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Lawrence College Pitman College Corporation St

jennyann

jennyann

Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
My school, Lawrence's College, on the corner of Martineau St and Corporation Street, had no facilities for PT and Kyle Hall was our school gym during the early l950's. So we had to trek over to Kyle Hall. I have memories of old rickety vaulting horses and punishing coconut mats they had at Kyle Hall but we had fun most of the time in the Interpretive Dancing class when we had to pretend we were flowers or something like that.
 
Lawrence's/Pitman's College.. Corporation Street.

jennyann said:
Kyle Hall was our school gym during the early l950's. My school, Lawrence's College, on the corner of Martineau St and Corporation Street, had no facilities for PT and so we had to
trek over to Kyle Hall. I have memories of old rickety vaulting horses and punishing coconut mats they had at Kyle Hall but we had fun most of the time in the Interpretive Dancing class
when we had to pretend we were flowers or something like that.
Click to expand...

Hello..... Do you remember Miss Knock and Mr. Parnell??
Georgie
 
Hi Georgie: I attended Lawrence's College starting in l953 for a couple of years. I remember Miss Nock very well as she lived around the corner from me in Erdington. Her family were involved in the locally renowned Nock's Brick Works. Because the sports facilities were non-existent at the time I was at school, Miss Nock arranged for us to play tennis on grass at Witton Lakes Tennis Courts, now long gone. I don't remember Mr. Parnell though. I received an e-mail last week which I have lost track of from a fellow who is arranging a reunion for people from l950-l955. I live in Canada so that would be out of the question.
 
Lawrence's/Pitman's College

Hi... amazing... I never knew that about Miss Knock... Mr. Parnell was the boys Gym teacher. I went to Pitmans in Corporation Street in 1959... my sister a few years before. My mother went there when it was Lawrence's College. An amazing building wasn't it... the Headmaster's office at the top of the first stairs... and then along the corridor and down to the School canteen.. Have you seen the new building that has been built? A friend took some photos for me. Can you get onto the Friends Reunited site... I put a whole school photo on there...its in various sections but you may know someone....it was taken on the top of Kyrle Hall.
I remember Kyrle Hall... as my Dad also had one of his Yards in Sheep Street. Remember the little shop on the corner too. Memories eh.
I still have the Pitmans scarf and I bought an enamel Shield shaped school badge. The year I went to Pitmans they changed the badge to a circle. We spent hours stitching red braid around our blazers!
Georgie.
 
jennyann said:
Fentham Girls School, Erdington
(closed l970's-Now Education Resource Centre)
Pitman's College, Corporation Street (demolished)

I'll post badge for Fentham
Not sure about Pitman's badge- it was in shorthand I remember. This school was a high school)
Click to expand...

Funnily enough I have just photographed my old school badges for my Family Tree. I have the PITMANS METAL badge... I bought this a few years ago... this is the old Shield type.... when I went to Pitmans 1958 they had just changed it to a Circular Badge. I still have the Scarf,Tie and Shield Blazer Badge too

The Shorthand reads:
top line:Commerce, English,
bottom line: Shorthand, Typing/Typwriting.

Will try and get them uploaded soon.

I was at Pitmans College in Corporation Street for 2 years before it moved to Norfolk House,Smallbrook Ringway. HAPPY DAYS. It was previously Lawrences College and my mother and aunt went there too. Georgie
 
Hi Georgie:
Thanks for posting about the badge for Pitman's/Lawrence's College. I was there for a couple of years in 1953. I went straight from Junior school and took General subjects first. People always asked me what the symbols on the school blazer badge were. I could hardly remember them myself at times. Thanks for transcribing them. Came back right away. I have very good memories of that school even though we had no sports facilities on the premises at Martineau and Corporation Street. There wasn't even an Assembly area.

You certainly had "family form" with your Mother and Aunt attending
there. Great if you could post the badge. Thanks again Georgie
 
Hi my mother attended this college in the 1950s. I was wondering what memories anyone has of this as she remembers looking over the road at a hairdressing training school and watching them cutting. Also does anyone have any photos?
 
Does anyone remember this school or did you attend we are running a reunion in 2016 and looking for ex pupils to get in touch if interested
 
Yes, I well remember Lawrence's College. I attended the school in the early 1950's for a few years. I live in Canada now. Glad to hear that you are having a
reunion in 2016. Going to school at Lawrence's College back then was a joy to me since it was right in the middle of town and I loved to explore the area as it was then.
No gym facilities in this old building on the corner of Martineau Street and Corporation Street. No assembly hall either. Just doors that folded back to make a larger space. So off we went to Kryle Hall for gym and creative dance finding our way down there in parts of Brum we didn't know about. Also, swimming lessons at Woodcock Street. Another area that I would never have known about but for going to Woodcock Street Baths. I loved it. In the summer the girls dressed in summer school uniform with straw boaters, etc. We played tennis in Edgbaston and sometimes Witton Lakes Park grass courts. The school blazer badge was written in shorthand on a shield back when I attended with four words two on the top half and two on the bottom half of the shield: The Shorthand reads:
Top line: Commerce English,
Bottom line: Shorthand, Typing/Typewriting.
The school uniform for Winter and Summer uniforms was quite extensive and I imagine expensive.
 
