Harry lucas school

[Peg Monkey]

if you wish to choose your own title you need to go to your personal details and then change your custom title to one of your own choice..hope this helps

lyn

Thanks Lyn, I see how it works now, I've been promoted already! I'll be an adolescent in no time.
I was delighted to hear more pics of Heaton Street due; other than me once living there are there other reasons for its notoriety? Glad you approve of the avatar.
Regards,
Peg.

 

[Peg Monkey]

Hi folks,
For the sake of posterity graphic attached showing school colours.
Regards,
Peg.

 

[Astoness]

thanks peg..very nice...i shall be going to the library again next week..will once again do a search for any photos of the school but they are very elusive

lyn

 

[Peg Monkey]

Hi Lyn, good luck with your search. There is a slim chance the staff at the Birmingham Central Library know the whereabouts of The Bicycle Thief film and an even slimmer chance they have it.
Regards,
Peg.

 

[Peg Monkey]

Memoirs of a HLSS Thespian
Does anyone remember the Mummers Play, performed by successive fifth-formers at Christmas time? My memory is very sketchy - I can't remember the storyline and only a few of the characters: King George, a panto-style horse with a wooden head and the Doctor (me) who could cure a crow of toothache (by "Cutting off it's head".), it all sounds bizarre now, (note: no animals were injured during the performance!).
Regards,
Peg.

 

[carolina]

We did Pied Piper at Oozells Street as well.
Rats rats we must get rid of the rats they eat our food and kill our cats we must get rid of the rats.

 

[Astoness]

Hi Lyn, good luck with your search. There is a slim chance the staff at the Birmingham Central Library know the whereabouts of The Bicycle Thief film and an even slimmer chance they have it.
Regards,
Peg.

thanks peg will do my best will also ask about the film...

lyn

 

[Peg Monkey]

Oh fantastic can I please share it?

Hi Carolina,
I'm sorry if you are awaiting my reply re sharing the school pic, yes please do.
Regards,
Peg.

 

[Peg Monkey]

At last............ Thank you so much for the photograph Peg. I remember the filming of the 'Bicycle Thief' - if I remember correctly I was in 1-1 or 2A? I have memories of Mr Jones on the roof of the boys toilets filming the chase. Once again thank you so much for unearthing the 'Holly Grail'..........

As i rember it, the only amendment to your plan of the school upper floor is that the science lab was on the opposite side to that shown as it was next to the staff room. The D.S room was directly above the art room.

Thanks Mabz

School Plan
Hi Folks, Mabz and myself didn't have a meeting of minds regarding the layout of the first floor addition to the front elevation, no other recollections have been forthcoming so I can't fall back on a majority vote, no problem, I'll make a minor alteration to the wording on the plan so we are both right; but before I do that, what is the name of our school? It's not such a daft question, when it comes to variations on a school name ours must come close to the top of the table, here's a few:
1. Harry Lucas Secondary Modern School (Source: my memory and the one I thought was official).
2. Harry Lucas Secondary School (Source: Mr A E Walker, Headmaster. He told me he didn't like Modern so he dropped it, hence only HLSS on school badge).
3. Harry Lucas County Secondary School (Source: National Archives website).
4. Harry Lucas County Modern Mixed School (Source: Official stamp imprint from City of Birmingham Education Committee circa 1962).
Address - why Burbury Street? As far as I know there never was a geographical connection, not even a passageway/entrance (NB I know this is the official address).
Those of you who are still awake - I know what you are thinking, Why does it matter? Well, I'm keen to get the school plan as accurate as I can, including the name and address, because it will be on our thread until the end of time, for all to see.
I suppose 4. has to be correct, but it doesn't state Senior or Secondary so the unfamiliar would not know the type of school.
Any views/comments?
Regards,
Peg.
PS
Recently I inadvertently found myself in the Harry Lucas Secondary Modern School thread, confusing isn't it?

