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George Dixons Grammar School

T

the doc

Guest
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
 
Hi Jeff,
You joined George Dixon Boys Grammar school two years after I joined the girls school and never the twain did meet. Mr Rumsey was the head at that time and Miss Organ was the head of the girls school. I wonder if anyone else started in 1953 as I did. My first teacher in class 2b was Miss Saul who taught maths.
Janet H
 
Hi ladylinda,
She must have been getting on then. I don't remember a Miss Nash. I left in 1960.
Do you remember the school song--
On the edge of the city mid meadows green
The towers of the school to the north are seen
xxxxxxxxx stands 'neath a wintry sky
xxxxxx
the home of the red and green.

Was Miss Barber still there? She was a fantastic music teacher.
Janet H
 
sturdy it stands neath a wintry sky unmoved by the winds as they whistle by, the home of the red and green!!
Yes Miss Barber was still there!
Also a Miss McColl (maths),Mrs Chatwin (french) Miss Ore who later became headmistress,I think.I'll think of the rest later! Have to go to work now!!
 
Strenue agas be it dark or bright
A friend to help or a wrong to right
This motto shall live in the hearts of all
Who worked or played in the old school hall
The home of the red and green

Yes I remember Mrs Chatwin, a very cheerful lady. Mrs Fox taught French but she left during the time I was there to start a family. She may have begun teaching there the year I started at the school. She took us on a wonderful bi-lingual camping holiday with about twenty French girls to a village called Vallouise in the French Alps.
What about Miss Mason who taught English. A lot of our teachers were middle aged single ladies. There probably weren't any men for them to marry in the years after WW1
Janet
 
Hi all
I looked at this thread because I had a number of friends who went to GD, on the offchance of contacting one or more of them again. My eye was caught by the mention of a Mrs Chatwin - would she by any chance be the Mrs V B (Vera, I seem to remember) Chatwin who later became head of Broadway School, where I taught for a number of years?

By the way, my friends included Gary Watson, Marlene Hall, Christine Groves and Linda (Lynda?) .....damn, can't remember her surname, but she was a close friend of Marlene's!

Graham
 
I was at GD from 1957 - 1963. The 'beak' was Mr Rumsby, and the dreaded deputy 'beak' was the famed Wally Walker, a.k.a. 'The Pork'.

Wally Walker administered discipline with an iron hand, and although we were all scared stiff of him, in actual fact he could be very kind and understanding.

One of my fondest memories is that of a chemistry-master, Mr "Kipper" Print, damn near blowing the lecture-theatre up whilst demonstrating the explosive effect of sodium when it contacts water.

I spent a couple of years at Five Ways, after King Edwards moved out, but the atmosphere there could never match that of City Road...and school services at St Germaines Church when on one memorable last day of term someone let loose a balloon that flew all around the church until smacked to the floor by none other than Wally Walker himself...who was not amused. Heads rolled...

Big Gee
 
Hi Graham,
Sorry no idea what her first name was, shortish lady with glasses.Gosh, back in 1953 we didn't even think teachers had first names, did we?
I was at a school in 1974 where the staff STILL called each other Mr or Mrs, very antiquated.
Janet
 
I was at GD from c 1961-6, and remember quite a few of the staff there.
Mr (Tom) Rumsby, headmaster.
Mr (Wally) Walker, deputy head. ("I'll raise your forelock, boy!")
F.A.Percy (FAP), Languages master.
Mr Hannay, Languages master (would say dinnertime grace in Latin - "Benedictus benedicat, per Ieasum Christum dominum nostrum, Amen")
Mr Thompson, Chemistry master and also ran the film club (where I saw all of the Ealing comedies one term) and the model railway club.

The day that at Five Ways during one assembly, a long bench of boys near the front toppled backwards - and domino like, all the rest followed as each one fell on the legs of the boys behind. Some of the masters on stage howled with laughter, but it damn well hurt my knees!).

