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Lordswood Boys' Technical School

Thanks for posting that - brings back all sorts of memories.
The full title back in those days was "Lordswood Boys' Technical School"
I served my time between Sept 1961 and July 1966. I think the school had only been open for 3 or 4 years at that point?

Having passed the eleven plus at Camden Street Primary school, the choice of schools was mainly traditional grammar schools like George Dixon or Handsworth Grammar. The "Technical" school was a fairly new choice and majored on practical skills like woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing. Language taught was German as again this was deemed to be tech/engineering speak at the time.
The single storey block in the foreground of the photo was the metal and woodworking shops.

It soon dawned on me that my practical skills were zero and dropped the subjects for grammar and science based stuff!
Turned out to be a wrong choice for me but for those school pals who were more practical they were able to flourish.
Still in touch with a few of the 1961 entrants - we've all just reached retirement age and starting a whole new chapter!
 
Welcome Roger. Thanks for the school details. Hopefully we have other members who were former pupils. Meanwhile enjoy the forum. Viv.
 
All sorts of memories of Lordswood here too - mostly pleasant ones - I was there from 1960-67 and came away with enough knowledge to set me off on a career in river engineering. I did return to the school about 12/15 years ago - they had an open day for prospective pupils and their parents - I just wandered in and tagged onto one of the guided tours of the school - so very little had changed from my days there. I was though really impressed by the music demonstrations they put on in the school hall - there was next to no music education in my day - unless you could sing to Mr Lee's high standard to get in the choir! I still have a few of the annual school magazines on our bookshelves somewhere - I'll have to dig them out - and I'm still in touch with half a dozen folk from my days there.
 
I also attended Lordswood Boys' Technical School, and was there between 1961 and 1968. Hills Ltd, of West Bromwich, had been involved in the construction - I know that because my father worked in the drawing office at Hills.

Like Roger Blower above, my practical skills turned out to be non-existent. In woodwork, we were given a piece of rough-sawn timber and the first task, which took me the best part of a term to complete, was to plane it straight and square. After numerous attempts to get my efforts accepted by Mr Caldicott, and after each rejection having to shave off more wood, my piece ended up not much bigger than a matchstick (I exaggerate a little, but not much). I also remember the metalwork teacher, Mr Betts, who liked to tell us that his dog could do better than us - and in my case I've no doubt he probably could.

I also recall the Astronomical Society. The observatory was already built, and an impressive structure it was, but when I joined the school in 1961 they were grinding the mirror for the telescope - and when I left in 1968 they were still grinding the mirror. I often wonder if the job was ever finished - and whether the end result was a perfect parabola.

My abilities lay in maths and science and this is what I focused on, dropping the crafts as soon as I could. Overall, I got a very good education at Lordswood, where there were some excellent teachers, and I went on to Birmingham University where I read chemistry.
 
Here's the observatory in 1963 - from the school magazine - the Astronomical Society, and the observatory doesn't seem to get a mention in my magazines after 1964.....
Nice photo of the observatory. I've also kept my old school magazines as well but I've not looked at them for years.
 
Hi all. Just joined. I was in the first intake in 1957 when there were just 2 years. The 2nd year were 12plus intakes.

I've always appreciated the skills we learnt with Messrs Cauldicott and Betts, real woodwork and metalwork. Not to mention technical drawing with... ???

I stayed through to the 6th form then read maths at B'ham University.

More memories to come if anyone is interested and/or can add to them.

Phil Neath
 
Hi Phil,

I think technical drawing was Mr Fletcher when I was there.

I'm interested in what else you may remember. I started there in 1961.

Roger
 
Thanks guys. Didn't expect such prompt replies. It was Harrington.

This is surreal, sitting in a restaurant in Denia (Spain) thinking about school 50 yrs ago. Back to food for now.

Add more soon
 
I've dug out the staff list from the 1961 magazine and Harrington was Head of Technical Drawing and Fletcher did Technical Drawing and Woodwork. Fletcher taught me technical drawing and he was was very good.

I've attached the staff list from that magazine.

Roger
 

Attachments

  • Staff list, 1960-61.pdf
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Thanks again. The staff list brings back lots of memories. I still have a goblet made in Mr George's class, a French polished stool (Mr Caldicott's class), my technical drawing set and somewhere photos (form, cricket teams and badminton teams). From the prefect list I'm reminded that I didn't make "rank" until 6th form. As a prefect I was asked to catch smokers who used the observatory as a screen. Unsuccessfully, I'm glad to say.

I also remember feeling mortified when the school badge was introduced with the motto "Service" in letters which could be seen from many yards away.
 
Quite a nostalgic trip looking at the comments. I was at Lordswood from 1959-1966.
It was a fabulous school for me, particularly when I did four A levels.
Metalwork under Mr George, woodwork under Mr Chapman then Mr Hart, pottery under Mr Rankin then Mr Boddison and Technical drawing under Mr Harrington.
I remember so many staff staff from the 1961 list posted.
The single story building in the photograph was where I spent many hours doing my woodwork.
At 70 I’m now re-training, making furniture and classical guitars, it’s bringing back so many fond memories of my time at Lordswood.
 
welcome to the forum houghton thanks for your memories of lordswood and good luck with your re training...enjoy

lyn
 
I was at Lordswood from 62-69 and just about survived. Faraday House and 6th form Science for ever!
 
RogFromBrum,

Re: your post #12, was Fletcher the same guy who taught Techical Drawing, Woodwork & Metalwork at Moseley Grammar School between 1947 & 1953. If not, then we have a massive coincidence!

Maurice
 
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