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St Pauls Home Coleshill

Hi Morris. Firstly, why you can't put a name to 'ginger' is because its my user name & am female lol!!!!
You obviously had left St.Pauls when i started, so the name Mick Staunton does not ring a bell.
I remember Mr.Martin forever wringing his hands for whatever reason which used to make us laugh
I also remember the girls aresa at the back of the school which we used to call 'the little girls playground' - neve found out why we used to call it that.
Yes, i still go to coleshill, in fact i am visiting my sister this saturday (she lives in hodge hill), for the day, & we plan to visit coleshill,mainly because my mother is buried there.
Diane
 
Hello Ginger/Diane.
Yes I remember Mick Staunton very well.,He now runs a bookies shop in Coleshill High st.Has a Sister named Mary,You may also remember the Burton twins,Sandra and Gloria Slowley.John Roach.Noreen mc'Manus.Bags more who's names have faded. I was in the A stream till my last year (Mr and Mrs Holloway,Pop Reagan Mr Bellwood Mr Moody) Mr Taylor 4b was my last teacher. Mr Martin and I did'nt get on. I used to really wind him up.Although I now live in Kent,I visit Coleshil 2 or 3 times a year as there are a few friends still living there.The Churchyard is a "who's who" of all the shopkeepers and Parents of people we both new.Best Wishes, Morris116
 
Hi All, Jimmy Spencer is indeed still alive and kicking, he usually comes to our St Gerards reunions, so I will mention you all to him at the next one, probably April/May time when theweather is better for our older friends.
Sue
 
Re Noreen. I had the privelege of sitting next to her, most classes! She was very kind, extremely attractive but took no notice of me from the romance point. Walked with her to the end of her road in Coleshill many times - but not allowed further. Don't think Dad wanted any attention, however feeble, to his lovely girl. How I pined! Wonder how she is nowadays? My name in real life - John Aherne. Left in 1963.
 
Hello John,
I'm trying to put a face to your name.However I left in 1960,so its a struggle Noreen's best pal as I remember was Mary Staunton, Noreen's Brother Michael still lives in Coleshill, John Roach another of her friends lived in"Springfields"not to far away.Other names I can remember are .John Webb,Sandra and Gloria Slowley,The burton twins, Winefred Grenell,
Best wishes.
 
Hi Morris. I started in the third form, so probably 1961. Your memory is pretty good: I remember most of the names. John Webb, Mary and Winifred particularly. There was also Sean Campbell. I think. I was at St Joans for just under a year. As for appearance: red (auburn) hair, probably fairly long, mucho freckles, typical western Irish! I seem to remember the Mcmanus family travelled each year to Westport, Co. Mayo. When my mother returned from long term hospital stay, (TB, contracted in the tropics) we left St Joans and lived in Castle Bromwich. So until the end of the 5th year, I commuted on the 161 or 163. Then into the world of work, September 1963. Birmingham Regional Hospital Board, until A levels (night school) and then Uni.
 
hello John,I had left by the time you were in St Joans, I was in St Edwards for nine years along with my brother Paul.Several of the Boys had sisters in St Joans, IE The O'gradys,O'Hara's,and the Lentons.One girl you may remember at St Joans was "I think Wendy Jones" she could outrun,outfight any of the lads of her own age.Think she went into the army ,saw her in uniform on a visit to Coleshill about 1964.There was another Girl's home ( St Annes) attached to St Pauls school, at the bottom of the Hill, Didn't know much about that place.Seemed very secrative. I used to,when in the midlands visit Mr and Mrs Moody,Mr and Mrs Hughes,and Mr Taylor (4b),the latter and I became very good friends later on into the 1980's. His wife was still alive two years ago when I was last at Coleshill.Two names have resufaced,John Roach,and antony cooke,
best wishes morris116
 
Hello Anne Smith. Many thanks for the contact information, However My Brother and have our records.
May I wish you A happy Christmas.
Best Wishes
Steve Morris


 
Hi, doing some research for my Dad (James O'Shaughnessy) who's almost 80. His memory is a bit vague, but he thinks he stayed in St Edwards home for boys with his two brothers (before the child abuse scandal) (or it could have been St Pauls)which was run by nuns would be around 1940 (aged 7) until he left at 15 to work. But he also remembers a school which he thinks was St Pauls, the playground was bombed during the war and shattered the glass and there used to be an orchard across the playing field/playground. I expect it's been knocked down and built on now. He remembers the names of two Nuns Sister Rose and a Sister Emerencia (don't know if that's correct) and in the school teachers he remembers are Ms Morell & 'Pop' Regan or Reagan. I can only find derelict pictures of St Edwards and nothing of the school. I do intend to write on his behalf for records from Father Hudson Homes. Any information/photos/stories from that time period would be great.
 