The two wartime 'prefab' classrooms at City Road school.in the 'quad' (we were too posh to have a 'playground'!) where a boy was appointed 'Coke monitor' and had to keep the cast iron stoves filled and burning during cold weather!
I've still got a couple of the school yearbooks somewhere, I'll have to sort them out and refresh the memories!
 
Hi Lloyd,
I was at G D Girls 1952-1960 l and we had two prefab classrooms in the quad. And well I remember the coke stoves you mentioned. Doesn't this bring back the memories!
Janet
 
My 3rd year form room was one of the huts in the quad! and I had my hair "restyled" in the toilets in the quad one rainy dinnertime.I had to colour in the bald patch with eyebrow pencil!
 
Hi Doc and all you other Dixoldians,
I have only recently found this site but the names of teachers are very familiar.I was at G.D.from 1949 until 1955 and actually lived next door to Miss Sales,of Biological fame,in Hallewell Road.Mr.Noakes was my housemaster,blue badge Normans,And Mr.Sandercock,Mr.Alexander, 'Bant' the raver in the Nissen hut classroom where we threw rubber bands on the stove,'Chunky' Brookes our art teacher,and the most erudite Mr Fisher my English inspiration,to mention just a few.I played rugby in the 3rd,2nd and 1st teams,our biggest game was always v. Bishop's Vesey for whom John Young was my opposing winger! He went on to sprint and play rugby for England.I will confess,here and now, I was the person sent to see 'Piggy'Walker for releasing a balloon at the final assembly.He, happily for me, accepted my explanation that said balloon was passed along to me and knocked out of my hands by person or persons unknown, and I escaped with a caution.Hoping to read something from one of my contemporaries--yours Kespod
 
Was anybody at G D when Laurie Hornsby was there it would have been in 50s 60s

Mossy
 
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
Jeff Holloway
G'Day Jeff,
You may have known John Weare who I believe was there at that time - maybe even the same years. He was a brilliant scholar and became a Professor of Physics at Oxford University. I have contact with him through his sister who may also be a member of this Forum.
 
Replying to 'Mossy'.

Yes, I was at George Dixon from 1959 - 64.
I 'Googled' myself this morning and came across the 'Mossy' enquiry.
Maybe 'Mossy' was there with me?
I've just spotted references to Mr. Rumsby and that pig of a man Walker
(I'm sure he meant well but so did Hitler) and also Thomson, who did, as I recall run a film club, although for some strange reason I was never invited to attend. His nickname was 'Bubble' because, sadly even though the poor man would have been only in his early 20's, he had a head like the cue ball on a snooker table.
Any road up, give us a shout about the reason for the enquiry.
Cool runnin' and tara a bit,
Laurie Hornsby
 
Hi Laurie,

Just a bit off topic, but may I take take this opportunity to ask. Is 'Wallop Mrs. Cox' likely to be produced again. And are you going to do another 'Brum Rocks Live' tour. Please.....

All the best
Ann
 
Reply to Ann

Hello Ann,
Hey, thanks for the interest. With 'Wallop Mrs Cox' there is a strong possibility of it going on again next year but I can't say any more at the moment so watch this space!!
Regarding 'Brum Rocks', Steve Gibbons and I have now left the show. We did three years and felt that format wise, it needed some fresh air.
As I understand it Bev , Trevor and Danny are doing another run of shows later this year with our old mate Raymond Froggatt who will no doubt bring his own special lick to the table.
Incidentally Steve and I are doing an 'unplugged' evening of our songs and other stuff at the Dovehouse theatre, Olton in October so if you fancy it we'd love the pleasure of your company.

Cheers for now and thanks once again for your interest.
Laurie
 
Hi Laurie,

Thank you so much for your reply.
I'll keep my fingers crossed then for another showing of 'Wallop Mrs. Cox'.
Love Steve's work as well, so I shall definately be there for your 'unplugged' night in October.
Thank you for your music and thank you for your books.
All the best with all your future projects.

Ann
 
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