Harry lucas school

[Astoness]

think i shall take that as a compliment mabz nice little meet up though..amazing how this forum puts people together more recently i met an old school chum after 47 years...

 

[Peg Monkey]

Hi Folks, my thoughts drifted back to our schooldays and I recalled just how little greenery there was in the playground (not at all unusual, my infant/junior school, Farm Street, had even less) I don't think there was anything at all on the front, apart from the odd weed, but the rear was slightly better - a solitary deciduous tree at the top of the playground, near the entrance from Bridge St West, and, of course, the Deputy Head's Garden (so called because it was just outside her office window) the small quad between the original Boys and Girls entrances (not sure why the Victorians deemed it necessary to have separate entrances - probably something to do with disrobing, couldn't have been the WCs - they were outside).
I remember, whilst in the 3rd year, me and my close associates somehow found ourselves members of the Tree Lover's Club, to be truthful I think it was mainly the colourful membership badge that appealed most, - it was all about collecting badges in those days, anyway it was a brief association, but I do recall getting together a collection of pressed tree leaves.

Peg.

 

[Vivienne14]

 

[Astoness]

great viv this may bring back memories for some of our members

lyn

 

[Peg Monkey]

It's over a year now since I last banged on about my poor CSE Grade 4 Woodwork result, (https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/harry-lucas-school.39524/page-18#post-588947) I've had therapy and I'm pleased to announce I'm cured - well almost.
It's now 53 years, or thereabouts since the summer when me and my compatriats gave our best shots at the CSE's, and my Grade 4 has returned to haunt me - did my Grade 1 exam paper get mixed up with someome elses's Grade 4? That's the only rational explanation, how else can it be explained? - I was awarded 2 Woodwork Prizes and consistantly did well at the craft during my 5 years at HL.
I fear the mystery is destined to remain one of the Universe's unanswerd questions for all time.
I know what you are thinking - It's no good beefing about it now why didn't you complain at the time?
In my defense, by the time we had got our results July/August the school had closed for the summer and we had all been cast to the 4 winds never to return.
Peg.

 

[Peg Monkey]

School closure.

 

[Astoness]

Hope I've done this right.

Speech day circa 1965 at a guess. Mr Walker standing with I believe, Lady Waring. Not sure about the others but I think the gentleman seated on the right could be the Birmingham Chief Education Officer of the time.

View attachment 45063

hi enel

would it be possible for you to re post that photo again please as we seem to have lost it from the forum

many thanks

lyn

 

[Bill Boyd]

Hi Enel,

Nice to see someone has mentioned my Dad Gordon Figures, You dont say what sort of a Teacher he was, Others Ive met who were taught by him in his career said he was fair and maintained respect. Unfortunately he past away in 1984 a few years after Johnie Walker. Still intouch with Joy Robinson ( not sure if that was her name when at Harry Lucas) think she taught English. She does have a Teaching group photo awaiting a copy from her. Will post to the site when I have it.

I remember your Dad very well, he was a good teacher, he taught us Maths, I think i am correct in saying he was a rear gunner in the 2nd world war.

 

[Bill Boyd]

I am not able to view any of the photographs on this thread, do i have a problem ? or have they been lost ?
Thanks in advance.

 

[LOZELLIAN]

I remember your Dad very well, he was a good teacher, he taught us Maths, I think i am correct in saying he was a rear gunner in the 2nd world war.

I remember your Dad very well, he was a good teacher, he taught us Maths, I think i am correct in saying he was a rear gunner in the 2nd world war.

Hi G Figures,

In my time at HLSS (1963 - 1968), I seem to remember your Dad teaching rather appropriately Maths, he was a firm but, fair man & a good teacher. I recall him having a problem with the car he owned at the time, which I believe was either an Austin Cambridge / Morris Oxford; and I volunteered my Dad (motor mechanic by trade) to fix it, which he did. If memory serves he lived on the Bristol Road at that time I think.

Lozellian

 

[LOZELLIAN]

Hi John,
I never witnessed Mr Flemming administering corporal punishment but I did see Miss Gossmore doing the deed once, slipper was a bit of a misnomer she wielded a trainer with a sole like a Teddyboy's brothel creeper, I don't know what the lad had done but it must have been a major misdemeanor, I remember thinking, I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end of that!
Regards,
Peg.

