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Marsh Hill Boys Grammar Tech School

Started at Marsh Hill the year it opened - 1959. Remained there through to the sixth form and then left to attend Teachers Training College at Saltley.
Played football, rugby and occasional cricket for school teams.
Alan Roberts. I can remember some names of both students and staff and look back with fond memories.
I also started at Marsh Hill in 1959. Form 1M with Mr Keatley (Head of French). Suspect you were in same form? I stayed through 6th form then went to Essex University. I recognise some of the guys in your rugby photo. Have attached a photo of a fell-walking group that I belonged to (I'm not in that picture but one of your rugby players is). Now residing in Dorset and still working part time.
 

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Those that were there in February 1969 might remember this. It got quite a bit of newspaper coverage. One teacher taught from home.

In the second article they seem to have got the Head's name wrong - tut tut Birmingham Post, go to the back of the class. It was Mr Markwell ("The Beak"). Viv.image.jpeg

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And this little beauty used to grace the main entrance to the school. It's by William Bloye - hopefully it was rescued before the school was demolished. The model for the sculpture was a pupil, anyone know who ? Press cutting from the Birmingham Post in October 1960. Viv.
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Welcome Jeff. And thanks for posting the photo. I remember the arches very well, but don't think I ever saw the sculpture close up. Viv.
 
This photo shows a part of a full-page spread on the school in, what I think was, The Erdington News of June 9th 1961. For some reason my mother kept it all these years.

The full headline says "Marsh Hill Offers a Wide Education". I was somewhere in the group shown attempting ballroom dancing. The spelling of the name of the chemistry teacher is wrong. It should be Riggall, not Wriggle. I could scan and post the other parts if there's interest?
 

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That's great Jeff ! Please do scan the rest when you have time. I recognise the material of the Marsh Hill girls dresses, although the design is different to when I was there in later years. Look forward to seeing more. Thanks. Viv.
 
October 1964 and April 1966 saw some innovative work from MH boys. The organ was a transistorised, two keyboard, electronic pedal organ exhibited at Arthur Terry School and at the Schools' Science Fair at Birmingham University. Viv.

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The other sections of the article about the school in the Erdington News of Fri June 9th 1961 are attached.

It's great to see the picture of the electronic organ again. That was a big project. It was started by Martin Peakman under the guidance of Physics teacher Don Fifer in 1963. I joined Martin in 1964 and our early version was based on a design that used thermionic valves, not transistors. We made a prototype that played a few notes on part of an old piano keyboard and it was demonstrated at an earlier Birmingham schools science fair. In 1965, when Brian Smith took over as head of Physics, we changed to a more modern transistor design and the organ was completed to the stage shown in Vivienne's picture by the summer of 1967, when I remember the head of music, Mr Buckley, was able to play it during a full school assembly. I think the picture of it was taken in November 1967 (the poppies are a clue) shortly after I left. You'll' see that, at that stage, it lacked a full cabinet and I heard later from Brian Smith that it suffered some damage during the transportation back to the school after the exhbition at the Arthur Terry School. Worse was to come, as the large loudspeaker cabinets that we also made as part of the project were stolen during a burglary at Marsh Hill shortly afterwards, so I'm note sure that the organ was ever fully completed.
 

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Hi there. I attended what I remember as being (I say that because wherever I look, it always seems to be a different variation of) Marsh Hill Technical Grammar School for Boys, between 1963 and 1966.

I started off in the 1st year but the family moved to the Walsall area in 1966 so finished my schooling here in the 3rd year. I have happy memories of being at school here, if for no other reason that the canteen ladies used to feel sorry for me and fed me up with seconds or even on a few occasions third helpings - I was very short (I believe 3'6") and thin.

I've looked at a few posted photos and can remember very few of the other kids and a couple of the masters - not in any of the pictures, but my favourite being the one who was my form teacher in both 1st and 3rd year and also taught Maths (which was always my favourite subject), although for the life of me I can't remember his name, he also brought his wife into class on a number of occasions.

Somewhere I have a couple of form photos, so when I find them I will post them. I also remember at the end of term assembly (probably my first ), Mr Markwell was telling us what he did and didn't expect us to be wearing the next term and what length our hair should be etc. Not wanting to get anything wrong I was making notes, and it was obvious that Mr Markwell had seen this as he commented that it was nice to see at least one pupil taking notes, my form mates made sure I didn't forget that.
 
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The school was opened in 1959 and shared the same campus as Stockland Green Secondary Modern and Marsh Hill Girls Grammar School opened in 1960. Edit. A link to Marsh Hill Girks Grammar Tech is here. https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...-grammar-tech-school.48205/page-2#post-609775

I was in the first intake which comprised of a first form of 5 classes (11 Plus) and a similar 2nd form (12 plus)
The school and its teachers had a lasting effect on my life and sadly I have lost touch with the many friends I made.
Maybe, just maybe there is someone out there who was in that first intake, I'd be delighted to hear from you.
hello chris short ,i was the same intake and remember you phil freakley.
 
Zambodini, Neil Mohammed was injured in that fight in July 1965. He went on to become head boy and was one of my best friends.

A Sparks, A few boys crossed to the Girls' School for cookery and the girls crossed to the Boys' School for technical drawing.
As well as the plays there were also Gilbert and Sullivan operas
yes i was one of the boys who went to the girls for cookery , wonder why ???
 
Welcome Phil. Hopefully the cookery lessons stood you in good stead ! I expect at the time, cookery lessons for boys were not that common. How times have changed. Viv.
 
yes i was one of the boys who went to the girls for cookery , wonder why ???
I remember the whole school out on the playground after the stabbing, staff trying to keep us from going to the Secondary school. I also went to cookery at the girl's school when in the sixth form for 'Cookery for those about to go to University'.
 
yes i was one of the boys who went to the girls for cookery , wonder why ???
I remember it as a kind of emergency course to learn survival cookery for when we were away from home and fending for ourselves, and it did help when I found myself in that very situation.
 
what years were you there...there are a lot of class photos on this thread now we need one of the school if anyone can help

lyn
 
ok ...i have asked carl chinn and unfortunately he has no photos of this school...this could be a difficult one unless birmingham library have some in their archives which is where i had to go to find the one photo of my old school

lyn
 
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