• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

King Edwards Grammar School Aston 1883

Vivienne14

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
Links to other King Edward's Schools in the Birmingham area are :

Edgbaston

King Edward VI School Edgbaston 1936

Links to other King Edwards Schools in the Birmingham area are below New Street https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edwards-school-new-street-1838-1936.9441/ Five Ways...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk

King Edward High School for Girls Edgbaston Park Road

Hadn't realised this but the building was once King Edward's High School for Girls - Edmund Street. Postcard dated 1904. Viv.
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk

Five Ways

King Edward VI School, Five Ways 1883 - 1958

New Street https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edwards-school-new-street-1838-1936.9441/ Edgbaston https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edward-vi-school-edgbaston-1936.57135/#post-811091...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk

Camp Hill

King Edwards Grammar School Camp Hill

His university education was interrupted by war service. After demobilisation in 1946, he completed his M.A. and teacher training. His first teaching post was as classics master at Raynes Park School. In 1955 he was appointed as headmaster at Rastrick Grammar School in Yorkshire, and then in...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk

Handsworth

King Edwards Girls Grammar School Rose Hill Road Handsworth 1911

Edgbaston https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edward-vi-school-edgbaston-1936.57135/#post-811091 https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edward-high-school-for-girls-edgbaston-park-road.57137/ Five Ways...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk

Handsworth Grammar King Edward Boys' Grammar Grove Lane

Here are other links to King Edward's Schools in the Birmingham area: Edgbaston https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edward-vi-school-edgbaston-1936.57135/#post-811091...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------





I’m including a description of this school, don’t think there’s an existing thread for the school. From British History online:

KING EDWARD'S GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR BOYS, ASTON, Frederick Road, Aston. Opened 1883 in building between Albert and Frederick Rds. housing twin B and G schs. Pupils came from Lower Middle Schs. in Edward St. and Gem St. When G sch. moved to Handsworth 1911 B occupied whole sch. By 1952 governors experimenting with establishment of boarding sch. for 30 B at Longdon Hall, nr. Lichfield, at which every pupil in grammar sch. could spend 2–3 terms (Hutton, King Edw.'s Sch. 197, 199). In 1961 building of large new block on other side of Frederick Rd. planned to start 'in the near future' (ex inf. the Sec., Schs. of King Edw. the Sixth in Birm.). 150 B 1883 (Hutton, K.E.'s Sch. 197), 300 c. 1908 (V.C.H. Warws. ii. 355). N.o.b. 1961: 625


Students and staff in 1921. Viv.

6CBBF716-930D-42A2-AE64-2BF1625738E4.jpeg
 
Last edited:
A very good idea Viv. I'm sure I visited there to play a fives match against them. In later years when going to see Aston Villa I parked my car near to this location and was always impressed by it's architecture.
 
Thank you Vivienne for creating this thread. Rather a shame that no-one has posted for three years. It was certainly a good school in my day but I am glad to see that teaching methods have improved a lot since the 1960s. I was the 1964 intake. I see that the school is now almost fortified to ensure safety. Rather a sad reflection on modern society. We were free to go out at lunchtime and make our own way home from the sports grounds (Hawthorn Road or Trinity Road). We flew our model aircraft in Aston Park on nice days. Balsa wood from the Model Mecca shop.
The science building had just opened (including the gym, main hall, wood and metalwork shops and kitchens. Mrs Cook the cook (yes, really) gave us sausages, chips and pies as she saw no point in serving healthy salads to go in the bin.
We ran round to the Victoria Road Baths (long gone I think) swam and came back in under 40 minutes with Mr Jessop. As sixth formers we could go on our own to Newton Road Pool, now itself under threat.
We saw Birmingham City Transport become West Midlands Passenger Transport and the newspaper headlines announcing the Aberfan disaster.
I’d love to see a posting from anyone else that remembers the school from 1964 to 1971. I know they lost a headmaster tragically a year or two ago but they do seem to be maintaining a high performance level.
 
