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Sacred Heart Catholic School Witton Road

A

Ann - Wales

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Hi everyone, Is there anyone out there who went to the Sacred Heart School during the years 1947 to 1953. Regards, Ann
 
Hi Ann: There are some photos of the Sacred Heart Church and a couple of comments about the School on the forum. Type Sacred Heart School into the Search at the top of the page and you will find the thread.
 
Ann my husband lived just up the road from the school and he and his brothers went to the youth club in the evening. Pete said "was Father Crane there when you attended the school"?. Jean.
 
sacred heart rc school witton.

I recently responded to Ann who posted on B.H.F three years ago. as so much time has elapsed since she posted she may not be looking any longer for a reply.
I am going to renew the post in the hope that someone out there will see it . Anyone who was at the Sacred Heart between 1945 -52 who remembers Miss Powell , Miss Austin , Mr Ludden, Mr Burchill, Mr Mayal, Miss McGovern, Miss Greeny et al ,please respond with your memories.:handshake:
 
My old man used The Guild pub near Sacred Heart on occasion, and he reckoned Father Crean was in there most nights!

Big Gee
 
My mother also spoke about Father Crean. I believe that there was also a club attached to the Church known as the Sacred Heart Club, and he used to be in there as well.

Perhaps he went from one to the other!

The Sacred Heart used to have a good Football team, but as I recall some of the players were only catholics on match days!

All the best Peter
 
hello mollie, my moms name was isabella adam, called "Bobbie", she would have been there around 1931/1933. I know she was married at the sacred heart church in 1943.
paul
 
Hello Paul , that was much earlier than when I was there. I attended between 1945-52, so wouldn't have known your Mom.
Thanks for your reply.
Mollie.
 
Yes Pedrocut, there was a club I think it was in Prestbury road , next door to the church hall it was in one half of a pair of semi-detached houses, don't know if it's still there. The ground floor was the club, upstairs was reserved for meetings of the union of catholic mothers , the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Children of Mary. You could smell the beer fumes at one hundred paces !.

Regards,
Mollie.
 
Hi Ann,

I have just found this forum so I hope I'm not too late with a reply. I was at the sacred heart from 1942 to 1951 and I have written extensively about my experiences there some of which can be read on the forum. I also have several photos of the school before it was torn down. Are you still around Mollie and Ann? I would love to hear from you and anyone who attended during that time period. Some of my classmates were: Michael Philbin, Brian Bull, Bernadette Scales, Pat Naven, Brian Bunce, Dennis Thorniwork, Peter Butler, Duglas Dukes, Dennis Morgan and Bernard Foxall.
 
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Hi Gord, yes I'm still around. I had a visit from some old school friends a couple of weeks ago, they told me that the school had been demolished, I was shocked. I havn't been back there for many years, so had no idea.
The friends that I mentioned havn't got round to using a computer but I will tell them about the response there has been on this site.
I remember Brian Bunce , I used to pal with his sister Gladys , also Michael Philbin and I remember an Arthur Foxall, and Bernadette Scales. Do you remember Bridget Lynn Mr Mayall used to call her "The Belle of Belfast",I also recall the Jordan twins,Betty and Beaty, the Dennis twins, Maureen Hurley, Maureen Bradley, Margaret Newby, Billy Lumby.
 
Hi John,

I see that you are currently on line. Your name is familiar, did you live on Witton or Frederick Road?
 
Hi Molly,

Nice to hear from you although I can't remember you at the moment, is Cross your maiden name. I have taken a few pictures of the Sacred Heart over the years when I have been back to Aston. The old junior playground is now a garden for the church manse and what used to be the boys playground is now used as a parking lot for the football crowd. Do you remember the time when a group of kids climbed over the wall after school and threw the empty milk bottles through the windows on the boys side of the playground? It's hard to believe but they still let the children play there with all the broken glass on the ground. Needless to say I fell and severely cut my knee. It was decided not to stitch it so I have a huge scar to this day as a reminder. You can also take a virtual tour of the area on Google Earth. My teachers were Miss Unsworth, Miss Duck (who retired in 1948,) Mr. Ludden, Miss Green and Mr. Mayall.
 