Hiya Peg,

Just trolling through the archives re: corporal punishment as handed out by Mr Fleming, I have to admit I was a victim on a few occasions and believe me he was highly skilled with a slipper as was Mr Williams (geography teacher). If i remember right it was just the sole of a gym shoe, which was bought down on your backside with a slashing action (painful to say the least). Not forgetting, I along with one or two classmates were the recipients of the cane by old Johnnie Walker in front of the whole School for some minor misdemeanor ha ha.

Lozellian

 

[LOZELLIAN]

Miss Chivvers wasn't without competition in the glamour stakes; does anyone remember the tall slim blonde teacher , circa late twenties, that paraded around the school like a fashion model? - can't remember her name or subject (c1960-65).

Regards,
Peg.

Hiya Peg,

I think you'll find that that was the gorgeous Miss Haggett (ah what memories) ask Mabz I'm sure he'd agree as he was always at the front when she taught us.

Lozellian.

 

[Peg Monkey]

The Old School, with CGI seasonal enhancement - how it might have looked for at least one day in its lifetime.
Peg.

 

[LOZELLIAN]

The Old School, with CGI seasonal enhancement - how it might have looked for at least one day in its lifetime.
Peg.

View attachment 129821

Hiya Peg Monkey,

I like the attached image of the old school, dare i say it brings back more fond memories than bad ones. In my last post re: Miss Hagget I made reference to Mabz sorry that was my mistake it should have read Mayfield (Keith / Acka).

Have a lovely xmas & best wishes for 2019.

Lozellian

 

[Linda Jennings]

Hello.
My Brother Paul Bevan went to Harry Lucas School in 1966 .He played In the Rugby team as he was never Interested in Football be Interested If anyone could remember him.Sadly paul passed away in 2008.

Hi John
I’m very sad to hear of Paul’s passing. I did correspond with him some years ago on Friends Reunited. I remember Paul from Alma Street School. He sat behind me in in class 12. The teacher was Mr Wildman. I recall Paul being a very polite, quiet boy. He always looked smart in his school blazer. He sat next to Roy Leddy. Roy was always smart too!
My family and I lived in Alma Street. We were next door to the Alma Tavern. I recall your house on the opposite side of the street. It was near the corner of New Street next to Cooks Furniture Shop. The owner was Gordon, he had red hair. I think my brother Peter was in the same class as your brother Peter..
Regards
Linda

 

[trevor bow]

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

Hi Michael,

I posted this somewhere else on the site:- My name is Trevor Bow, born July 1946, and I started at Burbury St school aged four and a half at the beginning of the spring term in January 1951. My sister Maureen Bow, born 1940, was already there, and my brother Derek Bow, born 1948, started 2 years after me in January 1953.

We were all born about 300 yards away at 3 Cottage Row in Bridge St West. Cottage Row brings up an image of cosy little cottages with roses growing around the door. In fact they were 10 very small 2 up 2 down cramped slum houses, down an alleyway right next door to St Saviours Church. We were all Christened there in fact.

In a separate small building towards the Bridge Street West end of the school was a pre-school nursery. Maureen and myself didn't attend it but brother Derek did. In the afternoon, all the litttle ones had a sleep on the beds provided. When the nursery teachers' backs were turned, my little brother, no older than 3 years and who didn't like nursery one bit, got up and walked off, probably trying to go home. But instead of walking back up Bridge St West, he walked down across the playground and started walking in the opposite direction along Farm Street. A passer by eventually found him crying, about 3 miles away !

She took him into a nearby senior school to see if anyone knew him and together with the headmaster, they went from class to class. Luckily, an older cousin attended that school and when they came into his class, he told the head that it was his 'baby' cousin. The head told him to take my young brother home and when he delivered him back to my mother, she went up the wall. I think those nursery teaches got the rough end of her tongue the next day.

My first infant school teach was Miss Butterfield who later emigrated to South Africa I think. Other teachers I recall were Mr Berry and Mr Sheldon. The headmaster was a very tall bald headed chap named Mr Margerison, who everyone was scared of.

We left Hockley in summer 1954, moving to a modern semi on the new Ley Hill council estate in Northfield - with 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, indoor toilet, a bathroom and a garden back and front. Back then, it felt like winning the pools compared to where we had escaped from.