MidlandRed said:
Thank you Vivienne for creating this thread. Rather a shame that no-one has posted for three years. It was certainly a good school in my day but I am glad to see that teaching methods have improved a lot since the 1960s. I was the 1964 intake. I see that the school is now almost fortified to ensure safety. Rather a sad reflection on modern society. We were free to go out at lunchtime and make our own way home from the sports grounds (Hawthorn Road or Trinity Road). We flew our model aircraft in Aston Park on nice days. Balsa wood from the Model Mecca shop.
The science building had just opened (including the gym, main hall, wood and metalwork shops and kitchens. Mrs Cook the cook (yes, really) gave us sausages, chips and pies as she saw no point in serving healthy salads to go in the bin.
We ran round to the Victoria Road Baths (long gone I think) swam and came back in under 40 minutes with Mr Jessop. As sixth formers we could go on our own to Newton Road Pool, now itself under threat.
We saw Birmingham City Transport become West Midlands Passenger Transport and the newspaper headlines announcing the Aberfan disaster.
I’d love to see a posting from anyone else that remembers the school from 1964 to 1971. I know they lost a headmaster tragically a year or two ago but they do seem to be maintaining a high performance level.
Click to expand...
Hi MidlandRed
I hope these images bring back some memories for you.
KEGS Aston Frederick Rd 1963.jpg

KEGS Aston new science block 1963.jpg
KEGS Aston 1963 temporary building bio lab.jpg

KEGS Aston School Song.jpg

KEGS Aston classrooms plan.jpg
 
Thanks Brasscaster. That is exactly the school as it remains in my memory. Who is the lad sweeping? In the ’60s there seemed to be no litter - and only one car. We had nothing to throw away but we didn’t know we were ‘green’. The Terrapin building must have been quite new. They say they’ve been trading for 60 years (=1962). As the new block was in use the right hand side was a general classroom, the left hand the lower 6th common room. Underneath was out of bounds so retrieve balls at your peril.

I remember the little corner staircase (required by the slight gradient) the from the ‘bridge’ rooms into ‘Big School’ or, as it was for me, the Library. My first form room was 21 (Form 1B); I’d forgotten we knew everywhere by number. C2 Chemistry, D1 Physics. The marks on the brickwork showed where the toilet block had been.

Jim Perkins had a brilliant dedicated website for the school but he took it down when the hosting fees seemed excessive.

I don't normally wish to go back in time but Clmate Change, Covid, abuse online and present Geopolitics are testing my patience.

David P
 
MidlandRed said:
Thanks Brasscaster. That is exactly the school as it remains in my memory. Who is the lad sweeping? In the ’60s there seemed to be no litter - and only one car. We had nothing to throw away but we didn’t know we were ‘green’. The Terrapin building must have been quite new. They say they’ve been trading for 60 years (=1962). As the new block was in use the right hand side was a general classroom, the left hand the lower 6th common room. Underneath was out of bounds so retrieve balls at your peril.

I remember the little corner staircase (required by the slight gradient) the from the ‘bridge’ rooms into ‘Big School’ or, as it was for me, the Library. My first form room was 21 (Form 1B); I’d forgotten we knew everywhere by number. C2 Chemistry, D1 Physics. The marks on the brickwork showed where the toilet block had been.

Jim Perkins had a brilliant dedicated website for the school but he took it down when the hosting fees seemed excessive.

I don't normally wish to go back in time but Clmate Change, Covid, abuse online and present Geopolitics are testing my patience.

David P
Click to expand...
Jim Perkins now runs a facebook group: 'History of KE Aston' where a lot of information and memories are shared.
 
