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School Caretakers

Old Boy

Old Boy

master brummie
Hi All,

Most of us seem to remember some, if not all, of our teachers but I have seen no mention of the school caretakers who were important inasmuch as they kept the school going. They looked after the cleanliness, heating and security as best as they could. I had two uncles who were school caretakers and they were proud of their jobs.

One was Fred Farr who started at Sherbourne Road, Balsall Heath, then Starbank Road, Small Heath and finally at Marchmount Road, Bordesley Green.

Then there was Arthur Stevens at Alston Road, Bordesley Green, Silvermere Road, Sheldon and , finally, Dame Elizabeth Cadbury at Bourneville. Both of them may have been at other schools that I cannot remember.

I also have a nephew by marriage who was a caretaker but, as he is still alive,perhaps I should not name him. His twin brother was also a careteker which shows that, perhaps, the job tended to run in families.

Does anyone remember either of the above. I can remember Mr Dangerfield who looked after Waverley Grammar School whilst I was there in the early forties. He was a kind and helpful man. I cannot remember the name of the caretaker of my first school, Somerville Road Small Heath, but recall that he was tall with a military moustache and a military bearing. He had probably served in WW1. It was he who taught me how to tie my shoes with a bow when he spotted that my shoelace was undone.

Old Boy
 
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HI OLD BOY ;
How are you keeping my old mate
the only one care taker i can ever recall is in the junior -infants school and that was at
steward street spring hill his name was mr lumb he was a good care taker
he done the gardens as well when he left the other one was no-good at gardening
best wishes astonion ;
 
Chris,
The caretaker at Upper Thomas St. school,Aston,was Mr Bevan,he was certaintly there in the whole of my time 1941-51.He didn't seem to like children very much,who could blame him? we were a rowdy lot.However, he always seemed to be working,so he must have wanted the best for the school.I recall, he knocked holes in the walls of every classroom and replaced the hole with loose bricks,our escape hatch if the school was bombed (which it was).When he came around for escape practise,we would all crawl through the hole..some of us would take the escape as literal,and sod off home.
 
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Went out briefly with the Daughter of Hodge Hill Schools Caretaker in the 60's, nice house within the Schools grounds.
 
The caretaker at Camp Hill girls school in Kings Heath in the 60s was Mr Jinks. A tiny little man with a permanent smile who greeted all the girls with 'Hello my darlings!'.
 
Hi All,

I have just remembered that my uncle Fred Farr was also caretaker at Oldknow Road School in Small Heath for a time. They seemed to move about fairly often.

Old Boy
 
Our school caretaker Mr Godfrey's,worked and lived in a little house at Rea St junior &infant, he done maintenance and things and his wife was in charge of cleaning,they had two children, Jacqueline and a boy whose name i can't recall,and they were lovely,
 
The only Caretaker I remember was Mr Mullins at my first ever school, which was Perry Beeches way back in the 40's. He lived in a house with a flat roof and used to put on a white mac to guide us across the road. There were concrete air raid shelters below ground near his house and I can remember being rushed into them when air raid warnings sounded.
Looking at Streetview I'm amazed to see the house still there looking good - and the crossing !
Caretakers_House.jpg
 
I remember Mr Haines from Yew tree road junior and infant school and only the other day his daughter spotted me on friends re united and we had a good chat about the old days and her dad. Jean.
 
I remember Mr. Reynolds, the caretaker at Marsh Hill Junior and Infants in the l940's and onwards. He was a very hardworking man
as I remember. A bit frightening as he had a glass eye. He looked after everything in the way of janitorial duties at the school. In the winter he would shovel pathways in the playground with a huge shovel when it snowed and, of course, in the 1947 winter there was so much snow. He used to throw down the green Dustbane stuff before sweeping up with a very large broom. He was there to do his job and that's what he did.

The house where he lived is still standing tucked into a corner of the playground. I expect the current caretaker lives there.
 
Hi Seabird,

The caretaker at Camp Hill Boys School was Joe Young, both at the old school and
at the new school in Kings Heath, during the time I was there from 1954 -1960.

Kind regards

Dave
 
The only thing I remember about our caretaker was, in the winter we would make lovely 'slides' on the ice, only to find at playtime they'd been ruined by having ashes put on them, " the headmaster told me to do it" was the answer we got off him.
 