 

[trevor bow]

Hi Michael,

I posted this somewhere else on the site:- My name is Trevor Bow, born July 1946, and I started at Burbury St school aged four and a half at the beginning of the spring term in January 1951. My sister Maureen Bow, born 1940, was already there, and my brother Derek Bow, born 1948, started 2 years after me in January 1953.

We were all born about 300 yards away at 3 Cottage Row in Bridge St West. Cottage Row brings up an image of cosy little cottages with roses growing around the door. In fact they were 10 very small 2 up 2 down cramped slum houses, down an alleyway right next door to St Saviours Church. We were all Christened there in fact.

In a separate small building towards the Bridge Street West end of the school was a pre-school nursery. Maureen and myself didn't attend it but brother Derek did. In the afternoon, all the litttle ones had a sleep on the beds provided. When the nursery teachers' backs were turned, my little brother, no older than 3 years and who didn't like nursery one bit, got up and walked off, probably trying to go home. But instead of walking back up Bridge St West, he walked down across the playground and started walking in the opposite direction along Farm Street. A passer by eventually found him crying, about 3 miles away !

She took him into a nearby senior school to see if anyone knew him and together with the headmaster, they went from class to class. Luckily, an older cousin attended that school and when they came into his class, he told the head that it was his 'baby' cousin. The head told him to take my young brother home and when he delivered him back to my mother, she went up the wall. I think those nursery teaches got the rough end of her tongue the next day.

My first infant school teach was Miss Butterfield who later emigrated to South Africa I think. Other teachers I recall were Mr Berry and Mr Sheldon. The headmaster was a very tall bald headed chap named Mr Margerison, who everyone was scared of.

We left Hockley in summer 1954, moving to a modern semi on the new Ley Hill council estate in Northfield - with 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, indoor toilet, a bathroom and a garden back and front. Back then, it felt like winning the pools compared to where we had escaped from.

I tried to attach a photo of myself and my younger brother taken outside our 'luxurious' house of 3 Cottage Row taken in September 1950. As not many people had decent cameras, a man used to come around the neighborhood taking photos for a small fee. Unfortunately, the photo is in PDF format and it is too large to attach....well that's what the message says. So I was looking up various websites in order to convert it to a different format and accidently attached something about 'Getting Started With OneDrive'...dunno why I pressed the key for that site......go figure ! If anyone has any ideas how to reduce my photo to a smaller file so I can post it, that would be most appreciated.

 

[Astoness]

hello trevor lovely memories you have posted thank you...i am sure someone will come along soon to advise you the easiest way to reduce photos as we would all love to see the one you have

lyn

 

[mikejee]

To be honest. I resize using a photoprogram, but you can also do it in windows 8 and I think also windows 10 in the same way, as follows:
1.Click on windows and access photo.
2 On your mouse right click on the photo and this will bring up a menu , one of which's items is "resize photo"
3. Click on the "resize photo" and it will give you the options
Hope I've made it reasonably clear

 

[Morturn]

If you wish, send me the file via WeTransfer and I will reduce it and convert it to a jpeg for you. Send me a private message.

 

[TeresaJayne]

Hi, my grandad attended this school and he believes that he left in 67 but isn’t sure. He was in the football team as a goalkeeper and his name is Tony Gardner. Please tell me if you have any photos or any friends if you remember him!

 

[TeresaJayne]

Hello.
My Brother Paul Bevan went to Harry Lucas School in 1966 .He played In the Rugby team as he was never Interested in Football be Interested If anyone could remember him.Sadly paul passed away in 2008.

My grandad Tony Gardner remembers him, he didn’t know he was working in the hospital and he was working round the corner from him. He said they were good mates and was sad to hear of his passing

 

[Michael_Ingram]

Hi Trevor, just found your post, although a little late. Good to hear from you anyway. I would have started there around 1945/6

 

[Jdownes]

Ahem... As Sir Humphrey would say, "the individual in question is, it may surprise you to learn, one whom your present interlocutor is in the habit of defining by means of the perpendicular pronoun."

The photo was taken by a classmate who was a keen snapper in those days. There was usually an official photographer present on these occasions as well (probably from Lucas) but I cannot recall receiving any photos from that source.