I knew Mr Jessop the Head of Sport at King Edward VI Aston as he was a top top Rugby player with my club Dixonians RFC when they played out at Wassell Grove in Hagley during the 1950's and early 1960's. Harold Jessop was in the successful Dixonians Sevens teams of the 1950's which won the North Midlands Rugby Football Union Sevens championships 7 times in that decade under the captaincy of former Moseley Centre Arthur Coulthard. Harold also played Centre and together they made a formidable pairing. In 1959 Dixonians RFC made an appearance in the world famous Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham where in the quarter final Dixonians RFC who remember were a junior rather than first class Rugby Club played the world famous London Welsh VII under the captaincy of the MOST successful Wales and British Lions coach Carwyn James who has the unique distinction of being the ONLY British Lions coach to lead a winning Lions team to victory over the New Zealand All Blacks way back in 1971. During that famous and successful British Lions tour such famous members of the Test XV included in my opinion THE greatest rugby player of all time: Sir Gareth Edwards and his half back partner Barry John and fellow Wales and British Lions player and number 8 Merv "The Swerve" Davies now sadly deceased. Another great Wales and Lions legend wing Gerald Davies was also in the Test XV. Anyway I digress Carwyn James one of THE greatest Rugby coaches of all time scored for the London Welsh VII in the last minute of the match to beat the plucky Dixonians VII and win the game leaving Harold and his fellow Dixonians team mates devastated at this late loss to one of the finest Sevens teams in the world including three British Lions .Cliff Morgan the most famous rugby commentator in the world for the greatest rugby game ever played the Barbarians versus the New Zealand All Blacks game in 1972 at Cardiff Arms Park. Cliff was another British Lions and Wales team member. If Harold Jessop and his Dixonians team mates had prevailed that Spring day at Twickenham then it would have been one of the greatest ever upsets at the Twickenham Middlesex Sevens! Harold Jessop retired from teaching in the early 1990's having become Head of Sport at King Edward VII Grammar School with a particular interest in rugby union and cricket rather than the round ball game played just up the Trinity Road at Villa Park in Aston as the King Edward's School Rugby pitches and sports ground were in Trinity Road the other side of the traffic lights in Witton. I played many times for my school George Dixon Grammar School for Boys the feeder school for Dixonians Rugby Club against many King Edward VI Grammar School XV's who also have an Old Boy's Club affiliated to the school Aston Old Edwardians Rugby Club who play at The Memorial Ground in Sunnybank Avenue in Kingstanding. Happy memories of a great PE teacher and Rugby man Harold Jessop who devoted his whole teaching career to the boys of King Edward VI Grammar School having himself attended George Dixon Grammar School for Boys in City Road Edgbaston in the 1940's Keith Bracey Dixonian and Rugby Player and Dixonians Rugby Football Club Official Historian
 
A little tale that might amuse you as a rugby fan Keith. Hawthorn Road about 1969. As I’m somewhat skinny my only useful position was on the wing or full back hoping to sweep up a loose ball. You may remember B D Roberts (Brian?) who was a good teacher. Frustrated with our ragged play in practise he scooped up the ball and came pounding towards me yelling ‘Tackle me, tackle me, someone!” Now, I’m good at processing instructions so I positioned myself to the side and went for him. I got both arms tightly round his ankles (pulling both of his feet together) and tucked my shoulder and head against his soft backside. With his momentum I’d swear we flew horizontally through the air for at least 12 feet before crashing back into the soft mud. I got up but Mr Roberts remained still for a worryingly long time. Eventually, he raised himself and said with emphasis ”Well done Parkinson, well done!” Now that is a Master who really knew how to teach boys well and be remembered.
But who was W O Bailey in the stone above the clubhouse door?
 
I went to KEGS Aston in the 70s. I still remember the prefab hut in the playground. For reasons never made clear to anyone it was referred to as the terrapin hut. Mr Jessop was still there and I remember Mrs Cook but she only served teachers lunch.

There were a couple of other dinner ladies, whose names I have forgotten. One with long hair served the meat and two veg queue on the left and the other with glasses and a hairnet did the junkfood and chips on the right. The worst concoction was some spam based atrocity called Roman Pie. I have never seen a meat dish with bright blue bits in it before or since. If you were late you tended to end up with the dregs of a "cold tray" with some undressed salad, a slice of spam or ham if you were lucky, an apple and a third of a pint of milk. Quite often, bits were missing from that so you put up with what you got or starved. Puddings on the other hand were excellent and latecomers could sometimes end up with second or third helpings, so there was that.

