Guthlac House School, Castle Bromwich

[Robert T]

Hi Stephen, Great photo. I don't recall the details of blazers and jumpers that I might have worn at the time but I do seem to recall wearing a blazer.
Yes I managed to find a good free VPN called "Hoax" . Seems to the small jobs that I require.
Robert

 

[Brummielass]

Hi, I was a pupil at Guthlac House school on Coleshill Road. Probably between 1954/55 and 1958 ish. Mrs Fletcher/Colenutt closed the school when she and her husband moved to the Isle of Wight and most pupils transferred to another school in Castle Bromwich village. My mother said it was too far for her to walk 4 times a day from our house in Teasdale Avenue so I started at Hodge Hill Primary School, which was a bit of a shock being a relatively large state primary and I was used to small classes and individual teaching.!
I have some photographs of pupils and staff and will try to post them. I remember taking election lessons and ballet (although I am a fairy elephant) and there being an air raid shelter in the back garden. I also remember trying some "curds and whey" from the nursery rhyme but was not impressed. Also taking part in a dance display in blue leotard at a country house fete. (Aston House?). I can still picture the little cloakroom with its lines of hooks.

My name was Myra Parsons and I was short - still am ! I think I remember a Susan Young!

Does anyone remember me ? I still have 3 books awarded as prizes for this and that.

 

[Stephen Bullas]

Hi, I was a pupil at Guthlac House school on Coleshill Road. Probably between 1954/55 and 1958 ish. Mrs Fletcher/Colenutt closed the school when she and her husband moved to the Isle of Wight and most pupils transferred to another school in Castle Bromwich village. My mother said it was too far for her to walk 4 times a day from our house in Teasdale Avenue so I started at Hodge Hill Primary School, which was a bit of a shock being a relatively large state primary and I was used to small classes and individual teaching.!
I have some photographs of pupils and staff and will try to post them. I remember taking election lessons and ballet (although I am a fairy elephant) and there being an air raid shelter in the back garden. I also remember trying some "curds and whey" from the nursery rhyme but was not impressed. Also taking part in a dance display in blue leotard at a country house fete. (Aston House?). I can still picture the little cloakroom with its lines of hooks.

My name was Myra Parsons and I was short - still am ! I think I remember a Susan Young!

Does anyone remember me ? I still have 3 books awarded as prizes for this and that.

Hi Myra, and welcome to the forum! It's wonderful to have found someone else that was at Guthlac House.

Please do post any photos (of pupils and/or staff) that you may have, together with the names of anyone on them that you may remember!

I take it that you meant elocution lessons - do you recall what the name of the teacher was? From one of my earlier posts, his/her initials were MHC - another member of the Colenutt family, perhaps?

Also from an earlier post, I seemed to remember a girl called "Moira", but it might well have been Myra - in fact, I think it probably was. I do remember her being smaller rather than taller, but we all were then :-(
Do you have a photo of yourself from that period? I'm sure I would recognise you if you were the same girl . . .

I also remember a dance display, but it was in the church hall, a modern building (then) a little further up the road, just past the bus stop on the same side. The church and hall are still there.

Another thing that I remember was when the school first introduced the concept of school 'houses'. I was in "Robin" which had a red circular badge which we would wear on our lapels. Another house-name was "Blackbird" which had a yellow badge. I also seem to remember there being a third house with a green badge, but goodness knows what bird that would have represented!

Lovely to have 'met' you, Myra - please do continue posting

Robert: You may not see these postings if you're away on your 'grand tour', so I'll send you an LI message to draw you attention to it . . .

All the best to everyone,

Stephen

 

[Brummielass]

Hi again Stephen. Thanks for your reply. I am sorry that I do not remember anything about houses or uniforms but I did have for a long time a blazer badge. Don't yet know if I still have it somewhere.
I have hopefully attached (I am not very good at this) a school photograph. I am the little girl standing directly in front of Miss Fletcher with white bows in my hair. Can you spot yourself anywhere ?

The girl I always think of as a Susan Young is on the far left of the standing row of pupils but I may have that completely wrong. The girl standing directly in front of the gentleman (Mr Colenutt?) was I think called Susan Jones.

I have forgotten the name of the obviously older girl with glasses at the back on the left but she was in her teens I believe and had learning difficulties. While I was there she was found a job helping out at a hairdressing salon and was very excited to be leaving school and going to work.