 

[Astoness]

yes very strange peg to call it burbury st school as the back gardens of burbury st and ventnor road backed onto the school..main entrance was in farm st i believe..i went to farm st school..there was a gate in farm st that led to the junior playground and a gate at bridge st west for the infants playground yet the main entrance was in villa st...dont know if you have come across this useful map site...just move the blue dot from left to right to find out what is there now...i have left the link showing harry lucas school..you can go all over birmingham with this...great fun and very informative

lyn

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=52.4959&lon=-1.9081&layers=176&b=6

 

[Peg Monkey]

yes very strange peg to call it burbury st school as the back gardens of burbury st and ventnor road backed onto the school..main entrance was in farm st i believe..i went to farm st school..there was a gate in farm st that led to the junior playground and a gate at bridge st west for the infants playground yet the main entrance was in villa st...dont know if you have come across this useful map site...just move the blue dot from left to right to find out what is there now...i have left the link showing harry lucas school..you can go all over birmingham with this...great fun and very informative

lyn

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=52.4959&lon=-1.9081&layers=176&b=6

Fantastic map Lyn! It's going to be really useful - found my old house on Heaton Street; in a previous posting I said there were 6 back to backs at the rear of my house sharing 1 outside toilet, I was wrong there were 8! I'm glad it's an old map - it shows a tram depot at the end of my road, I was born there in 1949 and only remember buses at that depot. I've found the pub, The Duke of Cambridge, corner of Berners St and Gt King Street, where my carol singing career kicked-off, more about that later, it needs it's own posting.
I also went to Farm Street School (1954-1960) Mr Smith was the headmaster. The last year of my tenure was spent at Friends Hall opposite HLSS, pupil numbers had outgrown the main site.
Regards,
Peg.

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Is there only me still around who went to Burbury Street School?

 

[Astoness]

glad you find the maps useful peg..yes mr smith was head when i was at farm st think i read somewhere that it was the first board school to open..there should be some photos on the forum of farm st school inside and out.. in case you dont know friends hall is still there..i also went there for a few lessons

lyn

 

[Peg Monkey]

Hi Lyn,
I've not been allowed to upload a Word file, is there away around that?
Peg.

 

[Astoness]

hi peg...sorry im not that technical but is the file too large..maybe needs resizing...by the way i had no luck at the library re photos of this school

lyn

 

[Peg Monkey]

hi peg...sorry im not that technical but is the file too large..maybe needs resizing...by the way i had no luck at the library re photos of this school

lyn

Hi Lyn, no problem, I'd prepared the following memoir off-line and wondered if there was a quick way of uploading, it could be converted to a JPEG file, but I know that's not very satisfactory if it is all text.
Sorry to hear you had no luck at the library; if my maths are correct, the school closed 48 years ago so someone, say a twenty-year old, working for the council then on archiving has long retired (although there should be a written record of the film's whereabouts). Not sure where to go from here, some years ago my wife tried without success.

Memoirs of an HLSS Projectionist.
During my fourth and fifth years I acted as the school projectionist (I'd like to blame this distraction for my disastrous CSE results but I can't; I was called upon too infrequently). The school had a Bell & Howell sound projector with quite a complicated film path, the art room doubled as the cinema because of it's length. When newly appointed I was sometimes caught out when the previous user of the film had failed to re-wind it, resulting in audience unrest as I rewound and reloaded the film. As bad as this was it didn't compare to the near-riot that occurred if the film broke mid-performance (the films were passed from school to school and got quite a bit of wear and tear). Some teachers were able to quell the disorder better than others, I remember, in particular, Miss Gossmore was not a woman to be trifled with.
Regards,
Peg.

 

[johnpress]

Hi folks,
I've unearthed another HLSS artefact, I made the spoon during my first year in the metalwork class; there were no metal bashing facilities at our school, I (together with fellow male class mates) made my way each Friday morning to Gem Street School, Gosta Green (near Aston Uni), which had extensive facilities. The spoon got a make-over with a Brillo and now I think it looks pretty good for a 53 year-old.
Mabz & johnpress
Those teacher's names brought memories flooding back (I don't recall a French French Teacher, must have been after my time). I can add a few more teachers: Mr Thomas (my G3 form teacher), Mr Flemming - woodwork and, my most vivid memory of all, the delectable 25-year old Miss Chivvers, whose classes I regularly gate-crashed during my 5th form free periods, (Can't remember her subject - it wouldn't have made any difference).
(If my wife gets to read this I'm dead).
Regards,
Peg.