Other teachers I can remember were Mr "Crusty" Crosswaithe (classics). He left the year I joined. Mr Ward (metalwork/maths) with the driest sense of humour ever, Mr "Consequently therefore" Fenton (physics), Mr Watkins (sport), Mr "Treacle bender" Cockburn (woodwork/English), Mr "Get your finger out of my nose" Bennewith (history/English), "Boffer" Hayden (English) who had the loudest sneeze in Christendom, Mr "You must be quite (sic)" Biswas (physics) and a load of others I could mention. The headmaster at the time was Dennis Hawley and I never really took to him. There were only three school houses, School/Brandon house was put into abeyance but resurrected after I left.

Sport was at Trinity Rd, which we walked to and Newtown Baths. I don't remember Victoria Rd baths at all. I remember there was a tuck shop run by the grumpy caretaker. His son went to KEGS a year above mine I think. KEGS was pretty much open plan when I went there. It looks like a fortress now.
 
SDUG said:
I went to KEGS Aston in the 70s. I still remember the prefab hut in the playground. For reasons never made clear to anyone it was referred to as the terrapin hut.
Click to expand...
Terrapin were manufacturers of temporary buildings.
 
SDUG said:
I went to KEGS Aston in the 70s. I still remember the prefab hut in the playground. For reasons never made clear to anyone it was referred to as the terrapin hut. Mr Jessop was still there and I remember Mrs Cook but she only served teachers lunch.

There were a couple of other dinner ladies, whose names I have forgotten. One with long hair served the meat and two veg queue on the left and the other with glasses and a hairnet did the junkfood and chips on the right. The worst concoction was some spam based atrocity called Roman Pie. I have never seen a meat dish with bright blue bits in it before or since. If you were late you tended to end up with the dregs of a "cold tray" with some undressed salad, a slice of spam or ham if you were lucky, an apple and a third of a pint of milk. Quite often, bits were missing from that so you put up with what you got or starved. Puddings on the other hand were excellent and latecomers could sometimes end up with second or third helpings, so there was that.

Other teachers I can remember were Mr "Crusty" Crosswaithe (classics). He left the year I joined. Mr Ward (metalwork/maths) with the driest sense of humour ever, Mr "Consequently therefore" Fenton (physics), Mr Watkins (sport), Mr "Treacle bender" Cockburn (woodwork/English), Mr "Get your finger out of my nose" Bennewith (history/English), "Boffer" Hayden (English) who had the loudest sneeze in Christendom, Mr "You must be quite (sic)" Biswas (physics) and a load of others I could mention. The headmaster at the time was Dennis Hawley and I never really took to him. There were only three school houses, School/Brandon house was put into abeyance but resurrected after I left.

Sport was at Trinity Rd, which we walked to and Newtown Baths. I don't remember Victoria Rd baths at all. I remember there was a tuck shop run by the grumpy caretaker. His son went to KEGS a year above mine I think. KEGS was pretty much open plan when I went there. It looks like a fortress now.
Click to expand...
There are a couple of facebook groups on the history and memories of KEGS Aston, which you might find interesting. The groups are run by Jim Perkins. This is one of them: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1995467627392099
 
Astoness said:
so sad that such a lovely building was replaced by one with no soul and nondescript...in my opinion something that birmingham is very good at doing:confused:

lyn

lyn
Click to expand...
I didn't go to King Edwards, but it makes me weep when I look on google earth for a memory top up and the places that define my history in Brum have been vandalised. They are ripping MY history apart.
End rant. Sorry.

Andrew.
 
I was part of the 1982-83 intake (the centenary year). The thing that strikes me reading through these threads is how long some of the teachers stayed. I remember at the end of my time (probably late 80's) Harry Jessop's emotional retirement by which time he was almost part of the furniture. Other names I remember: the eccentric Mr Watkins, Mr Cockburn (who later married a young geography teacher), Mr Ward (slightly bonkers but brilliant) and Mr Biswas. Rocking Mr Hawley also retired during my time there.

