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Steward Street School

Astonian

gone but not forgotten
Steward street school open end in1873 As steward street board school with accommodation for 1,036
Having Boys ,girls,infants departments , Fees 2d. & 3d. ,
In 1890 all fees were reduced to 1d. Because of poverty in the area,
In1914 the head master was Mr Bennett, Mr Jackson, miss Gee and miss Spencer,
The premises were reorganised in 1932 for senior boys , ,Junior mixed and infants
The senior boys closed in 1943 the Junior and infants closed on the 31 st of August 1969
As the result of redevelopments, and a decline in child population
In1953 the Teachers included GJ Lewis and miss D,E, Allely. It was a large school having
13 Class rooms and 3 halls
I myself attended that school and Mr Lewis was the Head master and in that time it was a Mrs Jones was the assistant
Head mistress I later left and went to Ickneild street school
Best wishes Alan,,,,,Astonian,,,,,
 
Hi Sheldon tony
Yes it was at the bottom of the street ( stour ) which was spring hill passage and that was our. Entrance for all us kids
Living and coming in from stour street and king Edwards and various rds from the area
I lived at the bottom of kingedwards rd with stour street at the bottom of it
It was a fairly big school and on this gate at spring ill passage going into the school was the nursery and infants entrance gates
And the care takers house whom at that time was a Mr lumb
Around the block on stewards street entrance was two big gates for kids to come in from the stewards street gate there was an old church and a blacksmiths
Operating still in those days and a batch of very old houses
Those kids would come from the other side of Ladywood like ingestion street George street west clissold street Camden street and college red
And many more of that side of the city and next to the school was farther price manufacture of cutlery silver ware and world wide sellers
And well known,and it had three big play grounds which seperated the three grade of kids age
One infant ,one junior , and senior and you was not allowed into any other playground to run or chase any body other wise the teachers would have you in on trouble

And before the head master best wishes Alan,, Astonian,,,,
 
thanks for this astonian. my father was born in 1920 so probably left school around 1934. As far as I know he only went to that school.
 
hi tony if you are going to use a sat nat get yourself to spring hill library tescos is next to it...post code for sat nav is B18 7BH...head past the library up spring hill...steward st is 2nd on the left and the school is on the left..cant miss it...

lyn
 
ok tony...i am down that way tomorrow actually...would you like me to take some photos of the school or do you prefer to wait until you come over...

lyn
 
ok tony i will do that for you tomorrow and post the pics on this thread..thing is with buildings like this we never know when they will be demolished...one day they are there the next gone...

will be in touch

lyn
 
Hi tony
Nice to hear from you I was going to mention it to you about still standing but thought better of it
What I can tell you I think I still have a. Negative of what the other half of the school building of the infant and nursery play ground
Looks like today its virtually a comes a scrap yard and re cycling yard it is full of junk

Should you make the trip on your sat nat come from the library take the first exit on your left and that will be spring hill
Passage turn up there believe me its a very narrow road price the cutterly makers have long gone
They have been into little work shops and units its a very dirty red as for the building conditions half broken down
You may find it a bit tight especially at the bend of the passage you will see the old gas lamp out side the gate outside the old care takers house
And the gate for the junior ,infants and nursery but continue along around the bend its about eighty yards from the gate
I think some of the old classes on this died you will walk past that's when you co e to big wire fencing and gates
And that's where you will see the scrap and Christ knows what else that is the corner of the passage
And you are on stour ,I lived about half way up the hill and that used to kingedwards red but you will be standing on the corner of
Old great stout street I had many friends up there but on that corner you look to the school
You can see the other half of the school but I will tell you as a kid growing up in Ladywood and my local streets whom knew it .like the. Back of my hand
And to tell you tony it brought a feeling of disguss to my mind and brought tears to my eyes believe me
The name stout street exist but the street no ,they cut into to two just like king Edwards red they cut it up and you cannot say they are
Two street but never or less you can get the original pictures of the stour street and kingedwards red
On the subject of seeing the school either drive down stout street and turn right and right again and that's steward street
On that corner there was the col more cars repair centre as you turned right it was one of there depot continue along
And on your left you will see the cross keys pub. Its been modereised and refurbished and knock further back
Very nice indeed continue anther 200 yards down on your right you could see the school building so high
I would imagine half the windows would have been bricked by kids now Ah,
The top floor of the building as you look up was the class rooms of Mr Shepard and Mrs Jones and old head master Mr Game Lewis
Good head master
Your dad would have know known a lot of the older kids and he would have known watty green and his family through the pub
Begin so close to him and it would have been Mr bonnna Holland whom swept your parents chimney as he lived on the block of
Stour street just like me as I lived next door to him and his kids was my friends for donkeys years
But depending what year you or your father moved away old gonna Holland bought the cross keys from watty for is daughter
And son in law Kathy and Ron was there names
But when you get to the building there is a long wall on the front of the school and two big steel gates which you can look through
And see right across the play ground and the small section of a garden Mr limb the care taker attended to for us all
I have to mention this to you because my daughter is a well known spiritual and about three years ago now she was looking for an item of sale
That was advertised in the news paper and the person whom was selling it and whom owns the land
Or what ever she went down to the address and it was the school and the guy took her I to the building and went
Up the stairs where Mr lewis office was and mid Jones and Sheppard's to look at this item and they was going she seen a spiruital face of a lad
From a very .long time ago possible years before your father attended that school even
She came back and described it to us ,
I have got a picture of watty and friends outside his pub with neibours of the oh icidently facing the main gates there was a true black smith
With his fine door like an horse stable door as kids we used to watch him I could tell you the neiblurs name but one or two say we cannot give out surnames
But any way our friend Lyn said she will get you the pics, but I thought she really had them before many hears ago before they got hacked off

But if she says she will get you one she will but if you go your self tony if you do the first turning on your left
You will she the lift.e narrow red with little factory's on your left or go straight to the back side which is 2 left
Speak soon Tony I will look for the stone street one for you and show you the two diffents between them as was what before and now
Astonian,,'''. Alan,,,,,,,,
 
as promised tony a few piccies of steward st school..hope these are ok for you..click on them twice for full screen..

lyn
 

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Astoness, thanks for this,much appreciated. Sorry a bit late but our internet has been down all day, it happens if its windy and today is very windy. Looks like it was a nice day when you took the pics.
Out of interest, I dont know the area but why are the labelled Smiths St? Is that one side of the school?
 
Astoness, thanks for this,much appreciated. Sorry a bit late but our internet has been down all day, it happens if its windy and today is very windy. Looks like it was a nice day when you took the pics.
Out of interest, I dont know the area but why are the labelled Smiths St? Is that one side of the school?

happy to help tony and yes it was quite a nice day yesterday...

take no notice of the labelling...i also have photos of smith st in the same folder...

lyn
 
Thanks astoness, , I looked at some other topics you have posted to today and realised my mistake.
Just trying to imagine my father going in those buildings not aware that shortly after leaving school he would be in the army for over 5 years during the second world war.
 
tony i always feel that the photograph is a wonderful aid to stretching our imagination..just imagine your dad walking up steward st to school... sitting in those classrooms and playing in the playground with his mates and shortly after leaving going off to fight for his country....if you do get to come over and visit for yourself you will then be able to tread the street that he did then your imagination will most likely run riot...better sign off for now as i could talk for england lol

all the best

lyn
 
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