I also remember Mr Flemming the woodwork teacher , he was the only one I feared having the slipper off , he wielded it with passion ! . Yes , Madam de Mon Telk spoke with a very strong Parisian accent . As I sad , she only lasted a term , she simply couldn't handle our misbehaviour , she was there before I left in the summer of 65 . I think Mr Corfield was the science teacher ? . Was Miss Chivers a buxom bird who may have been an English teacher , albeit Mr Thomas was also an English teacher . Can I suggest to all who post threads on here put the date when they wrote them , im replying to some who posted them years ago . I don't mind admitting I can get a tear in my eye when I read these posts . the memories are priceless and its sad to think of the happiest days of my life are far behind me . I have said before that anyone wanting to chat to me can contact me on my email ........ [email protected] . I was at harry lucas from 60 to 65 ..... posted on 4th feb 2017

 

[Astoness]

hi john..no need to put the dates on yourself unless of course you want to as the date posted will appear under all the posts made and just another to all members that by posting your private email address on open forum is at your own risk..the safest way to swap private contact details is through our private message system..(inbox top right of the page)

all the best

lyn

 

[Peg Monkey]

I also remember Mr Flemming the woodwork teacher , he was the only one I feared having the slipper off , he wielded it with passion ! . Yes , Madam de Mon Telk spoke with a very strong Parisian accent . As I sad , she only lasted a term , she simply couldn't handle our misbehaviour , she was there before I left in the summer of 65 . I think Mr Corfield was the science teacher ? . Was Miss Chivers a buxom bird who may have been an English teacher , albeit Mr Thomas was also an English teacher . Can I suggest to all who post threads on here put the date when they wrote them , im replying to some who posted them years ago . I don't mind admitting I can get a tear in my eye when I read these posts . the memories are priceless and its sad to think of the happiest days of my life are far behind me . I have said before that anyone wanting to chat to me can contact me on my email ........ [email protected] . I was at harry lucas from 60 to 65 ..... posted on 4th feb 2017

Hi John,
Miss Chivvers was indeed a well developed young lady. I think it's best if we draw a veil over her now, we don't want to be accused of being sexist by the other young ladies on the forum; but more than that, I've took a flier my wife wont read my first posting, if she reads two I'm definitely destined for solitary confinement in the spare room for an unspecified period, probably At Her Majesty's Pleasure.
Regards,
Peg.

 

[Peg Monkey]

Confessions of a Demented HLSS Wood Turner
Hi folks, the start of my fifth year was met with frenzied activity trying to get workpieces ready as part of the CSE Woodwork Exam. One of the items I was planning to submit was a laminated fruit bowl, but with only one lathe in the Woodwork Shop competition to use it was fierce. I'd spent a few hours on my masterpiece but was unhappy with my progress so I asked Mr Flemming if I could use the lathe when first-formers were being taught as they weren't allows to use it, he agreed but it meant I had an audience. So after securing my partly sculptured bowl to the lathe's headstock I, anxious to impress and progress, set the machine on top speed and selected the largest gouging chisel I could find. The wood chips flew impressively in all directions as the bowl's shape began to develop rapidly, but my fate had been written. The force of my industriousness caused the bowl to separate from the faceplate and spin alarmingly over my left shoulder; then, like a bouncing bomb, it careered down the workshop scattering the first-formers like ninepins (Had the bowl become free an instant earlier it would probably have smashed through the window.) To this day I can't understand how everyone escaped injury, even my bowl survived (Testament to it's sound construction) with just a few bruises, which I managed to rectify.
Mr Flemming, in a store-room and unaware of developments, was unfazed when given my report and had nothing further to say on the matter once he had established no-one had been hurt.
(Did the finished bowl help me to get a good exam grade? The less said about that the better.)
Regards,
Peg.
Must view!: https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/peg-monkey-cartoons.48101/

 

[Astoness]

ha ha peg a very funny post which has bought to mind something similar that happened to me although not in woodwork...lozells girls school...pottery lesson which we took at burlington st school (pottery classroom still there)..slapped the clay on the wheel and peddled like billyo to turn it...way too fast and the clay spun off the wheel and went flying in all direction of the classroom.. happy days

lyn

 

[Peg Monkey]

ha ha peg a very funny post which has bought to mind something similar that happened to me although not in woodwork...lozells girls school...pottery lesson which we took at burlington st school (pottery classroom still there)..slapped the clay on the wheel and peddled like billyo to turn it...way too fast and the clay spun off the wheel and went flying in all direction of the classroom.. happy days

lyn

Hi Lyn, I didn't realise potters' wheels could be so deadly, glad to learn you survived unscathed. I guess your school wasn't far from the Aston Hip., the last place I saw a live variety show, (the intervals were a bit saucy, but censor said it was OK as long as the models in the tableaux didn't move!)
Regards,
Peg.