I arrived around the time that all the terraced housing around the school in Frederick Rd was demolished. The place looked like a tip - it was all left in piles of rubble on both sides and ends of the road for quite a few years. Some tennis courts were built and later some more social housing. The "temporary" huts in the playground lasted well into the 90's. The school still wasn't the fortress it is now, but I do remember how the better off pupils from the suburbs were often sitting ducks for the more street-wise locals and regularly got relieved of their bus passes, dinner money and calculators. I guess they finally had enough and sadly the place is now almost impregnable from the outside. Trinity road playing fields remained pretty much unchanged from decades before. They've been updated quite a bit since I was there - looks like finally some money has been spent on the place. It really needed it as did plenty of other schools during the 80's.
 
MidlandRed said:
Thank you Vivienne for creating this thread. Rather a shame that no-one has posted for three years. It was certainly a good school in my day but I am glad to see that teaching methods have improved a lot since the 1960s. I was the 1964 intake. I see that the school is now almost fortified to ensure safety. Rather a sad reflection on modern society. We were free to go out at lunchtime and make our own way home from the sports grounds (Hawthorn Road or Trinity Road). We flew our model aircraft in Aston Park on nice days. Balsa wood from the Model Mecca shop.
The science building had just opened (including the gym, main hall, wood and metalwork shops and kitchens. Mrs Cook the cook (yes, really) gave us sausages, chips and pies as she saw no point in serving healthy salads to go in the bin.
We ran round to the Victoria Road Baths (long gone I think) swam and came back in under 40 minutes with Mr Jessop. As sixth formers we could go on our own to Newton Road Pool, now itself under threat.
We saw Birmingham City Transport become West Midlands Passenger Transport and the newspaper headlines announcing the Aberfan disaster.
I’d love to see a posting from anyone else that remembers the school from 1964 to 1971. I know they lost a headmaster tragically a year or two ago but they do seem to be maintaining a high performance level.
Click to expand...
My long time friend Thomas Edward Lee (Tommy) who was a year younger than me, attended King Ed. Aston.

I entered Marsh Hill Boys' Technical Grammar School in 1963, so Tom would have been at King Ed at the same time as you, maybe even a class mate! I did visit the school once or twice, but didn't pay much attention since exploring the facilities wasn't my reason to visit.

Tom lived at 38 Topcroft Road in Erdington at the time. He moved to Colorado USA. around 1974, when I immigrated to Canada. He worked for Cincinnati Milacron and was trained by my Godparents' son.

Tom later moved to Cincinnatti, then to Los Angeles, followed by Woodinville in Washington State, all while working for Cincinnati. He was a field engineer and trainer. He oversaw tooling installation and Boeing in WA and trained machinists all over USA.

We visited a few times here and in USA, but lost contact some years ago after the passing of his second wife.

BTW, Marsh Hill Boys' used Nechells Baths on the corner of Long Acre and Holborn Hill (up top of the hill from Aston Station) in those days.
 
I too remember Tommy Lee, he said he was a machine tool technologist apprentice at Cincinnati. He was into motorbikes and cars.

He had a brother Mathew.
 
Yes, Tommy rode a 350 Velocette MAC. I rode a 250 cc Honda CB 250 and Matthew had a Yamaha RD 250. I went to Cadwell Park with Matthew one time. Never again!

In his teens, Tommy hung around Pete Smith's bungalow at the park, the asbestos ones on Court Lane. There was a group of us teens and some good old farts, Alfie Baker and a couple more who gathered to work on motorcycles.

Mathew had a poorly repair lip from a cleft pallet and the stigma that went with it in those days. He ate himself into morbid obesity. He worked at the City bus garage.

We used to call Tom, "Tommy Topcroft" His first 4 wheeled vehicle was an HA Viva van. I have a photo somewhere of him outside our house. When Cinicnnati sold machines, he did the installation, set up and training onsite.

I used to go to their house in Topcroft Road regularly. Tom's Mom Nora was a funny old gal and a good sort. His Dad was a grumpy old Geordie. I went to Marsh Hill with Harry Adcock, who also lived in Topcroft Road.