The back of the photograph is stamped "copyright Coventry Standard". No idea why.

I do have a few more photos etc and will post these asap.

Myra

 

[Brummielass]

Hi Stephen
Here are another couple of pics, both taken when Mrs Colenutt retired.Susan Jones, if that was her name, is standing directly behind the bouquet and I am peeking out behind her. I think the photograph was taken in the back garden but dont know who took it

I dont suppose you are the boy in the photo? Can you identify the other woman? Was the dog called Bob ?

More follows, Myra

 

[Brummielass]

Ps, I always complained that my mother cut my fringe too short but to no avail !

 

[Stephen Bullas]

Hi Myra!

Great to hear from you and I very much enjoyed looking at the photos

Taking the questions you raise in order:

• The blazer badge was a tree as the central motif (see my earlier photo post) but the blazers all seem very dark in your own photos, compared with the one in mine. I do seem to recall that the colour of the uniform changed at some point from green to blue (or the other way round), so maybe that accounts for the apparent difference. Do you recall a change, or is that a figment of my imagination perhaps?
• I'm so sorry, but I don't recognise you from the first photo, but I possibly do from the third one if you are the little girl stroking the dog (the only girl with a fringe!)? I do remember that Moira/Myra had a few freckles, if that's any help!
• I'm not sure if I'm in the first photo or not, but if I am, then I might be the boy surrounded by girls in the back row. However, if I'm not on the photo, then it begs the question "Why not?". Do you happen to know the year that it was taken? It comes to something when you no longer recognise yourself, doesn't it
• The girl that you remember as being Susan Young is the girl that I remember as being Susan Hughes, but I could be equally as wrong :-(
• Although I do recognise the girl in Front of Mr. Fletcher, I had thought that her name might have been Susan Harris???
• I'm pretty sure that the girl on the far right of the row that I might be in was called either Janet or Janice Cotton and had the nickname "Cotton-head" due to her amazing blondish curls, although she doesn't look that blond in the photo.
• I think that the girl in the dark top next to the boy with what looks like a "Mr. Whippy" ice-cream (but is clearly not!) in his lapel is either Mary or Hilary. If not, then the girl in the light skirt behind her.
• Regarding the staff members, from left to right I remember them as:
  Mrs. Watson, Unknown - perhaps MHC, the elocution teacher? Do you who she is?, Mr. & Mrs. Colenutt, Miss Ryan.
• BTW, I think that the first photo was taken in the church hall that I mentioned in my previous post.
• I'm afraid I don't know who the other lady is in the third photo, nor the name of the dog.
• It can't be me in the third photo since I has already left the school when Miss Fletcher / Mrs. Colenutt retired.

I hope this may jog some strings, but I can't unreservedly confirm any of the above, I'm afraid :-(

Robert Taylor is presently on holiday, but when her returns, he may be able to shed some further light . . .

Happy Memories!

Stephen

 

[Brummielass]

Hi Myra!

Great to hear from you and I very much enjoyed looking at the photos

Taking the questions you raise in order:

• The blazer badge was a tree as the central motif (see my earlier photo post) but the blazers all seem very dark in your own photos, compared with the one in mine. I do seem to recall that the colour of the uniform changed at some point from green to blue (or the other way round), so maybe that accounts for the apparent difference. Do you recall a change, or is that a figment of my imagination perhaps?
• I'm so sorry, but I don't recognise you from the first photo, but I possibly do from the third one if you are the little girl stroking the dog (the only girl with a fringe!)? I do remember that Moira/Myra had a few freckles, if that's any help!
• I'm not sure if I'm in the first photo or not, but if I am, then I might be the boy surrounded by girls in the back row. However, if I'm not on the photo, then it begs the question "Why not?". Do you happen to know the year that it was taken? It comes to something when you no longer recognise yourself, doesn't it
• The girl that you remember as being Susan Young is the girl that I remember as being Susan Hughes, but I could be equally as wrong :-(
• Although I do recognise the girl in Front of Mr. Fletcher, I had thought that her name might have been Susan Harris???
• I'm pretty sure that the girl on the far right of the row that I might be in was called either Janet or Janice Cotton and had the nickname "Cotton-head" due to her amazing blondish curls, although she doesn't look that blond in the photo.
• I think that the girl in the dark top next to the boy with what looks like a "Mr. Whippy" ice-cream (but is clearly not!) in his lapel is either Mary or Hilary. If not, then the girl in the light skirt behind her.
• Regarding the staff members, from left to right I remember them as:
  Mrs. Watson, Unknown - perhaps MHC, the elocution teacher? Do you who she is?, Mr. & Mrs. Colenutt, Miss Ryan.
• BTW, I think that the first photo was taken in the church hall that I mentioned in my previous post.
• I'm afraid I don't know who the other lady is in the third photo, nor the name of the dog.
• It can't be me in the third photo since I has already left the school when Miss Fletcher / Mrs. Colenutt retired.