Miss Cadman I recall was our form mistress in the second year. She wasn't too bad I thought. Other teachers I remember - Mr Figures for maths (no really)! Mr Watson of course, Miss Gosmore (English), Mr Thomas, Mr Fleming (woodwork).

I went to harry lucas in 1961 when i was 11, I was in the top form and remember well the headmaster johny walker Miss cadman Miss gosmore peter watson were my form teachers I can recall most of my classmates and have many memories of going to Bockleton am willing to share these memories and would also like to get in conntact with fellow classmates

 

[Jdownes]

Hi Enel,

Nice to see someone has mentioned my Dad Gordon Figures, You dont say what sort of a Teacher he was, Others Ive met who were taught by him in his career said he was fair and maintained respect. Unfortunately he past away in 1984 a few years after Johnie Walker. Still intouch with Joy Robinson ( not sure if that was her name when at Harry Lucas) think she taught English. She does have a Teaching group photo awaiting a copy from her. Will post to the site when I have it.

Mr figures I remeber him well i think he was an ex serviceman Air Force perhaps, I was a bit of a naughty child in them days but he had a lot of patiense with me as i was not very good at maths can picture him now

 

[Astoness]

I went to harry lucas in 1961 when i was 11, I was in the top form and remember well the headmaster johny walker Miss cadman Miss gosmore peter watson were my form teachers I can recall most of my classmates and have many memories of going to Bockleton am willing to share these memories and would also like to get in conntact with fellow classmates

hi and welcome to the forum...if you have any photos of the school or class photos etc we would love to see them...all the best

lyn

 

[mrbluesky1957]

Liz I went to Harry Lucas Secondary Modern School which did not start in fact until 1958 and at which time I started. The headmaster Mr Walker and Pete Watson were originally at Icknield Street Boys school but moved to HL at the beginning in 1958. All the 4 school teams were named after Lucas's directors, Garner, Margerison (cant remember the other 2). It was here in 1960 I first saw my first black person. Unfortunately I do not have photos of the time there. I know we had a rounders team, badminton team, we sang at the Town Hall 'Hiawatha' and did square dancing at the BBC studios which used to be on Broad Street. We visited Bockleton for 2 weeks for a holiday. Instead of eating our school dinners we used to spend our money in the cafe and listened to music like Eddy Cochran, Tommy Roe, Gene Vincent. It was a great school and very forward for its time.

Hi Carolynn, just come back on site for more help. As usual fantastic help in minutes. My wife went to Harry Lucas School, she was born in 1950. She lived in Villa Street and her nan in Farm Street, Her mom worked as a nurse at Harry Lucas. My wife was in Garner, her maiden was Kerr. She recalls most that you have wrote, just wondered if you or any one else have in common, Thank you, Keith.

 

[mrbluesky1957]

Mr figures I remeber him well i think he was an ex serviceman Air Force perhaps, I was a bit of a naughty child in them days but he had a lot of patiense with me as i was not very good at maths can picture him now

Hi there my wife went to Harry Lucas, born 1950, was he a Maths teacher? She was in Garner, also remembered the headmaster and a Mr Wallet. She lived in Villa Street, her mom was a nurese at HL. Just came on for some more help on such a great site, and logged into Harry Lucas for her, regards, Keith.

 

[Astoness]

hi keith i dont know if we have spoken about this before but i also lived in villa st 1958 to 1972

lyn

 

[mrbluesky1957]

hi keith i dont know if we have spoken about this before but i also lived in villa st 1958 to 1972

lyn

Hi Lyn, amazing just seen this post from you. We seem to have a fair bit in common, Only 1 pub left in Kingshurst, Punch Bowl. Ive just told my wife, gobsmacked. No. 9 Back of 58 until abt 1965. Would you believe it, surname then was Kerr. nearest rd was Farm st, her nan lived there. she lived opposite the maisonettes next to the gulley by the factory? We hadnt mentioned this, my wife is alot more interested in ancestry and past memories. The last 18 months I have found out a distant relative who is an expert on ancestry although hes 88 and struggles now with sight. Wished Id know yrs ago, totally done my moms side, over 6000 on hi tree all over the world. Anyway amazing you lived there, I think my wife loved living in Farm street in those days. Cannot believe this, and the help you have givin me. I believe in fate, think I was meant to come back to this great site. My wife was born 1950, greta to hear from you Lyn. Totally dedicated.