My Godparents' son John Homer trained Tom at Cincinnati Milacron. I had an interview there, but tuned down the offer in favour of Pressed Steel Fisher, since there were more opportunities to work at the various factories

After their Dad passed, there was only Nora and Matthew at home and they moved to Bromford Crescent.

Tom, moved to Colorado to live with his sister Janet, who had lost her second husband. He married "Liz" and lived in Huntingdon Beach where they had a daughter and later a son Adam, who was challenged.

They moved to Woodinville Washington State as Tom was in charge of the installation of two in ground permanent milling machines that were used to machine the connector between fuselage and wings on Boenings. They divorced from there shortly after with Liz returning to LA.

Tom moved to posibly Chicago, I can't recall, to work at another company, since Cincinnati had been sold off by that time. He remarried to Deborah and the last communication I received from him several years ago, was a link to Deborah's memorial service. We were good friends, just lost touch eventually.
 
Last edited:
I remember Tommy’s 350 Velocette MAC quite well, as do I also remember Matthew who then had a Tiger Cub. I also frequented Pete’s prefab with his bubble car and his pal Alf Baker.

You may recall Graham Sherwood, really lovely lad with red hair and a Ford Anglia.

I think you also knew my older brother Chris had a BSA Gold Star.
 
Yes, I remember it all pretty vividly. "lovely lad" indeed! VBG. Ah, Ford Anglias and Gold Star. The closest I got to owning a Goldie was a maroon BSA B34 that I never managed to get running. Looking back to a time when I "knew everything", I am pretty sure that the magneto was just putting out too week a spark. Now, I'd be happy to believe that I know even 50% of it!

I took my first driving test in a 105E near the Fox and Goose pub. I parked a block away and put on the "L" plates and went along to the test centre. In walked the examiner and off we went on my road test. At the end, he told me that my driving was excellent, but he had been having breakfast in cafeteria, where I'd park the car and put the plates on, so had to fail me! Grrr.

I actually owned a pair of 106E Anglias (LHD) here at home some years ago, purchased from a co-worker when I worked at the GM dealership. One was a hacked up hot rod with a V6 engine, but the other was untouched 997 ex-ministry of Health car.

It was a bit frilly around the edges, so I salvaged the good panels from the hot rod and began welding it together. Then came an offer that I culdn't refuse from a co-worker's wife at my current employer. She had the "hots" for a "Harry Potter" car, so money was exchanged and away it went.

Pete Smith had a Velocette 350 with a KSS engine in a home built frame (fuel tank in the top tube) in his bedroom and a Suzuki 50 cc kneeler. I had planned to ride the Velocette at Cadwell Park, but there was something wrong and it wouldn't run properly, as could be expected with Smithy's creations! We managed to cram 7 of us into that old red Isetta one night for a trip to the pub!

Pete also built himself a miniature rail road and took that over to the school in Spring Lane, when he became the caretaker when he moved out of Court Lane.

Alf passed away some years ago. I was in contact with his wife. He had married later in life after retiring from Esso. The poor fella had headaches all of his life, hence his knickname "Headacher Baker". You'll recall that Alf had a "divvit" on top of his head from birth, that he thought had something to do with his headaches. They joined some type of amateur mobile theatre group.

Alf lived in the flats on the old Bromford Race Course site and had to sleep in the hallway, as the air planes flying over tortured him. One day he went to a Dr. for some ailment and mentioned the headaches almost from birth. The Dr. diagnosed him with high blood pressure, gave him a prescription and he never had headaches again! When he got married, he moved to Doreen Grove off Bromford Crescent, just around the corner from Nora and Matthew Lee.

Alfie drove a 1996 Bedford van with a second roof that could be raised with tenting material around the sides. Pete Smith built a camping tent trailer and we all dragged it around Europe on vacation. There was Tommy, Alfie, Pete, myself and maybe one other on one trip.

I recall an argument between Pete and Alfie over who was going to eat the last egg one morning, after we'd camped at the side of the road. Alfie promptly unhooked Pete's trailer and left him standing there at the side of the road! He retured some time later and they didn't speak much during the rest of the trip

Before he moved to the flats, he took care of his aging parents and had an old dog he called "Knacker", with huge you know whats, that looked painful to sit on!