I hope this may jog some strings, but I can't unreservedly confirm any of the above, I'm afraid :-(

Robert Taylor is presently on holiday, but when her returns, he may be able to shed some further light . . .

Happy Memories!

Stephen

Hi Stephen
Many thanks for your reply.
As far as I remember my blazer was blue,I don't remember ever having a green one.
No, I am not the girl stroking the dog but on the opposite side, behind the only boy in the picture. But I did have freckles (all gone now) so what an amazing memory you have !

Therefore I defer to your obviously superior memory regarding names, I probably have them all wrong. I wonder if you are the boy standing at the back - are you still always surrounded by girls ?

I have found however some old school reports which show that actually started at the end of 1954 and that I was in "Blackbird House". I seemed to have been awarded first prize which must have pleased my parents, but not me as I didn't even remember that!

No luck I am afraid on identifying the elecution teacher. She has just signed herself "MHC" as you say.

I seem to have attended somewhere called "Saxondale High School" in Golden Hillock Road before we moved house and I started at Guthlac House.

I do have a couple more things to post which I hope you will find interesting but will have to send them in reply to your messages as I am not sure how to post them to the general forum page on Guthlac House.

All the best
Myra

 

[Brummielass]

Hi Stephen
Many thanks for your reply.
As far as I remember my blazer was blue,I don't remember ever having a green one.
No, I am not the girl stroking the dog but on the opposite side, behind the only boy in the picture. But I did have freckles (all gone now) so what an amazing memory you have !

Therefore I defer to your obviously superior memory regarding names, I probably have them all wrong. I wonder if you are the boy standing at the back - are you still always surrounded by girls ?

I have found however some old school reports which show that actually started at the end of 1954 and that I was in "Blackbird House". I seemed to have been awarded first prize which must have pleased my parents, but not me as I didn't even remember that!

No luck I am afraid on identifying the elecution teacher. She has just signed herself "MHC" as you say.

I seem to have attended somewhere called "Saxondale High School" in Golden Hillock Road before we moved house and I started at Guthlac House.

I do have a couple more things to post which I hope you will find interesting but will have to send them in reply to your messages as I am not sure how to post them to the general forum page on Guthlac House.

All the best
Myra

Hi Stephen and anyone else who might be interested.
Here are the final two items I have.

The photograph was taken at a farm which I think belonged to one of the Colenutt relatives. I cannot remember much about the few days some pupils spent there (during the summer holiday?) Except for collecting eggs and finding that the hen house was full of tiny little insects everywhere.
The other was collecting small amounts of sheep wool which had been caught in the hedgerows. Bizarrely I do still have the wool as I did a project about wool manufacture at my next school and included the scraps in the folder which my mother had kept!

I am the girl wearing a dress in the middle and the two facing forward either side of me are the girls on the previous school photograph whom I believed were both Susans but probably remembered the names incorrectly. The girl with plaits looking backwards was, I think, my best friend but unfortunately I can't remember her name.

The other photographs are of a letter Mrs Colenutt sent to me after she retired. I do hope you can read it.

I have looked again at the group photograph but cannot find any date on it. I look younger on it than the farm photograph so would guess it was nearer 55/56 than 55/57.

Regards
Myra

 

[Susan C]

Hi, I was a pupil at Guthlac House school on Coleshill Road. Probably between 1954/55 and 1958 ish. Mrs Fletcher/Colenutt closed the school when she and her husband moved to the Isle of Wight and most pupils transferred to another school in Castle Bromwich village. My mother said it was too far for her to walk 4 times a day from our house in Teasdale Avenue so I started at Hodge Hill Primary School, which was a bit of a shock being a relatively large state primary and I was used to small classes and individual teaching.!
I have some photographs of pupils and staff and will try to post them. I remember taking election lessons and ballet (although I am a fairy elephant) and there being an air raid shelter in the back garden. I also remember trying some "curds and whey" from the nursery rhyme but was not impressed. Also taking part in a dance display in blue leotard at a country house fete. (Aston House?). I can still picture the little cloakroom with its lines of hooks.

