• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Waverley Grammar School

Hi folks, I called round to see my dad today; he has recently moved house and had found the Waverley Grammar School photo from 1962. He's 75 now; his name is David Harris. It would be great to hear from anybody who remembers him; he doesn't use the internet but I can relay any messages and I know he would love to hear from people. I will upload a photo I took of the school photo earlier; he is in the centre with his hair brushed to one side. Thank you!
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20211110-180749.png
    Screenshot_20211110-180749.png
    1.8 MB · Views: 35
Great photo Neil. I was at Waverley at that time, but I don't think that I was in the same year as your your Dad. Could you post the full photo please? I've been looking for a copy for years! Thanks
 
Hi folks, I called round to see my dad today; he has recently moved house and had found the Waverley Grammar School photo from 1962. He's 75 now; his name is David Harris. It would be great to hear from anybody who remembers him; he doesn't use the internet but I can relay any messages and I know he would love to hear from people. I will upload a photo I took of the school photo earlier; he is in the centre with his hair brushed to one side. Thank you!
Hi Neil
I think that I knew your dad. My friend - Valerie- Nicholls went out with a Dave Harris, who was in the 6th form when we were in the fifth form. My name was Janet Evans.
 
I spent the whole of 1962 at Waverley GS in 2L and 3L whilst visiting from Australia..
I, too, would like to get a sense of the people at the school at the time.
I was made a prefect in third year until December when we returned to Australia.
Brian Yuill
Hi, I may be wrong but I seem to remember a big lad with ginger hair. Again mbw but I heard mention that you were at some point a police officer in some 'strange' place like mmmm, can't remember
 
Hi, I may be wrong but I seem to remember a big lad with ginger hair. Again mbw but I heard mention that you were at some point a police officer in some 'strange' place like mmmm, can't remember
Just seen your post 17/07 so I obviously heard wrong, apologies
 
I went to Waverley 1946-1952 and remember Miss Howarth being known as Float,never knew why!
The hesdmaster was Mr Whiteley aka the beak/the boss.Although he looked a meek and mild man,he was feared throughout the school,particularly among the boys,of whom he "coshed" many.
A devil may care lad Roy Lewis(Louie) often had 6 of the best.After one such occasion,he invited the lads to feel the ridges in his bum !! So the boss certainly laid it on..Pity he's not here to administer to some of youth today.
Tojo.
 
My wife was at Waverley 51-56 she remembered the form master Mr "Butch" Frost, who was an English Language teacher. She also recalled a German Language teacher Miss Stansfield(Stanna) but with less affection!
Hello Devon Jim,
I was at Waverley 51-56 but I don't recall "Butch" Frost but do remember Miss Stansfield - name only, I didn't take German. The English teachers I remember are Mrs. Boot from '51 onwards followed by Miss Bollen when Boot left. I was in the 'S' series of science forms.

If only memory was a true continuum eh!

Cheers for now
Minimus
 
Mrs Boot must have resurfaced as she was still teaching there in the mid - 60s.
Thanks for that. She must have enjoyed her job. She was a hard taskmistress but I learned a lot with her.
I disappointed her when I took my GCEs in '56 as I was expected to get Lang and Lit, anf failed both. I did get the three I was told not to bother taking though, Physics, Chemistry and maths.
Anyone out there who remembers teachers and their subjects from the class of '51-'56.
I wait with bated breath.
Minimus
 
Hi
I went to Waverley Grammar school & have a lot of old school stuff from the 50s,60s &70s which I have accumulated through various channels, if anyone has any questions please mail me.
I also have a good collection of photographs both scroll type & pictures from the operas & plays.
Look forward to hearing from anyone out there.
Cheers
Dave Rock
In 1970 the Byron Road side of the school was the Holy Family Annex which was temporary venue to cope with the number of Irish Catholic children who couldn't be accommodated by the Holy Family School main building. We moved from there to Jenkins Street (off Coventry Road) in Small Heath around 1970 / 71.
 
A class photo around your time at Waverley
View attachment 149875

Thanks for that. She must have enjoyed her job. She was a hard taskmistress but I learned a lot with her.
I disappointed her when I took my GCEs in '56 as I was expected to get Lang and Lit, anf failed both. I did get the three I was told not to bother taking though, Physics, Chemistry and maths.
Anyone out there who remembers teachers and their subjects from the class of '51-'56.
I wait with bated breath.
Minimus
My wife shocked to fail Eng Lit in '56 too, but was surprised to pass history.
 