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Hello jennyann glad to hear from you hope you are keeping well and enjoying life my name is David Davies we are in contact with Valerie Parker Francis Fidgeon David Sills is the coordinator of the reunion try and keep in touch
 
Hi, my dad went to this school. He left in 1951/2 his name is Brian Bufton. I would really like to try and find a picture of his class as he was telling me he never had one, if anyone can help I would be really grateful. He would enjoy attending a reunion. Thank you Sarah (his daughter)
 
Hello Sarah I was friend of your fathers at school and if I remember correct he lived on the hagley rd just up from the ivy bush we have pictures of the boys that attended my name is David Davies and we are holding a school reunion next year I am not sure if this will help but tell your da d that he can contact me at any time on 07796566007 or my e mail [email protected].
I would really like to hear from him and would pass on any information about reunions hope to hear from him soon cheers for getting in contact
 
Hello Sarah I was friend of your fathers at school and if I remember correct he lived on the hagley rd just up from the ivy bush we have pictures of the boys that attended my name is David Davies and we are holding a school reunion next year my contact details are 07796566007 or [email protected] to hear from him very soon cheers for getting in contact
 
hello again does anyone remember Roger Lane.....Roy Corbett David Brierley we all attended Lawrences College at same time and as the reunion is coming up again next year it would be good if anyone remembers them or could lead us to contacting them lots of the people we are in contact with remembers them but have no idea where they are any help would be greatly apprieciated
 
Was wondering if both these establishments in time became Lawrence's College ? Interesting that in 1940 (edited), positions were guarenteed to pupils of the school when proficient. Must have been a very active clerical/office job market in Birmingham at the time. Viv.

Replacement edited image.
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Something funny about the date stamp on #18, Viv. The text suggests a correct date of 1940.

Chris
 
I have just found your Forum and you have some interesting articles. I attended Lawrences/Pitmans from 1953 - 1957 so your articles bring back some memories, especially as I have recently uncovered a couple of the long school photographs of 1955 & 1957. Miss Knock, Mr Parnell, Mr Murphy Mr Woodroffe etc etc. Colin
 
Is Lawrence College actually in the building to the right (first floor) ? (I think this must be near Old Square). Or is this just an advert for the College ? Wasn’t the College further down Corporation Street towards New Street Station ? The postcard is dated around 1910. Viv.

3CF5A2E9-D398-4ADE-A390-E903E90C3842.jpeg
 
Brats88 said:
I have just found your Forum and you have some interesting articles. I attended Lawrences/Pitmans from 1953 - 1957 so your articles bring back some memories, especially as I have recently uncovered a couple of the long school photographs of 1955 & 1957. Miss Knock, Mr Parnell, Mr Murphy Mr Woodroffe etc etc. Colin
Click to expand...
I was there from about 1956 to 1961. I remember Miss Nock, Mrs "science" Evans, Mr Woodruff, Madame Corbet, Mr Green. I remember Norman Lane making a paper balcony mounted on the wall. My friends were Jacqueline Pace and Eileen Finney.
 
An advert for the College in 1930/31 when Mr T H Lawrence was the Principal and it was situated opposite the Midland Educational. I don’t think this is the same building as in post #24, so maybe post 24 image is just advertising fixed to the building (ie not the College building). FA52F4B2-E54C-4FAC-A9CE-8166D92CED07.jpeg Viv.
 
My Mother attended Lawrence's College when it was at this address. She used to take the train from Witton Station into town and walk to the College. This would have been 1916 or thereabouts. When I failed my 11+ I was enrolled in Lawrence's College which had moved across Martineau Street and across from the Midland Educational shop on Corporation Street. It was very different for a "High School" inasmuch as there were no facilities for assembly or sports activites and pupils had to travel to take part in those classes. Kryle Hall for gym, Witton Lakes Park for tennis and a park in Edgbaston for grass hockey. Not forgetting the trips to Gosta Green area for swimming. I attended for two years and explored all the areas we had to go to. In the end I wanted to move closer to home and also pupils came from other parts of Birmingham and it was hard to make friends when you couldn't see them other than at school. Mom made a compromise and I was enrolled at Fentham Girls in Erdington where all my friends from St. Barnabas Church attended and also at the same time enrolled me in night school at Underwood's Secretarial College in Albert Street. Two nights a week. More adventures travelling into Town at night to attend. She was determined that I learn shorthand and typing and it set me up for my further travels.
 
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