Our Caretaker at Duddeston Manor Bilateral School (as it was then !) was Mr Ray Britten. He was so strict but the school was kept like a new pin. I always thought he was a great man with high standards, his wife was lovely too.
regards
Amanda
 
I'm sure i remember Mr Stevens at Silvermere Road Secondary, what years would he have been the tarecaker there?
 
Hi Neville,

I think my Uncle, Arthur Stevens, was the first caretaker when the school was opened just before the war. He was there throughout the war and then moved on in the 50s or 60s. Sorry I cannot be more precise.

Old Boy
 
Seabird said:
The caretaker at Camp Hill girls school in Kings Heath in the 60s was Mr Jinks. A tiny little man with a permanent smile who greeted all the girls with 'Hello my darlings!'.
Click to expand...

I always wondered what Charlie Drake did when he wasn't on the telly! (sorry, couldn't resist!)
 
I can still see in my mind the Caretaker at Greet Infant Junior school. He was such a dedicated man. The school was damaged by bombs and I some how think he was Killed. I think his name was Mr Day. Sami
 
This is a long shot i know,
but here goes,i,m trying to find an old friend
lived in Birmingham used to work in the wholesale fruit mkt,
the last time we saw him he was a caretaker at a school in b,ham,can,t remember the name or area.
The chap in question was Phil Morgan it whould be so so nice to meet up with him again.
regards dereklcg
 
The caretaker at Cromwell Street School in the 1930's was, if my memory is correct, a Mr. Dutton who lived in a house in the school grounds on the Cromwell Street side of the school.
Regards Reg
 
I went to Stechford Road School (now Colebourne Primary School)in the 1940's early 50's. The school caretaker then was a Mr Moseley, a friendly man and devoted to his job. He lived in the flat in the archway building that led to the school grounds. He was instrumental in helping us cope when a bus and lorry collided and killed 2 young children waiting to cross the road. I had just crossed the road and was waiting for my school friend to cross with Mr Moseley when the accident happened. I was under 10 years but the memory is still there. Not long after the accident Birmingham Council changed the layout of the junction at Hodge Hill Road with Stechford Road. We lived in Southbourne Avenue at the time.
 
Does anyone know if Stechford Road School had a nursery during the 50's? Around 1957 I clearly remember going to a nursey, not far from The Hunters Moon pub, which at that time was a prefab building I think. My mom used to clean at the pub while I went to the nursey.
 
i remember an old lady called may who was caretaker at mary street school balsall heath in the 1950s. and a peter padgett who was caretaker at upper highgate girls school in1960s......
 
a s wood said:
Our Caretaker at Duddeston Manor Bilateral School (as it was then !) was Mr Ray Britten. He was so strict but the school was kept like a new pin. I always thought he was a great man with high standards, his wife was lovely too.
regards
Amanda
Click to expand...
I too remember Mr Britten. I imagine the head, Mr Southern, as an Army colonel, also played quite a significant role in keeping the school looking so good. And to think the building no longer exists!

Cheers,

Chris

(Left DM 6th form in July 1971)
 
Welcome Chris. Hope you enjoy the forum.

Unlike mid-20th century schools, caretakers now work under greater restrictions with H&S and stretched school budgets. You see less of that level of pride in schools too - well at least in the state sector. Viv.
 
This was the caretaker's house for Kingsthorne (formerly Cranbourne Road) Junior and Infant School in Kingstanding. Looking at it today, I realised the caretaker had a very spacious home whilst he carried out the job. But I expect once a caretaker retired, they'd have to move to alternative accommodation.

Do caretakers still live on school property? I expect most houses have been sold off. Viv.
 
The caretaker at Cromwell Street 1945-53 and maybe later was Harry Brown, I always had the cane when going back after the holidays for climbing on the roof to retrieve a ball, shopped by Mr Brown.
 
The caretaker at Marlborough rd. school was Mr McCormack and his Daughter was in our class.
 
I was bridesmaid at our caretaker's son's wedding in about 1964. Because he was caretaker they held the reception inside the school (Kingsthorne/ Cranbourne Road). Caretaker privileges? It was slightly weird wandering freely around the school that we knew well, but it was fun. All us kids had a great time. Doubtless the grown-ups did too! Viv.
 
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