Hi Brummies,I posted earlier mentioning Mr Whiteley aka "The Beak"and how feared he was.Some time after I left school I was on a bus and as it turned into another road I sawMr Whiteley standing on the corner looking lonely and totally lost.I don't know if he really was having a "senior"moment but I did feel a bit sad.He used to come with us on the school trips to Dawlish and he was more relaxed and jovial.One lad was infatuated with one of the girls and Mr W.caused chuckles when he said to him "Vernon,you love sick loon".
More teacher memories(early 50s) later
Tojo.
 
Hello Devon Jim,
I was at Waverley 51-56 but I don't recall "Butch" Frost but do remember Miss Stansfield - name only, I didn't take German. The English teachers I remember are Mrs. Boot from '51 onwards followed by Miss Bollen when Boot left. I was in the 'S' series of science forms.

If only memory was a true continuum eh!

Cheers for now
Minimus
Hello Moe,I think I was getting ready to leave as you were starting but I expect we share many teacher memories Beak/Boss,Scotty,Float,Barney etc.
Tojo
 
Hey I just remembered a ferocious maths teacher Mr Wilde,called Jimmy,because of the boxer Jimmy Wilde."Jimmy"was well named because he was very handy with his hands.During one lesson,a kid committed some demeanour and Jimmy swiftly approached him."You see this hand said Jimmy to the lad while raising his right hand to a great height."Yes sir"the lad trembled."Its big and its hard"said Jimmy.The lad,zoomed in on the hand."So's this one"said Jimmy,whacking hard with the left.
Perhaps we could do with a few "Jimmys "nowadays.
Tojo.
 
Hello Waverlee,
Thanks for getting back. Yes, I remember Wilde by name and Wilde by nature too. One lesson was livened by him launching the blackboard cleaner at one of the lads who was larking about. Pretty good shot!
What was the name of the Physics master - medium height, medium build, floppy fair hair?

I was hauled before the beak on more than one occasion. He had refined the art of 'temple hair tweaking' My head was pulled back and forth by a tiny pinch of hair while he berated me. The pain was only slightly offset by the sound of his dentures clicking and clacking.
Happy days.
I'm hit and miss with BHF at the moment - personal matters - but I'll be back.
Moe
 
Hiya Moe,yeah good old (Fred,was it?)Whiteley the mild assassin ! He certainly had the old duff mashers,I think we all must have been too young to appreciate the humour of those oral castanets or maybe we were afraid to laugh at the clickety clacks for fear of the cosh.I reckon he bought them from Poundland.I had to really hold it in one day when he said to this lad in our class "Vernon! You stupid byyye(not boy).The only phisics master I remember was Mr Riggal(not sure of spelling) and he was nicknamed Jimmy. Mr Chope taught biology I think.and the bellboy was named Belmont !!
Bsgs of fun eh?
Tojo
 
Hiya Moe,yeah good old (Fred,was it?)Whiteley the mild assassin ! He certainly had the old duff mashers,I think we all must have been too young to appreciate the humour of those oral castanets or maybe we were afraid to laugh at the clickety clacks for fear of the cosh.I reckon he bought them from Poundland.I had to really hold it in one day when he said to this lad in our class "Vernon! You stupid byyye(not boy).The only phisics master I remember was Mr Riggal(not sure of spelling) and he was nicknamed Jimmy. Mr Chope taught biology I think.and the bellboy was named Belmont !!
Bsgs of fun eh?
Tojo
Hello Waverlee,
Yes Fred was the man. Wouldn't getaway with it these days.
Chope rings a bell but I have no recall of the physical appearance.
Belmont rings no bells.
Riggall - no recall whatever.
I do remember 'Gandy' Gilbert who taught history.
I had a minor crush on the French teacher, can't remember her name either, but she was very attractive.
Any one out there remember a couple of lads who were a 'team'? Mike Terry and Dave Pruitt. Heard a rumour some years ago that they emigrated to Australia.
TTFN as the late great Jimmy used to say (and he pinched that from Tommy Handley; show ITMA)
Moe
 
