Pauls Road. Paul Bendy is another name I have seen mentioned.
I can remember seeing John Wright in York when I was up there on business but stopping was impossible so I had to let it go.
Tony Withers went to Moseley School of Art & also was a musician with a B'ham Rock band, Carl Chinn had him on his programme a few years ago & I think he lives in Acocks Green.
Anybody else out there with more info like names & details of what happened to anyone.
Cheers Graham for your reply, I expect Chris will be on when he reads the mail.
Dave Rock
 
Dave, as you may know Trevor Stretch was for some time my best friend, we were very close. The only thing that got on my nerves was his obsession with fire engines, though I never let on so as not to hurt him.
icon12.gif
I think it was you that told me that he was the first living heart donor, a brave man.


Paul Bendy was another real good mate and we were in the Hall Green ATC together along with a chap called Harvey. One day the three of us got Harvey’s dad's 45 Colt revolver out in the garden and we tried very hard to get a bullet in the side of the garden shed, but none of us could hit it. God knows where those bullets were landing!

Graham.
 
if any members are interested i have a pic here of a group of pupils taken at end of term possable date 1951...will post it if requested..

lyn
 
hi dave dont know if your a dave or david but some pupils are named...got a david bailey..david reece and a david smith..give me a min to scan and post..

lyn
 
Ken Hawker went on to be one half of "The Ivy League", I am not on this picture but it's great to see Mr White again
Thanks
 
David Smith lived opposite us in Ombersley Road & fancy John Lennon going to the school as well!!!
The lad extreme right row 3 lived in Oldfield Road but his name escapes me & did Margaret Mapp have a brother Robert as he was in my class.
 
Great photo Lynn!

The only face and name that I remember is Mr White, I found him a strange bloke. In 1951 I was only 7 years old and these kids look older and that's why I wouldn't remember them. Dave Rock was in my class.
 
I was there in 1951 but i think they were all in a year or two above me, we must have all run around in the same play ground.
 
The school was eventually moved to St Paul's Road (image from the Library of Birmingham Archives).

image.jpeg

And the new school in St Paul's Road. Seems to have retained the old name. (Image from Library of Birmingham Archives). Viv.

image.jpeg
 
And Clifton Scouts in the 1950s - what a happy bunch ! (From Library of Birmingham Archives). Viv.

image.jpeg
 
Hi
I have been reading a lot of messages from Dennis Road school & as it was very close to Clifton Road & there was a room at Clifton Road school which I seem to remember was used for Woodwork I wondered whether anyone has any memories of Clifton Road School.
I was there from 1949-1955 & can remember lots of old friends including Graham Webb & Chris Sullivan, the others were Robert Gough, Mick Beasley(sadly killed in the Pub Bombings) Denis Herbert, Alan Chance, Roy Oswell, Geoff Potter, Robert Mapp, Micky Maughan, Dave Thomas,Tony Withers, Dougie Murdoch, Lawton Critchlow, Marion Van Barrs, Andee Sewell, Joy Hawker, Eileen East, Susan Middleton,Carol Ecclestone, Ann Savin, Don Maclean,Gary Satterthwaite, Freddy Bishop, John Wright to name a few.
Joy Hawker was the sister of Ken Hawker of the 'Ivy League' from the 60s-70s & of course all of us still remember Don Maclean.
Teachers I remember are Miss Seal & Chalky White.
Does anyone out there remember Mr Barr the dreaded 'schoolboard man' when I left school & went to Matthew Boulton he taught Liberal Studiesat Night school & I found him a different person from the one I remembered from my junior days.
I look forward to maybe hearing from a few of the above mentioned soon.
Cheers
Dave Rock

Do you remember a boy called Robert Morris at all? He was there from 1952-1958
 
Hi
I have been reading a lot of messages from Dennis Road school & as it was very close to Clifton Road & there was a room at Clifton Road school which I seem to remember was used for Woodwork I wondered whether anyone has any memories of Clifton Road School.
I was there from 1949-1955 & can remember lots of old friends including Graham Webb & Chris Sullivan, the others were Robert Gough, Mick Beasley(sadly killed in the Pub Bombings) Denis Herbert, Alan Chance, Roy Oswell, Geoff Potter, Robert Mapp, Micky Maughan, Dave Thomas,Tony Withers, Dougie Murdoch, Lawton Critchlow, Marion Van Barrs, Andee Sewell, Joy Hawker, Eileen East, Susan Middleton,Carol Ecclestone, Ann Savin, Don Maclean,Gary Satterthwaite, Freddy Bishop, John Wright to name a few.
Joy Hawker was the sister of Ken Hawker of the 'Ivy League' from the 60s-70s & of course all of us still remember Don Maclean.
Teachers I remember are Miss Seal & Chalky White.
Does anyone out there remember Mr Barr the dreaded 'schoolboard man' when I left school & went to Matthew Boulton he taught Liberal Studiesat Night school & I found him a different person from the one I remembered from my junior days.
I look forward to maybe hearing from a few of the above mentioned soon.
Cheers
Dave Rock
My aunt a d uncle went to Clifton junior and infant school about early 60's her name was heather and Nigel Barrett
 
My Husband Len Ansermoz went to Clifton Road and Dennis Road. He would have started at Clifton Road in 1946 I would think. His Brothers and Sister also attended Clifton Road. John, David, George, Cedric and Marjorie. And our oldest Daughter spent her first school year there too. Sonia. It was my Brothers school also, Allan, Richard and Lionel Leary.
 