My name was Myra Parsons and I was short - still am ! I think I remember a Susan Young!

Does anyone remember me ? I still have 3 books awarded as prizes for this and that.

 

[Susan C]

Hello Myra, I remember you. I was Susan Jones and we were both at Guthlac House, then Stechford Road and Hodge Hill Grammar. I remember the photo where I’m behind the flowers and it was a school trip to a farm no idea where but I remember paddling in a stream in wellies and sleeping in a big attic room on beds with patchwork quilts. I can recall some of the girls on the photo which was taken in the fairly newly built Congregational church further along Coleshill Road. The photo on the farm was Susan Hughes, daughter of staff member, yourself, Anne Goodman turning round, myself leaning on a stick and Susan Harris. The girl at the back I think might have been Angela? Susan Hughes family had a garden centre by the Timberley Lane, Anne Goldman lived in Water Orton and Susan Harris lived in Yardley. The trip was for the oldest six girls and I was seventh oldest but Elaine somebody couldn’t go and so I went instead. You mentioned a small boy on another photo. As I recall it was Susan Hughes younger brother who had come to collect her. He and another sister are near the front of the whole school photo.
I have a couple of prize books and also the cloth napkin which we used to use when eating lunch. I also have a times table book, an English grammar textbook, a poetry book (elocution lessons) no idea of the teachers name and a dictation textbook. I also have three school reports from 1954/5.
Hope we can continue reminiscing. Sue xx

 

[Susan C]

Additional info- hope I’m correct here...
from left on whole school photo
Susan Hughes, Paula Starkey, Lorraine ? Elaine ? Anne Goodman, Jenny ? me, boy? Susan Harris, you (Myra) don’t know last four girls.
think Susan Hughes sister and brother are at the front - sister 6th frm left with brother to the right and front.
girl at back think was Jackie
thank you for some lovely memories. Sue

 

[Robert T]

Hi everyone,

I am back from our extended holiday driving round parts of Australia that we have not been to before. Covered 9,500km in 8 weeks - easy to do in the outback! We have had limited access to quality internet services and hence I have not really had the chance to catch up on all the new information that has been posted since we left home. It is great to see new information being added and new photos emerging. I do not recognise anybody in the photos but I was probably at the school earlier than the time they were taken. I also think that I was not there for long! It is hard to remember details from 70 years ago!. Robert

 

[Stephen Bullas]

Additional info- hope I’m correct here...
from left on whole school photo
Susan Hughes, Paula Starkey, Lorraine ? Elaine ? Anne Goodman, Jenny ? me, boy? Susan Harris, you (Myra) don’t know last four girls.
think Susan Hughes sister and brother are at the front - sister 6th frm left with brother to the right and front.
girl at back think was Jackie
thank you for some lovely memories. Sue

Hi Sue, and welcome to the Guthlac House Forum - it's great to have you 'on board'!

I started this forum just over a year ago in the hope that it might bring some old pupils back in touch with one another and, indeed, it has done so, albeit very slowly!

We have at least one member, Robert Taylor, who lives very far away in Australia. I myself have also been a bit of a wanderer, having lived in the US and mainland Europe for most of my life and have visited India and Africa for my work many times. I now live on the south coast in West Sussex, but many of my (surviving) relatives are still in or around Brum and my daughter lives in London.

I think that I may be the boy standing next to you in the school photo, but I can't be sure. In any event, it's great that I seem to have got both Susan Hughes and Susan Harris right

Have you taken a look at all the previous posts (there aren't that many of them) as they do contain some interesting information?

Welcome, and stay in touch!

Steve

 

[Stephen Bullas]

Hi everyone,

I am back from our extended holiday driving round parts of Australia that we have not been to before. Covered 9,500km in 8 weeks - easy to do in the outback! We have had limited access to quality internet services and hence I have not really had the chance to catch up on all the new information that has been posted since we left home. It is great to see new information being added and new photos emerging. I do not recognise anybody in the photos but I was probably at the school earlier than the time they were taken. I also think that I was not there for long! It is hard to remember details from 70 years ago!. Robert

Welcome back, Robert. UK next year? It sounds about the same distance

 

[Susan C]

Hi Sue, and welcome to the Guthlac House Forum - it's great to have you 'on board'!

