Recent content by MartinS

I'm not sure on Peter or Jinks, but if it rings a bell there's usually something to it! Perhaps someone else familiar will chime in. I read somewhere the other day of an "A" class student claiming to have been demoted, but there was no hierarchy in A, M, R and S. Yes, I too remember Mr...

I expect that the music teacher who played the piano in assemblies would have been present. "Bean Head" and/or "Chrome Dome" come to mind as he was bald, but I'm not absolutely sure though as it's been so long now. He was the one who did the stage make-up training in the afternoons after...

Exactly. Tony was the eldest boy, my age.. David was the middle one. The entire family red hair except for their Dad. FWIW, David was a holy terror when he was little! Yes, from distant recall I do believe there was a daughter too. I wanted to learn German too, but my parents and relatives...

Good morning Steve. Welcome and thank you, it's great to put more names to the faces. I happened across this site a few years ago and added some memories, but am so busy that I don't stop in often enough. There are many great memories and photos shared across the forums, well worth visiting...

Thanks Lyn. I wish I could remember them all. I recall some of their characteristics and personalities, but unfortunately it's been too long to recall everyone's names! It could very well be the same fellow! Martin

Ha Ha! Roger, the youngest is now baldest by far. I think that Keith the middle brother still has a fair crop on top, but mine is thinning a bit at the front. He followed Dad with his hair loss. Keith was the head of the physics department at Washwood Heath comp. He and his wife Susan still do...

While digging through my archive of training records and "stuff" today, I came across a few artifacts. I still have the Children's Encyclopaedia sitting on a bookshelf. It is a wonderful reminder of days when we looked to the future of putting a "man on the moon" and other events that are now...

I also remember you Mike. I was in "M" stream '63-'68.

Yes, that's Dunlop, but as I've mentioned before it was never a Fort, just Dunlop Tyres. I worked at Pressed Steel Fishers next door (formerly Nuffields) and we just called it Dunlop. The misnomer "Fort Dunlop" arose from good old Black Country slang in times long before I was born, but I...

From my time on the night shift driving taxis until '74, I recall the Peter Rabbit was up on Broad Street on the left side before the 5 ways roundabout. The Rum Runner was down at the end of the alley at the bottom end of Broad Street with the night club entrance on the right and casino on the...

The Odeon as I recall it, was the old Paramount on New Street near the station. I drove cabs at night for Star Taxi in Erdington until '74 and dropped many fares off there and at all of the night clubs around the city. Then again, it's 54 years since I headed to Canada, so some of the names...

Darn it John, I didn't know that Bernie had passed away. He was the best. He taught us geography. We were the first class that he had in his home room for two years consecutively. He figured that since he trained us to his ways, he might as well keep us instead of doing the traditional "rinse...

I remember Stubbins yard being there. I think but could be wrong in that it was down the alley at the side of the Stockland Coaches property. The garage forecourt at Short Heath Road level originally had pumps and the showroom building. Down the ramp to the right of the showroom at the back...

Agreed Richard. Sometimes, we have to venture down those paths, to stir the memories and recoup historical information of possible importance or value to others.

I was long gone here to Canada by then, in 1974. I worked at Presssed Steel Fisher British Leyland on Kingsbury Road as an engineering apprentice '68-'71 in the building right across from Dunlop and the Valor. I believe the apprentice building was on the former site of the Ashold Farm. My wife...