The attached photo was taken outside Alfs parents' house. He bought an old 1956 Bedford CA window van and we changed the engine out on the sidewalk (oops, pavement). That's Tommy man handling the engine with Alf playing "silly buggers" making noises in the radiator hose. I took the photo and the fella with his back to the camera was John. Tommy's grey HA Viva van can be seen on the road.

On occasional visits back to Birmingham, I always visited with Alf and his wife and had a good time. He was no longer on speaking terms with "Smithy" by then, probably for some absolutely silly reason. His wife always wondered why the likes of Tommy Lee and I hung out with those guys, but we had a lot of harmless fun mucking around with motorcycles and going on vacation. It was simple a bunch of "gear heads" having fun regardless of age.

Some years earlier, Alf had been a member of Vale Onslow's Lions Club. We had notions/intentions of starting afresh and Len Senior gave us access to a basement room full of used motorcycles at the Stratford Road premises. We had to move out the motorcycles to the upstairs showroom next to the parts store. There was also a complete drum set that he asked us to "get rid of". It belonged to one of the Onslow family grandchildren and as deaf as Len was, he told us that the banging drove him absolutely nuts.

We didn't want to just get rid of the drums in case we got into trouble with Len Junior or Peter, so I came up with a crafty plan. We removed a couple of tiles and T bars from the false ceiling and stuffed the drums up above, then put the ceiling back! The drum set is very likely still there. We never did get the club up and running!

2004 was my last visit to England, to attend my Dads' funeral. While I was there, I went to visit Len Vale Onslow. He was an inspiration to many of us and perhaps why at approaching 70, I still love going to work every day and making a difference while I can, at the cutting edge of technology. Or, perhaps it is simply the fact that I get paid to go to work and retiring would require me to address the "Honey do..." list for no pay! VBG.

Len was Britain's oldest working man, around 104 at the time. He had kept one shop frontage for himself around the corner off Stratford Road. I recall the store next to that had a pink Vespa on display in the window. When I visited, Len was working at the back of the room on one of his own SOS motorcycles, but with his back to me, he couldn't hear me pounding on the front door! I recall that he passed away shortly afterwards.

There are so many untold stories of life around Birmingham in those days and more than a few, that probably should not be shared outside of closed circles! VBG.

Still, it is good to be able to catch up a little and share with like minds who recall some of those times and places.

Take care.
 

Attachments

  • Alfie Baker.JPG
    Alfie Baker.JPG
    87.9 KB · Views: 20
Last edited:
Morturn said:
I too remember Tommy Lee, he said he was a machine tool technologist apprentice at Cincinnati. He was into motorbikes and cars.

He had a brother Mathew.
Click to expand...
img20220405_22111393.jpg
Tommy Lee outside our house in Glendon Road in 1974 with his Bedford HA van parked behind my Austin A60
 
Astoness said:
so sad that such a lovely building was replaced by one with no soul and nondescript...in my opinion something that birmingham is very good at doing:confused:

lyn
Click to expand...
Nothing was replaced. The old building complex is on Albert Road and the additional new building on Frederick Road overlooking the park. If anything made way for the new building then it would have been houses. From what I remember, most of the adjoining houses next to the school buildings were almost derelict and served as smoking dens.

Both school buildings are still there as far as I can tell. The new building housed all the science departments upstairs and the woodwork and metalwork shops in the basement with sports on the ground floor. From what I can see from the outside, the old building complex has been extended in parts leaving little of the original playground space intact.
 