I started this forum just over a year ago in the hope that it might bring some old pupils back in touch with one another and, indeed, it has done so, albeit very slowly!

We have at least one member, Robert Taylor, who lives very far away in Australia. I myself have also been a bit of a wanderer, having lived in the US and mainland Europe for most of my life and have visited India and Africa for my work many times. I now live on the south coast in West Sussex, but many of my (surviving) relatives are still in or around Brum and my daughter lives in London.

I think that I may be the boy standing next to you in the school photo, but I can't be sure. In any event, it's great that I seem to have got both Susan Hughes and Susan Harris right

Have you taken a look at all the previous posts (there aren't that many of them) as they do contain some interesting information?

Welcome, and stay in touch!

Steve

Hello Stephen, I’m sorry I can’t identify you. I only remembered the girls. I have read through the whole thread and will probably read it again at a later date to refresh my memory. I only have happy memories from my days at Guthlac house and later at Stechford Road school. My time at Hodge Hill Grammar was a different matter.
You mentioned Robert lives in Australia - I have lived in Spain for over seventeen years and love it here. My children live in different parts of the UK and as they are happy to holiday here I don’t get back to the UK that often (2018 was the last time)
Sue

 

[Susan C]

These are the two books I received as prizes.

 

[Susan C]

Book prizes

 

[Stephen Bullas]

Hi Sue!

There don't seem to be any attachments to your two posts regarding prizes.

(I'm assuming that you must have pressed the blue "Post reply" button before you pressed the "Attach files" one - easily done

ATB,

Stephen

 

[Stephen Bullas]

Hello Myra, I remember you. I was Susan Jones and we were both at Guthlac House, then Stechford Road and Hodge Hill Grammar. I remember the photo where I’m behind the flowers and it was a school trip to a farm no idea where but I remember paddling in a stream in wellies and sleeping in a big attic room on beds with patchwork quilts. I can recall some of the girls on the photo which was taken in the fairly newly built Congregational church further along Coleshill Road. The photo on the farm was Susan Hughes, daughter of staff member, yourself, Anne Goodman turning round, myself leaning on a stick and Susan Harris. The girl at the back I think might have been Angela? Susan Hughes family had a garden centre by the Timberley Lane, Anne Goldman lived in Water Orton and Susan Harris lived in Yardley. The trip was for the oldest six girls and I was seventh oldest but Elaine somebody couldn’t go and so I went instead. You mentioned a small boy on another photo. As I recall it was Susan Hughes younger brother who had come to collect her. He and another sister are near the front of the whole school photo.
I have a couple of prize books and also the cloth napkin which we used to use when eating lunch. I also have a times table book, an English grammar textbook, a poetry book (elocution lessons) no idea of the teachers name and a dictation textbook. I also have three school reports from 1954/5.
Hope we can continue reminiscing. Sue xx

Hi Myra!

My Google handset is identifying the farm picture as being taken at Malmesbury in Wiltshire, but I don't know how accurate Google is in these things!

BTW, I didn't ask it - it simply volunteered it! Big brother is watching us all :-(

Stephen

 

[Susan C]

Hi Sue!

There don't seem to be any attachments to your two posts regarding prizes.

(I'm assuming that you must have pressed the blue "Post reply" button before you pressed the "Attach files" one - easily done

ATB,

Stephen

Probably Stephen! just tried but it says file is too large to download. I only have an iPad (not computer literate at all) any ideas welcome.

 

[pjmburns]

Some instructions here on how to reduce file size

Uploading Pictures

I want to and have tried to upload a few newspaper cutting from 1968 & 1992 that will be of interest to you all but it just keeps telling me that they are too big and I don't know how to make them smaller, any help would be appreciated :))

birminghamhistory.co.uk

 

[Stephen Bullas]

We do have forum get togethers from time to time so watch for updates in a new thread. When it is safe to do so - that is.