Hi
Janet Coleman lived in Ombersley Road & now lives in Solihull, her parents only passed on a few years ago, her Dad used to ride in the TT races on the Isle Of Man. Her Nan had the little shop at the bottom of Ombersley Road.
Other names have come to mind now like the late Micky Holmes & Ray Simmonds, but his marriage didn't last. I was best man at his wedding as I used to be engaged to his wifes sister. Trevor Stretch lived at the bottom of St Pauls Road. Paul Bendy is another name I have seen mentioned.
I can remember seeing John Wright in York when I was up there on business but stopping was impossible so I had to let it go.
Tony Withers went to Moseley School of Art & also was a musician with a B'ham Rock band, Carl Chinn had him on his programme a few years ago & I think he lives in Acocks Green.
Anybody else out there with more info like names & details of what happened to anyone.
Cheers Graham for your reply, I expect Chris will be on when he reads the mail.
Dave Rock
Hi dave did John Wright live on brunswick Road
 
I've just come across this thread. I was there in 1954-57 and can only remember Mr White who, besides other things, taught us all about the Kon-Tiki expedition of 1947. Also seem to remember a metal cage at the top of the stairs crammed with various sizes of plimsolls. We had to pick a pair from it for P.E. Only kid I remember was Teddy Bishop who was the only Aston Villa supporter in the class.
 
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Hi
I have been reading a lot of messages from Dennis Road school & as it was very close to Clifton Road & there was a room at Clifton Road school which I seem to remember was used for Woodwork I wondered whether anyone has any memories of Clifton Road School.
I was there from 1949-1955 & can remember lots of old friends including Graham Webb & Chris Sullivan, the others were Robert Gough, Mick Beasley(sadly killed in the Pub Bombings) Denis Herbert, Alan Chance, Roy Oswell, Geoff Potter, Robert Mapp, Micky Maughan, Dave Thomas,Tony Withers, Dougie Murdoch, Lawton Critchlow, Marion Van Barrs, Andee Sewell, Joy Hawker, Eileen East, Susan Middleton,Carol Ecclestone, Ann Savin, Don Maclean,Gary Satterthwaite, Freddy Bishop, John Wright to name a few.
Joy Hawker was the sister of Ken Hawker of the 'Ivy League' from the 60s-70s & of course all of us still remember Don Maclean.
Teachers I remember are Miss Seal & Chalky White.
Does anyone out there remember Mr Barr the dreaded 'schoolboard man' when I left school & went to Matthew Boulton he taught Liberal Studiesat Night school & I found him a different person from the one I remembered from my junior days.
I look forward to maybe hearing from a few of the above mentioned soon.
Cheers
Dave Rock

Hello Dave

Your memories are dated 2009 - are you still out there? Didn't your parents run Burden's ice cream shop for a while.....or have I got that wrong? I was in touch with Eileen East until about five years ago when she must have moved or changed her email address and I can't get hold of her now although neither of us lives in Birmingham now. Do you remember my cousin, Ann, who's mother Doris ran Coleman's flower shop?
 
Welcome Janet. It’s been quite some time since DaveRock was last on this forum, so unfortunately you may not get a reply. However, other members may remember the flower shop. You never know what can turn up on here ! Viv.
 
I've just come across this thread. I was there in 1954-57 and can only remember Mr White who, besides other things, taught us all about the Kon-Tiki expedition of 1947. Also seem to remember a metal cage at the top of the stairs crammed with various sizes of plimsolls. We had to pick a pair from it for P.E. Only kid I remember was Teddy Bishop who was the only Aston Villa supporter in the class.
was he Welsh? If it was him I remember then he was the teacher who taught me rugby in the playground!
 
was he Welsh? If it was him I remember then he was the teacher who taught me rugby in the playground!
I don't think so Nahm, in fact I don't remember having any sports while I was there. Only exercise we had was P.E in the hall & running around in the playground.
 
My Husband Len Ansermoz went to Clifton Road and Dennis Road. He would have started at Clifton Road in 1946 I would think. His Brothers and Sister also attended Clifton Road. John, David, George, Cedric and Marjorie. And our oldest Daughter spent her first school year there too. Sonia. It was my Brothers school also, Allan, Richard and Lionel Leary.
Do you happen to know the address of Clifton Rd School? Is the school still there? I was a student in late '49, 50 and early '51
 
Details of the school from British History Online:

CLIFTON ROAD COUNTY PRIMARY SCHOOL, Balsall Heath. Clifton Rd. Bd. Sch. opened 1878 by King's Norton Sch. Bd. Accom. 868 B, G, I in 3 depts. I dept. being in separate block. Fees 1d.– 3d. Enlarged 1883, 1885, 1906. Handicraft centre provided 1910. Reorganized 1930–1 for SB, JM, I. Wesleyan Methodist Hall, Lime Grove, rented for physical training 1933–6, freehold acquired 1936. SB dept. closed 1939 and sch. reorganized for JM, I. Accom. 1961: 16 classrooms, 2 halls.


Celebrating Empire Day in 1916
B06B7813-BA7C-4C8E-A24C-7C2EC5EC39C3.jpegSource:British Newspaper Archive
 
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