Hi Gord, mollie is my "nom de plume" as it were, I think you were a couple of years ahead of me. I started there in 1945.
I vaguely remember miss Duck, Mr Mayall was my favourite teacher, he managed to maintain disipline with his personality,without recourse to the ruler and the cane , so beloved by the majority of the other staff.
I don't remember the bottle throwing incident, but I do remember a poor unfortunate boy who was seen in the girls playground being made to stand in front of the whole school while a ribbon was tied in his hair, I never forgot that cruel punishment. I won't mention the name of the teacher responsible, awfull woman.
 
Gord I lived in Parliament street off Park lane did Michael Philnin live in Park lane close to Burtons the newsagents
 
Hi there "GG Jean,"

Thanks for the info. but I don't recognize the name, although I did know a few people on Witton Road. I lived on the corner of Grange Road right opposite the Sacred Heart. The Saturday night dances at the church hall were a mad house. You could always count on a fight at closing time and a few in between on a good/bad day. Father Crean was usually called in to quieten things down. Ah the good old days, no guns or knives just a good old fashioned punch up and all friends afterwards.
 
Hi Gord, I used to go to the dances at the Sacred Heart, don't remember too many fights though, maybe I have a selective memory , and just remember the good times we had.Myself and my pal used to do the cloakroom, and help out with refreshments. My Husbands brothers' band used to play there.
 
John, I'm not sure where Michael lived but it was over that way somewhere. A lot of kids at the Sacred Heart came from the Upper Thomas Street area, I think Bobby Morris, Peter Butler and Bernard Foxall were in that area. It's strange how all these name are coming back after all these years. I used to catch the inner circle 8 in Park Lane and for a tanner you could ride the entire circuit. The things we used to do for entertainment.
 
I was going to throw that picture in the bin with a lot of others that are not good enough to post but I noticed it looked in better condition than the others.
 
I went to the Sacred Heart School from about 1960 to 1966. I was baptised and confirmed at the Sacred Heart Church.

Indeed I also remember Father Crean who as kids - frighted us! Before I left the area I also remember Father Butler who was a calm and nice man.

Yes we had disco's (was it called that then!?) in the late 60's early 70's in the church hall that us local's would attend and enjoy dancing.......Happy days.
 
I went to sacred heart in ealy 60s remember Miss Greeny she ran a tight ship my first Disco was Mondays in the tin hall our back garden backed on to that.
 
Hi Don,

Miss Greeny - Now there is a name and memory I haven't thought of for many a year!

I also remember having to sing Sun Arise ( Rolf Harris - 1963 ) every morning at the front of the class along with I think?....Jimmy Larkin, who later moved to Australia.
 
Yes, I had to pay a visit on a few occasions to her office at the new school in Trinity Rd to say hello to the slipper.

I enjoyed my first ever romantic kiss in the playground with a girl I think was called Beverly Smith?.... and I thought I was in love with her aged around 10!
 
Hi yea me too her office was full of those dolls you picked up from around the world, yes i was 9 and in love with Margaret O Halloran did our courting on Saturday mornings at the pics.
 
I went to Sacred Heart Junior and Infants School between 1962 and 1965/66, the school next to the church. I remember a Miss Belcher and a Miss Drysdale. Had my first Holy Communion there, and I think the priest's name was Father Cherry (but it could have been Crean?).
Astonb6, I actually met Jimmy Larkin here in Australia, and his brother (John I think), at a Perth Glory Soccer match. We all had Villa shirts on, so we got chatting.... small world eh? Other kids at school I remember were... Joe Nugent (my best pal), Annette Lawrence (sat next to her in class, had my first crush on her), Connie Murphy (my first playground kiss under a coat), Gerrard Dillon (who learnt me how to tie my own shoelaces), Joe Gallagher (not sure if it was the same boy who went on to play for Birmingham City or not?), John Carroll, and Adrian Commins.
 
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