Hello Waverlee,
Yes Fred was the man. Wouldn't getaway with it these days.
Chope rings a bell but I have no recall of the physical appearance.
Belmont rings no bells.
Riggall - no recall whatever.
I do remember 'Gandy' Gilbert who taught history.
I had a minor crush on the French teacher, can't remember her name either, but she was very attractive.
Any one out there remember a couple of lads who were a 'team'? Mike Terry and Dave Pruitt. Heard a rumour some years ago that they emigrated to Australia.
TTFN as the late great Jimmy used to say (and he pinched that from Tommy Handley; show ITMA)
Moe
Hello Waverlee,
Yes Fred was the man. Wouldn't getaway with it these days.
Chope rings a bell but I have no recall of the physical appearance.
Belmont rings no bells.
Riggall - no recall whatever.
I do remember 'Gandy' Gilbert who taught history.
I had a minor crush on the French teacher, can't remember her name either, but she was very attractive.
Any one out there remember a couple of lads who were a 'team'? Mike Terry and Dave Pruitt. Heard a rumour some years ago that they emigrated to Australia.
TTFN as the late great Jimmy used to say (and he pinched that from Tommy Handley; show ITMA)
Moe
I remember " Gandhi " - I always assume it was spelt like that - as a Maths teacher. He taught me, or attempted to, at Byron Road in the mid - 60s. He was at the end of his career and I have memories of an exasperated though endearing man who was pleasantly surprised on those odd occasions when I understood some concept or equation. He retired to the Channel Islands but sadly died within less than a year of leaving Waverley. There could, of course, have been two teachers named Mr. Gilbert.
 
Hi, I was a pupil at Waverley 1959-1965... would be happy to chat to anyone at Waverley around that time. I have many happy memories, but few photos. My first three years were at Camp Hill, where a Mrs Bridges was in charge, as deputy head. Mr S. Shirley was in overall charge mainly at Byron Road Small Heath where I went for the next couple of years. My final year was at the "New School" in Hobmoor lane...
Regards
Hi l was at Waverley from 1961 until 1966 and spent time at Camp Hill then Hobmoor Road. I remember Brenda Ray Carol Luke , lots of others. Miss Menet , Mrs Sly, Miss Peacock, Miss French...
.who taught French. .
 
Hi l was at Waverley from 1961 until 1966 and spent time at Camp Hill then Hobmoor Road. I remember Brenda Ray Carol Luke , lots of others. Miss Menet , Mrs Sly, Miss Peacock, Miss French...
.who taught French. .
When Camp Hill was KEGS the boys school and girls school were very very separate, play grounds divided with thick walls topped with high wire netting, really, as Waverley was co-ed were there dramatic modifications to the structure.
 
Hi,

My grandad has dug out an old photo and has been reminiscing of his time at Waverley. His name is ken (kenny/Kenneth) ball and would’ve been there from 1954-1960 ish i think, it may have been ‘53.

Names on the photo are:
K orgill
B Martin
R Howard
P broom
T brettell
T durrant
T duckett
D Hutchins
C greswold
K Wright
M short
D trevis
L hayward
W Stevens
R keme
A guest (Tony)
L ridding
Kathleen Roberts
Sheila gerrard
Pat Mitchell
Madeline wright
Margaret dobbins
Teresa treweeks
Irene Harris
Ann Seymour
Barbara duffill
Linda cheetham
Pauline philpotts
Gillian small
Maureen whick
Janet Cooper
Janice cotterell

Would be nice to hear if anyone remembers him.

Thanks

Aimee
 
Hi,

My grandad has dug out an old photo and has been reminiscing of his time at Waverley. His name is ken (kenny/Kenneth) ball and would’ve been there from 1954-1960 ish i think, it may have been ‘53.

Names on the photo are:
K orgill
B Martin
R Howard
P broom
T brettell
T durrant
T duckett
D Hutchins
C greswold
K Wright
M short
D trevis
L hayward
W Stevens
R keme
A guest (Tony)
L ridding
Kathleen Roberts
Sheila gerrard
Pat Mitchell
Madeline wright
Margaret dobbins
Teresa treweeks
Irene Harris
Ann Seymour
Barbara duffill
Linda cheetham
Pauline philpotts
Gillian small
Maureen whick
Janet Cooper
Janice cotterell

Would be nice to hear if anyone remembers him.

Thanks

Aimee
Did he live in Tower Road?
 
Would love to be contacted by anyone from my era, if any still alive and kicking.
I was there from 1953 to 1958. did not achieve much but soon realised my mistake and fortunately made up for it later. Now at 80 so not many of us left, I assume.
 
Do you have a sister, Pauline, who also went to Somerville & Waverley, together with her friend Christine Clarke?
 
Hello Pete,I think I just missed you.
I left in 1953,did a year at Posr Office Supplies Dept in Bordesley Green,then into RAOC.
I remember most of the teachers though, "Fred ' Whiteley,the Beak/Boss,a timid looking man
who frightened the life out of all the kids,Scotty,yhe deputy head and many more,the sadistic
and violent "Jimmy " Wilde for instance.No doubt you have similar memories.
Tojo.
 
Do you have a sister, Pauline, who also went to Somerville & Waverley, together with her friend Christine Clarke?
I don't have a sister but I do recall a girl who told me that her surname was Weller but we did not have relatives in common-sorry. Incidentally at one time my nickname was also Pedro
 
Back
Top