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Erdington Grammar School

I remember Connie Lucas. She played Centre in the school netball team. Other names from the team were Joan Garfield, Linda Fulford, Gillian Littlejohn, Carol Shepherd, Yvonne McLean. We did quite well!
 
Hi Susan. Looks like we were at Erdington Grammar at the same time. My memories include the only male teacher being an American called Mr Overboe, being in love with the gardener, playing netball for the school, Miss Hill arranging for me to go to Erdington Technical College to take my O Levels because I missed them through illness, having the gas oven explode in my face during cookery (my fault - I turned the gas on then opened the door and put the flame in!), being told by the Needlework teacher that I was a "stupid girl" because I sewed the arm of my blouse on inside out (can't remember her name, but Miss Moffatt was the cookery teacher), swinging on the pipes in the toilets then slipping off straight onto my back (we had an end of term assembly that afternoon and I couldn't get up off the floor, had to be helped out by some teachers), my friend Carol Francis being expelled for smoking in the toilets, Miss Naish the Maths teacher, Mrs Dale the French teacher, skipping in the playground, having a hockey ball knock a tooth through my lip (still got the scar), the netball team members - Linda Fulford, Gillian Littlejohn, Carol Shepherd, Connie Francis, Joan Garfield, Yvonne (?). Can't remember much about the lessons though:-D
 
Hi, I remember Mr Overboe being the only male teacher. He came on a teaching exchange with Miss Hawkins(?) who I think taught Physics - not sure as I dropped science early on. I was at EGGS from 1955-62. I remember Miss Moffatt - she was very rude about my pastry making but I'm happy to say that over the years my pastry has received many compliments. I think it was Miss Willetts who taught dressmaking - I've remained hopeless at that all my life.
I remember Miss Bushrod (we called her Shrubstick and we could hear her coming along the corridor by the squeak of her stockings as they rubbed together on her chubby legs). Also remember Miss Mole (French) [after she retired I think it was Mrs Tomkinson?], Mrs Bird and Mrs Hope-Simpson (Latin), Miss Brown and Miss Rabson (English), Miss Naish (Maths), Miss Worthington (Geography), Miss Bradford and Miss Burley (PE), and headmistress Miss Hill who taught me French in first year. Can't remember if she was a Brenda or a Belinda - I and my friends in the French class referred to her as Bill because of her initials, B.L. Hill.
Such a long time ago but they certainly made an impression!
 
jennyann said:
Hi Alberta: I am so glad that you remember Dick's in the High Street. The only other person other than locals of my era who knew about Dick's was a
lady whom I met here in Vancouver when we had a mini Fentham Girls reunion with four of us who had come together through the Internet after our Centenary Reunion at Sutton Town Hall in April 2004 which I was lucky enough to attend. Beryl lived in Reservoir Road across from the Cottage Homes and went to the National School located in the High Street. Beryl's Aunt and Uncle were Manager's of a club located close to the Pavillion Cinema at Wylde Green, called the Anstey Club. The Club used to order all their cakes from Dick's which were served at dinners and dances, etc. The quality was excellent if I remember....Cream Horns and Merangues were my favourite.

The Coffee Bar that you have mentioned was called El Toro and it came
into being after the expresso coffee bars in town got going. They have been mentioned on this site before. It was very close to the Church House and the Dolcis shoe shop. It was always a squeeze to get in there. Basically, it was a residential house that had been converted. The coffee was 9d per cup and was made in the traditional espresso machines.
We all thought it was a very special scene. The music came from
a juke box which played all the hits of the time. There was an upstairs
area as well. One night in l958 I met my first serious boyfriend in there and we went out for four years. Lovely memories Alberta.
Click to expand...

Hi Jennyann,

I know this quote is from a while ago but I'm very interested to hear any more you know about the Anstey Club. I live quite close to where the Pavilion used to be and we're getting together all the local history of this area which we tend to call 'Little Boldmere'. I went to the cinema and the bowling alley before they were demolished to make way for housing.

By the way, my husband's Nan worked at Dicks in Erdington, probably in the 1950's.

Also I was at Erdington Grammar 1958-1963. Where you there then? (or am I confusing my quotes and should be asking Alberta?) Do you remember Miss Mole, Miss Gawley, Miss Bushrod? I still see some of my friends and we were saying how old these teachers seemed and yet they must've retired at 60 so were far younger than we are now. How times change!
 
