Sandwell School Streetly

[Howard Newman]

Printing the whole of the school photograph in a much smaller size would make the people unrecognizable. Therefore, the attached photograph of the central portion is a compromise - apologies to the rest of the 216 students that did not make the cut.
At centre is the Head Master, R. A. F. Newton-Hearn and to his left (stage right) is Ward-Davis and next to him is Lt. Col. P. J. Gething MC. Next is Miss Young - which wasn't her 'real' name as she was married and had a daughter who attended the school and is also in the photograph. Miss Young taught English Grammar and Literature and was influential in expanding my interest in fiction, beyond curriculum required The History of Mr. Polly, by lending me her own Penguin paperback. To her left is Miss Diaper, Mathematics, and then Facilities Maintenance. When a wasp flew into the main corridor of the school, I demonstrated my leadership potential by smacking it against a window with my bare hand. Dad was requested to provide the pane and Maintenance installed it. Next left is, I think, Kitchen Staff and Cook.
Early on in the pandemic, when I was endeavouring to reduce my accumulation of half a century's priceless memorabilia (a.k.a. 'stuff'), I reviewed this photograph and wondered what had happened to the boy to my left, two along from Cook. Being out of the country, the search took a while but eventually I was greatly saddened to learn that my inquiries were started much too late.

 

[Howard Newman]

Headmaster R. A. F. Newton-Hearn was always referred to as 'Sir', as far as I can recall, and it is only very recently that I learnt that he had real names like us students - he was Richard Albert Francis.
According to the English Register of 1939, the occupation of Richard A. F. Newton-Hearn was 'Secondary Schoolmaster, Modern Language Specialist, German & French'. Evidently he was so conversant with these languages that in the Second World War he assisted British Intelligence in analyzing translated documents. He divulged that he could, as an example, determine if a document presented in English had been translated from French and whether it had previously been translated from German. That skill is quite remarkable and I am still impressed.
Richard Newton-Hearn died at Bournemouth in 1990 at the age of 85.

 

[Howard Newman]

The Netherlands League of Physical Culture has held an annual walking/marching festival in Nijmegen since 1912 - although I suspect that years of war and pandemic have been given a miss. In 1958 approximately 12,000 people participated, including some 600 from the British Army of which twelve were Army Cadets and six of those were from Sandwell School. It was the first year that Cadets had entered a team in the festival.
The distance to be marched in each of the four consecutive days depended on the participant's age and profession. While the Military Police were required to complete 55 kilometers each day, the Cadets were only required to complete 30 kilometers. In order that the Cadets would be able to accomplish the object, many Sundays, and later whole weekends, were spent in practice and preparation.
As it was thought likely that one or two Cadets would be obliged to drop out of the squad who were training for the team to be sent to Nijmegen, additional Cadets were recruited. As a result, each trainee knew that their participation was not guaranteed and that at the last moment they might be cut. None of the Sandwell Cadets complained of blisters during the training weeks and Colonel Gething expressed surprise that blisters and other foot problems suddenly appeared once the Cadets reached Holland.
However, in the end it was necessary for Sandwell to cut one of the boys who was training. Cadet Mottram was the unfortunate person but he was guaranteed a place on the team in 1959 - which he happily filled.
Clockwise from back left: Cadet Newman (14), Cadet Walton (15), L.Cpl. Povey(15), Cadet Tindale (14), Cadet Byworth (14), Cadet Mottram, Cadet Robinson (14).

 

[Howard Newman]

Unlike the tradition of Hogwarts School, Sandwell School only had three Houses - at least during the closing years when I attended. Students were assigned to a House on first entry and required to wear a coloured button to denote their attachment.
House of Tudor - Green
House of Windsor - Red
House of Lancaster - Yellow

But three is an odd number that is not easily aligned with intramural sports competition and I therefore suspect that at one time there were four Houses.

Was there, in earlier years, a blue button for, say, the House of Stuart or Plantagenet? Does any reader have any information that will settle this question?

 

[Silverfox]

This my first posting on the forum so please bear with me. I read somewhere on the forum about Sandwell School in Streetly. I attended the school from about 1951 until 1955. The school was run by Mr Newton-Hearne and his wife. I have many memories and some photographs if anyone is interested. I left there having passed the 11+ and went on to Handsworth Grammar School. After a couple of years one of the teachers from Sandwell joined the staff at the Grammar School. That was when I was told that the old school had been sold to a property developer. Sure enough when I was down there about two years later a housing estate had appeared. What a shame but that's life. I remember many of my fellow pupils and the teachers but I am not sure whether I am allowed to put their names in a forum. Perhaps someone could advise me. Regards Larry

Welcome to the Forum, Wendy. Keep the memories coming!

Chris

How do I post on this site?

 

[Silverfox]

I attended Sandwell from January 1957 to December 1960 and for most of that time Lt. Col. P. J. Gething M.C. looked after the sports program for the older students as well as the Army Cadets - boys only. Colonel Gething retired during the latter part of 1960 but he was still around in October of that year for the panoramic school photograph. In retrospect, that may be the last photograph of students, teachers and staff as the school closed the following summer. (photograph available if someone can tell me how to scan a metre-long document)

One of the most memorable events of my school years was being on the team of cadets that entered the annual walking festival at Nijmegen, Holland, in 1958 and 1959. Colonel Gething accompanied the squad of twelve cadets - six from Sandwell - and looked after general administration. He also took us out for a meal of ham, eggs and chips at the end of the four day event.

I attended Sandwell School from 1957-59, I was 7 in 1959, with my brother Peter, who is 5 years my senior before we left to emigrate to Australia. I only have vague memories but I did remember that the older boys wore military uniforms.
We lived in Elmwood Road and I recall that Blackwood Road did not join up with Bridle Lane at that time.