pjmburns said:
Terrapin were manufacturers of temporary buildings.
Click to expand...
Maybe to fill in a couple of gaps, I did like the photos of the school from Albert Road. The single storey building between the two main wings had gone by 1964 but the patched up outline of its foundations always left me curious. Was the whole school split by a wall originally with this building being the Boys/Girls toilets so plumbing was in on place?
Apologies for referring to Newton Road Baths. Another post correctly mentioned NEWTOWN baths.
when I was in the 6th Form a few houses up the road from the new building were in use as overflow rooms. I particularly remember the Upper Sixth Form common room being in one.
Is pjmburns Patrick? Did you write for the local paper and work for BBC Local Radio? Did you ask to copy my Physics homework once when we were all threatened with essays for some minor failing? I do believe the fundamental approach to teaching has improved a lot since then.
And is T Lee the same one whose nickname was ‘Tealeaf’?
I was minded to look at this thread today by the publication of the report on gymnastic coaching. I am shocked and sickened to see that the ‘errors’ of my era (smacking, board rubber throwing and verbal abuse) have been found to be present to an enormously greater degree in modern day education. Still grateful after all these years for the fully subsidised education I received.
 
MidlandRed said:
Maybe to fill in a couple of gaps, I did like the photos of the school from Albert Road. The single storey building between the two main wings had gone by 1964 but the patched up outline of its foundations always left me curious. Was the whole school split by a wall originally with this building being the Boys/Girls toilets so plumbing was in on place?
Apologies for referring to Newton Road Baths. Another post correctly mentioned NEWTOWN baths.
when I was in the 6th Form a few houses up the road from the new building were in use as overflow rooms. I particularly remember the Upper Sixth Form common room being in one.
Is pjmburns Patrick? Did you write for the local paper and work for BBC Local Radio? Did you ask to copy my Physics homework once when we were all threatened with essays for some minor failing? I do believe the fundamental approach to teaching has improved a lot since then.
And is T Lee the same one whose nickname was ‘Tealeaf’?
I was minded to look at this thread today by the publication of the report on gymnastic coaching. I am shocked and sickened to see that the ‘errors’ of my era (smacking, board rubber throwing and verbal abuse) have been found to be present to an enormously greater degree in modern day education. Still grateful after all these years for the fully subsidised education I received.
Click to expand...
If that is the same Patrick Burns that you are speaking of, we were friends during our childhood and early teen years. He lived with his Mom in Jerrys Lane near the right of way to Glendon Road between Raford Road. If he is one and the same, I did hear that he ventured into the media.

I forgot to add that Patrick did attend King Ed. He also had a bit of an unusual gait and a rather distinguishable dialect. From recall, he was a couple of years younger than I was, but his Mom always walked along Glendon road and talked to my Mom, with Patrick in tow when he was younger. I think that he always wore glasses as I'd never seen him without .

He used to pedal a huge aluminum open wheel (replica race style) car around the back lane to Glendon Road, on which their back garden opened. I remember one summer afternoon that Patrick taught me how to plonk a few notes on the piano and guitar. Cliff Richards and the Shadows "We're all going on a summer holiday......" That was the height of my musical abilities, beyond the mandatory descant recorder.

BTW, it may have sounded like "Tealeaf" and maybe it was at King Ed, but Tommy's middle name is Edward, so we either called him "Tommy Topcroft" (since he lived at 38 Topcroft Road) or T E LEE, which in Brummie lingo would likely have sounded the same as Teleaf.
 
Last edited:
Vivienne14 said:
I’m including a description of this school, don’t think there’s an existing thread for the school. From British History online:

KING EDWARD'S GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR BOYS, ASTON, Frederick Road, Aston. Opened 1883 in building between Albert and Frederick Rds. housing twin B and G schs. Pupils came from Lower Middle Schs. in Edward St. and Gem St. When G sch. moved to Handsworth 1911 B occupied whole sch. By 1952 governors experimenting with establishment of boarding sch. for 30 B at Longdon Hall, nr. Lichfield, at which every pupil in grammar sch. could spend 2–3 terms (Hutton, King Edw.'s Sch. 197, 199). In 1961 building of large new block on other side of Frederick Rd. planned to start 'in the near future' (ex inf. the Sec., Schs. of King Edw. the Sixth in Birm.). 150 B 1883 (Hutton, K.E.'s Sch. 197), 300 c. 1908 (V.C.H. Warws. ii. 355). N.o.b. 1961: 625


Students and staff in 1921. Viv.

View attachment 139601
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top