 

[Astoness]

it was when i got going on it peg as i said we only used burlington st school for certain lessons but yes it was and still is (well part of it) just round the corner from where the hip was..plenty of phtos of hip on the forum

lyn

 

[Peg Monkey]

Hi Folks, Did any one get a CSE Grade 1?
I didn't think wild horses would make me upload my CSE Certificate (even under an alias), I was so disappointed with some of the grades, and then I thought Man-up, it's half a century on, just get on with it. So here it is The quite good, The OK and The Really Must Do Better.
Woodwork - Inexplicably Grade 4! I'd been awarded 2 School Woodwork Prizes, the obvious thing would have been to seek the counsel of Mr Flemming - can't understand why I didn't - my only excuse, we did the exams in June and by the time we got the results, late August, the school was on holiday and the fifth formers had left never to return.
I have a theory.
My exam paper got mixed up with someone else's! I got his Grade 4 and he got my Grade 1!
Is it too late to ask for a recount? Probably.
Grade 1-5 were passes, Grade 1 equivalent to an O Level.
Regards,
Peg.
PS
Lyn, checked out the Aston Hipp listing, I hadn't realised such big names had appeared there.

 

[Astoness]

oh yes peg so many famous names appeared at the hip..our dad was in the bartons arms one day having a drink ..laurel and hardy was doing the same thing

 

[Peg Monkey]

oh yes peg so many famous names appeared at the hip..our dad was in the bartons arms one day having a drink ..laurel and hardy was doing the same thing

Hi Lyn, without doubt super-stars of their time. My dad's only Celeb claim to fame was when Jimmy White (snooker star) asked him for directions to the Penns Hall Hotel; don't know if he was playing a tournament there, or just staying. (Could have been both, I suppose)
My claim to fame is when I was invited to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace to meet The Duke of Edinburgh (He presented me with his Gold Award. Never seen so many posh frocks in one place, before or since.)
What did we chat about? I couldn't possibly say.
I considered uploading the image of my personal invitation (it's quite impressive) but then I thought, how do I know I wont be breaching a Royal Protocol ?
(If I ended up incarcerated in The Tower it would be a high risk strategy to anticipate my wife would give me a character reference.)
Regards,
Peg.

 

[carolina]

Last night on BBC2 Great American Railroad Journeys Michael Portillo was around Milwaukee and he was talking about The Song of Hiawatha (our song at Town Hall) and it showed the area where it was based upon. It was really interesting. Minnehaha comes from the waterfall there and means laughing water.

 

[Peg Monkey]

Last night on BBC2 Great American Railroad Journeys Michael Portillo was around Milwaukee and he was talking about The Song of Hiawatha (our song at Town Hall) and it showed the area where it was based upon. It was really interesting. Minnehaha comes from the waterfall there and means laughing water.

Hi Carolina, my first term at HLSS began Sept 1960, were you in the second year then? I remember a major event at the Town Hall, but I'm finding it difficult to date, there was a huge choir made up from a number of schools; How did you perform The Song of Hiawatha?
Regards,
Peg.

 

[Astoness]

peg have you been on the farm st thread? pic of the entrance to the school on it lucas factory in the background..actually i should really post that one on this thread so here it is.. also one of a few school kids looks like they are walking up farm st with a couple of teachers

lyn

 

[Peg Monkey]

peg have you been on the farm st thread? pic of the entrance to the school on it lucas factory in the background..actually i should really post that one on this thread so here it is.. also one of a few school kids looks like they are walking up farm st with a couple of teachers

lyn

Hi Lyn, superb shot, well done. The School Caretaker had quite a grand dwelling (house immediately to right of RH entrance to school), I don't recall T. Cox being there when I started in Sept 1960, I've tried to find out from the net when the store closed without success.
Regards,
Peg.