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Group photos

A group of children from Birmingham Play Schools on a visit to Kalamazoo. Was this sort of visit quite rare in the 1920s ? Might have given some youngsters aspirations. Viv.

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Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
bikerchic1 said:
I rember mr lemon his big white beard i left in 1980
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These are some of the final year BSc. Mechanical and Production engineering students (post exams) University of Aston approx May/June 1973 on the steps of the Students Union.
 

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Grandma buggins said:
Wondered if anyone out there remembers this. It's the Christmas panto at Brownmead Primary School in Shard End. It was 1961. Puss in Boots. I (Gillian Mann) was "Puss", Susan Burke, Linda Daniels were the ladies in waiting, Richard Downes was the king, Julie Southwell was the princess and who (Melvin?) was the prince. I hope this is going in the right section.
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Yes I have fond memories of Brownmead Primary school, It was around 1958 when I moved in at Shard End The Heathway with my family. First day at school I was put into Mrs Cohens class she was a rather portly lady of advancing years. I remember clearly a little girl called Gillian Mann being asked to look after the new boy and also another little girl called Marina Shiner? who walked with me down School Lane to the lollipop lady on The Heathway where I could safely cross. Later that year I was move into a lesser class as the original class was a little bit out of my league, the teacher of the new class in a lower stream was Mr Alderson he was a younger teacher with more liberal ideas, I wonder if anyone remembers these early days.
 
JudyTink said:
My husband was a Wilmcote Breedon apprentice about 7 years beforehand. They were good times he said especially Outward Bound.
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There is a thread "Wilmot Breeden" which may be of interest. When was your husband there, in which department did he work.
 
My husband is a John Hawker and he was at WB c1956-1961 I think! He subsequently became a draughtsman if that helps.
 
I was sorting through ephemera relating to family history, when I came across a wadge of photographs, people with no identities, initially I had no ideas as to how was who etc and decided I would post the weeding group on the forum with a quirky and humorous comment on to how miserable they all looked on such a happy day. But a closer look a hr gentleman, second from the right suggested he could be Frederick Vanstone (an uncle), who was reputed to be the first motor vehicle driver for the LMS. I have included two photos of him. Can the experts on the forum confirm that the miserables are probably Vanstones.
 

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Sorry, my usual superb it knowledge shoes itself. I can email the hstoric pictures, if anyone thinks they can make them look proper please do it

Bob
 
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JudyTink said:
My husband is a John Hawker and he was at WB c1956-1961 I think! He subsequently became a draughtsman if that helps.
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I was there 58-70, much of the time at Umberslade, and then in die-cast division, that is when I wasn't up at the sports ground at Elmdon.
 
I came across these two photos a while back on someone else's family tree. I don't think they've been labelled correctly but possibly wishful thinking on my part. They are listed as the same two people, if anyone has any thoughts, I'd be grateful. Thanks.

Photo 1.jpg Photo 2.jpg
 
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Paul51 said:
Yes I have fond memories of Brownmead Primary school, It was around 1958 when I moved in at Shard End The Heathway with my family. First day at school I was put into Mrs Cohens class she was a rather portly lady of advancing years. I remember clearly a little girl called Gillian Mann being asked to look after the new boy and also another little girl called Marina Shiner? who walked with me down School Lane to the lollipop lady on The Heathway where I could safely cross. Later that year I was move into a lesser class as the original class was a little bit out of my league, the teacher of the new class in a lower stream was Mr Alderson he was a younger teacher with more liberal ideas, I wonder if anyone remembers these early days.
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I was that girl Gillian Mann. I loved my time at Brownmead. My younger brother Jeff was also a pupil there. I remember him being brought before Mr. Kitchener for doing something wrong and me running out of the class absolutely mortified that my brother was about to be punished. Oh the shame... Never mind what was going to happen to him.
 
This photo produced by George Houghton, Photographic Artist in Burbury Street Lozells, shows a group of women and young ladies, all very smartly dressed. Some of the ladies on the back row seem to be wearing similar clothing. Three of the more senior women seem to be wearing a star shaped medal on a neckband. They appear to be posing outside a substantial building. The photo looks to be late 1890s. Could this be staff of a local institution? A school ? Or a local organisation ? Do the medals tell us anything ? Viv
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Vivienne14 said:
And a little background history about the Labour Church from British History Online. Viv.

"Birmingham Labour Church, in connexion with the Labour Church Union, was founded in 1893, and from 1894 to 1897 occupied Bond Street chapel, formerly a Baptist and a Methodist place of worship. (fn. 1024) Fifty members were present at a meeting in 1894. In 1897 the church moved to Oozells Street Board School, and in the following year to Bristol Street Board School, where it continued for some years; in 1900 a membership of 100 and an average attendance of 80 were claimed. (fn. 1025) The title of the body was changed in 1909 to Birmingham Socialist Church. The church was dissolved shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. Another 'labour church' existed at Stirchley at least from 1911 to 1913 and probably for a longer period. (fn. 1026) Throughout the congregation's history two tendencies existed among the members: agnosticism and an illdefined Christian socialism. Tom Groom, for many years secretary of the church, was a former member of the Guild of St. Matthew, the Anglican socialist order founded by Stewart Headlam. (fn. 1027) The Birmingham Church did not subscribe to the five articles on which the national church was based, and required of its members only 'adhesion to the moral and economic laws that may be adduced from the Fatherhood of God or the Brotherhood of Man'. (fn. 1028) At the same time it adopted religious forms, holding regular Sunday evening services, and publishing a hymnal in several editions. In 1899 J. A. Fallows, formerly a minister of the Church of England, became secretary. (fn. 1029) Fallows was also secretary of the Socialist Centre, and there were other links with the political labour movement. In 1895 the Labour Church combined with the Birmingham Fabian Society to found the Socialist Lecture Committee, and in 1901 it took part in the formation of the Birmingham Labour Representation Council. In 1909 the church was described by its committee as 'the common meeting ground of men and women representing all sections of the socialist movement'. (fn. 1030)

A subsidiary youth organization, the 'Cinderella Club', was said to have been founded by Robert Blatchford in 1893, (fn. 1031) and as the 'Clarion Cinderella Club' it survived the Labour Church. (fn. 1032) It was explicitly non-political and devoted itself to treats and excursions for poor children, and similar social and charitable work. For several years the club conducted a holiday cottage for crippled children outside Birmingham. (fn. 1033) The first Clarion Cycling Club was formed at a meeting of the Birmingham church in 1894. (fn. 1034)"
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Children of the poor on an outing organized by the Birmingham Clarion Cinderella club (founded 1893) 1901.

(Victorian and Edwardian Birmingham from old photographs; by McCulla, Dorothy. Publication date 1973.)
 
Vivienne14 said:
This photo produced by George Houghton, Photographic Artist in Burbury Street Lozells, shows a group of women and young ladies, all very smartly dressed. Some of the ladies on the back row seem to be wearing similar clothing. Three of the more senior women seem to be wearing a star shaped medal on a neckband. They appear to be posing outside a substantial building. The photo looks to be late 1890s. Could this be staff of a local institution? A school ? Or a local organisation ? Do the medals tell us anything ? Viv
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Sunday School teachers and monitors? I thought the medals might be Band of Hope, but after looking at medallions I think they might be Church of England Temperance Society?

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I thought the dress was too severe for an ordinary school, so probably an evangelical mission, perhaps like the photographer in Lozells? Temperance was an influential social movement in working class Birmingham.
 
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