Lady P. I went to Erdington until 1958, I remember Miss mole , Miss Gawley they looked about 80 then, LOL.
I loved going to the Pavilion but by the time it was a bowling alley I had married and moved away from the area,
At the other end of Gravelly Lane was/is Brewers Autospares which was owned by Fred Brewer, his son Brain started the first bowling team at the Pavilion called Brewers Autospare Team, I believe they were very good in the day.
It is a while since I went to the area and was just about to tell you about my friend from Erdington Grammar , Christine Radford,.When she married she lived in a large Victorian semi close to the Pavilion,on Gravelly lane. The last time I saw it there was an entrance to squash courts next door.
I have just been to Streetmap to have a look and the house is gone and what appears to be an office block has replaced it.
I hardly recognise the place, but my sister and I still call the area the Pavilion.
 
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Hi Alberta,

Yes, nearly all the buildings with character have been demolished. Anstey College went long ago and a housing association development was built on the site. The office block is actually an old folks home. I remember some old cottages next to the Pavilion and then two large old semis which is where I think the OFH is now.

I wasn't terribly happy at Erdington Grammar - I started in 1958 just as you left, but made some lifelong friends during my time there. We went back to have a look about 10 years ago and it had really changed. Some of the buildings were the same but lots of chewing gum stuck to the floor! It's a mixed sports college now. I remember the rule for the length of your gym-slip - you had to kneel on the floor and it should've been half an inch above floor level. Things began to change as the 1960's started and we tried to get away with hitching our skirts up. Berets were a nightmare too and we used to clip them on the back of our heads behind the well-backcombed and lacquered beehives. Now those hairstyles are back!
 
Lady P do you remember Helen Lyndon who was at the school about the same time as yourself?.
:strawberry:
 
I am trying to find photos or any other records of Erdington Secondary School for Girls. My aunt taught there for several years from Jan 1937. She died before I was born and I have only a few facts to go on. Her name was Elizabeth Hawkes from Cardiff and she was a lodger at 78 Sutton Road.
School photographs would be intersting but after all this time I am not opti
 
Welcome Penny. Hopefully members will be able to help. (Penny I shall move this thread to the Schools & Schoolfriends section as it will be easierfir those interested in the school to find). Enjoy the forum. Viv.
 
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Hi again. I was wondering if you know anything else about the school I've looked through the listed Erdington schools and do you know if it became Erdington Grammar School for Girls? Below is the extracted list of Erdington schools from British history online. If it was the grammar school there's a thread here which might be of interest. https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...Erdington-Grammar&highlight=Erdington+grammar

Viv.

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(List extracted from https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol7/pp501-548)
 
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Thanks for your help Vivienne - I would not be surprised if it turned into a grammar school. My aunt was a real blue stocking, teaching German and French and English, esp drama.
Penny
 
Numbers 76 and 78 Sutton Road (#78 being the lodging place of teacher, Elizabeth Hawkes - building is not the school building)

Image (7).jpgImage (8).jpg
 
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Thank you for your response. I shall find out if they have any archived stuff on the previous school.
Where are the photographs from? They are incredible. The poor woman in the garden looks very concerned. Perhaps she was a resident.
Penny
 
For all you Erdington GGS girls out there ... Viv.
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But how was a girl supposed to pay for all that make-up and clothes ?
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I remember Miss Hawkins and Mr Overboe. We were all excited to be getting A MAN at Erdington but he was not at all what we expected!
I was there from 1958 until 1963.
The needlework teacher mentioned in the 2014 post was Miss Willetts and we also had a teacher called Miss Gawley (spelling?) who had a very old fashioned hairstyle and a wonky eye. She used to write on the blackboard and look at you but you couldn't tell who she was looking at which was a bit confusing.
Miss Mole taught French and then Miss Marsden. It came as a shock the other day when I was talking to some school friends (we meet up once a month) and we realised that these teachers were considerable younger than us as the retirement age was 60 and they obviously hadn't reached this milestone. We thought they were ANCIENT!!!
 
Saw this photo on the internet dated September 1957. It is one of those photos taken by a rotating camera so is very wide. It has been stitched together, needs click on it and scroll.
ErdGrammar1957.jpg
 
oM, these photos were taken every four years if I remember correctly (long time ago....) and I'm on the next one. I can name most of the teachers on this one. Must have a look for mine. I remember scanning it for a friend who'd lost hers but can't find it at the moment.
 
Thank heavens for a methodical husband! Here we are in 1962 I think. I was in the fourth form and I seem to remember balancing on something although I can't remember what it was. The picture is in four separate pieces unfortunately.
 

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Note to self: Always look at the picture before posting date! It's 1961 so I must've been in the third form. Just escaped the gymslip. As you can see it's the era of the beehive.
 
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