Dear Ms O' Shaunessy.
Hope the following helps. On arrival at father Hudsons Homes your Grandfather along with his Brothers would have have been placed in one of four houses. St Vincents, St Josephs, St Antonys,or Our Ladys. Each was controlled by a House Sister. until he was eleven he would have gone to the junior School which was on site. Sister Rose who you mentioned was the Head teacher. She died in the Mid-Fifties. After eleven he would have gone to St Pauls Central School which was at the Bottom of Coleshill High St.
Head Master's were Firstly A Mr Curran,later on Mr Hope the latter would have been in charge when the Grandfather was there in the 1940's.
When he was fourteen/ fifteen, unless arrangements had been made with his Family he would have gone to St Vincents/St Thomas's/St Antonys.(Since demolshed) These were Buildings situated at the bottom of Mosely rd/Bradford St, for school leavers. A Mr Mason I believe was in charge there for a great No of years. From then onwards he would have started work and finally when I think about eighteen left the system.
He is correct when he said a bomb landed in the playground.It blew out all the windows on one side, the larger bomb landed in a field near Plumbs Farm creating a huge crater which when it snowed in the winter we used to sledge in. The Germans were after Ham's hall power Station some 3-4 miles away.( Since demolshed).
regarding Sr Emerencia, she was in charge of the Reforectory where we ate our meals. My last job was prior to my leaving was there, so I knew her quite well.I did in fact attend her funeral at Selly park when she died (Convent mother house).I have a photo of her in the refectory with all the boys eating taken I believe around the 1930/40s.
As regards his records, they are held by "the Father Hudsons Society" which is still based at Coleshill. They have their own website. By law you can apply and have copies of his records,which I might add My Brother and myself have already done so. and I'm told quite a few old Boys have done the same.
The main buildings as you are aware are derelict. However at the bottom of what was once the large playground, buildings have been built to house old folk suffering from dementia. They are I believe also using another building in Coleshill (St Andrews previously also a boys home ) for similar work.
Mr Regan (pop) as he was called was the teacher for the 2a class which i was in as I progressed through the system. Ms Morell I dont remember, before my time I think. I
understand now because of the condition of the homes there are moves to have they place demolished.I still have friends in Coleshill, who I see once or twice a year when I'm in The midlands,so they keep me up to date.
Sincerely hope this has been useful to you, if I can be of further assistance, dont hesitate to ask.
Best wishes
Morris 116
 
hello again correction to your request. It was your father not grandfather as I misquoted in my reply
sorry
morris 116
 
Hi Morris 116,
This is a fantastic start for our research, thank you! My Dad is thrilled with the information and you've also said a lot more which may help jog his memory even further.

After passing on the information you have given he said that's right he did move homes when at 15 (1948) he started his apprenticeship. He also didn't know why he and his brothers were put in there, he was told it was because of the war, but I also know that his Mum (my Grandmother) may have found herself in a tight spot as his Dad left her, I know my Dad's sister was farmed out and eventually adopted. Perhaps the records themselves will tell us more. He was separated from his brothers Alan and Terry O'Shaughnessy and had little contact with them ever since, apart from that, he has fond memories of both the home, nuns and school.

He does have a photograph of him and his brother and class mates/boys from the home(?) after confirmation aged 7 (1940) outside a church, could that be St Pauls? With regards to which house he was put in is still a mystery, he does say St. Vincent's or St Joseph's rings a bell, but he wasn't sure, again I expect the records will reveal that. He certainly remembers St Paul's school.

He was happy to hear that you remember the bomb and crater, he was beginning to think it may have been his imagination! He said there used to be corrugated fencing at the edge of the playing ground which he and his class mates used to sneak through and go scrumping in the orchard/farm, until they got chased off one day by a farmer with a gun! He also says that the names Mr. Curran and Mr. Mason sound familiar to him.

Would love to see any photo's you may have. And I will write to the society, in fact we are thinking of having a visit to Coleshill and walking around retracing steps too.

Thank you so much for your input, my Dad is really chuffed.
 


Hello again Ms O' Shaughnessy,
Thanks for your reply. I have managed to dig out some photo's, however as there are quite a few of them,and I would like to attatch some information to them It will be much easier to send them to you via Skype/windows mail directly to you.There is less image loss and and if you have a printer its much easier to copy them. I would suggest if you post your e-mail address on this site, I will get them across to you. Father Hudsons Society as I said have their own website and within is a brief history of the Homes from From Archbishop ilsley's original Idea of a home for children which was then put action by Father Hudson.There are several photo's in their history which I'm sure will bring back memories to your Father.
Best wishes
morris116
 
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