Hi again, Janice, I hope you're well?
I was just wondering if there was any follow-up on the possible get-togethers that you mentioned and, if so, where I can find the relevant thread?
FYI, I'm pleased to say that Robert Taylor and his wife Sue are to be in the UK shortly and I and my wife, Dani, are going to meet them for lunch near to Gatwick airport later this week.
Very best wishes,
Stephen

 

[Stephen Bullas]

Hello Myra, I remember you. I was Susan Jones and we were both at Guthlac House, then Stechford Road and Hodge Hill Grammar. I remember the photo where I’m behind the flowers and it was a school trip to a farm no idea where but I remember paddling in a stream in wellies and sleeping in a big attic room on beds with patchwork quilts. I can recall some of the girls on the photo which was taken in the fairly newly built Congregational church further along Coleshill Road. The photo on the farm was Susan Hughes, daughter of staff member, yourself, Anne Goodman turning round, myself leaning on a stick and Susan Harris. The girl at the back I think might have been Angela? Susan Hughes family had a garden centre by the Timberley Lane, Anne Goldman lived in Water Orton and Susan Harris lived in Yardley. The trip was for the oldest six girls and I was seventh oldest but Elaine somebody couldn’t go and so I went instead. You mentioned a small boy on another photo. As I recall it was Susan Hughes younger brother who had come to collect her. He and another sister are near the front of the whole school photo.
I have a couple of prize books and also the cloth napkin which we used to use when eating lunch. I also have a times table book, an English grammar textbook, a poetry book (elocution lessons) no idea of the teachers name and a dictation textbook. I also have three school reports from 1954/5.
Hope we can continue reminiscing. Sue xx

Hi Susan!
I remember an Elaine but, unfortunately, not her surname. I do remember something about her though: she had a wooden pencil box which I always admired!
Best wishes,
Stephen

 

[pjmburns]

Hi again, Janice, I hope you're well?
I was just wondering if there was any follow-up on the possible get-togethers that you mentioned and, if so, where I can find the relevant thread?
FYI, I'm pleased to say that Robert Taylor and his wife Sue are to be in the UK shortly and I and my wife, Dani, are going to meet them for lunch near to Gatwick airport later this week.
Very best wishes,
Stephen

I will send a PM as we are going off thread.

 

[Stephen Bullas]

Robert Taylor and I, both contributors to this forum, met up together with our respective wives for lunch at a Sussex pub whilst they were on a trip back to the UK from Australia this summer.
Although none of us had met in person before, I'm pleased to report that we all had a terrific time and we hope to repeat something similar on the next occasion that they are over here. After we left the pub, we all felt as though we had known each other for many years. It was a lovely feeling!
Hopefully, some of us others might be able to meet up, too. Dani and I are in the Birmingham area three or four times per year, so please let me know if you might be interested

 

[Stephen Bullas]

Further to my Aug 19 2023 posting, my wife, Dani, and I are planning to be in Brum (Great Barr) and also in Rednal for a weekend sometime later this year. If you'd me interested in a meetup for an hour or so (doesn't matter where in B'ham or the immediately surrounding area) and we can get enough people together and agree on a venue, I'd be happy to organise it - probably a couple of hours in a pub or one hour in a coffee bar.
If you're interested, please let me know any weekend dates between now and then that you can't make it, as that would be very helpful!
Also, of you're interested but don't have convenient transport, please also let me know.
Here's hoping! . . .
Stephen

 

[Stephen Bullas]

I've had one Like from
Jan Kammerath
Do you have some interest in a potential meetup if we can get enough interested parties together?
Stephen

 

[Colin Baillie]

It’s with great interest that I found this forum on Guthlac House School, not that I remember much of it, or were even told anything about it later, in fact all I can remember is wearing the shorts, blazer and school cap, and playing on a tree at the back of the building, this must have been some time in the early 50’s.

I was born in Birmingham, just off the Sparkbrook Road in Sparkhill, and later moved to near Coleshill and The Hunters Moon Pub, so the school was only around 600m away (looking at the address someone posted), I would certainly be interested in any history, photographs etc., of the school.

Later when I was around 9, we moved to Sudbury, near Greenford as my father’s work relocated him, then going to the local Secondary Modern School.

After doing an engineering apprenticeship, I moved into technical sales / sales management for a number of years, spent almost 2 years working in Frankfurt, Germany. Returning to the UK my Finnish wife and I had two children, who are doing well, our daughter lives near Watford, and our son now lives just outside Birmingham (oh the irony!), so have visited Birmingham quite a few times now, and certainly the centre is quite spectacular, we were at the Frankfurt Christmas Market a few weeks ago, and also saw “Ozzy” at New Street Station.

I have now been living in Southern Finland for just over 12 years, but regularly travel back to the UK to see family, life in Finland is pretty good, although we just had over a week, where the temperature was not warmer than -25 degrees Celsius.

If anyone has information of Guthlac House School, I would be delighted to hear about it.