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Geoff Sutton
Brummie babby
I attended Birchfield Road S M 58 till 62
Played rugby and was the woodwork monitor in my last year.
Played rugby and was the woodwork monitor in my last year.
Geoff Sutton
Brummie babby
I remember You.
Hello Geoff,
I remember you well. We used to sit together in Mr. Hunts maths class. I was not much of a mathematician in those days but made up for it later.
I hope you and all the others from that era are doing well.
Regards,
Melvyn Evans
Geoff Sutton
Brummie babby
Hi Melvyn
Yes I remember you, sitting next to you and Hunts class in the Corination block. He was quite strict as I recall. His son was in our class. My maths were OK. I rebelled I bit in my last year, I think looking back on it I was not stretched enough...... However I have done ok for myself and my family.
Good hear from you and I hope you are well.
Regards
Geoff
Yes I remember you, sitting next to you and Hunts class in the Corination block. He was quite strict as I recall. His son was in our class. My maths were OK. I rebelled I bit in my last year, I think looking back on it I was not stretched enough...... However I have done ok for myself and my family.
Good hear from you and I hope you are well.
Regards
Geoff
Welcome Geoff and Melvyn. Good to see members finding old friends. Do feel free to share any memories, we'd love to hear them. Enjoy the forum. Viv.
Villa4life
New Member
Hi John, I’ve just found this website. I hope you and Dave are both keeping well? Reg
Villa4life
New Member
Howard, I’ve just found this website. I remember playing in the band with you and the other lads. Great days! Has anyone heard from Ken Hall? Ken got me to join the band, by lending me his trumpet. Reg
Well to the forum Reg. You’re off to a great start finding old friends ! Was the band a school one or one set up outside of school ? Viv.
Hi i am Peter Howells brother John. Bad news Peter pasted away on 5th November 2018
I remember the music room as Arthollins says , tiered seating rising to the back . We never went in there until the final year when we found we had a music lesson there for the first time . We sat at the back out of the way , we thought , the music teacher came in and announced " All those on the back row to the front ...those at the front to the back " . Seen it all before !!!
We were then given recorders ( Sort of flute thing) to play , none of us could as we'd never seen them before .
He then ripped into us saying "Call yourselves the cream of the school but can't play an instrument "
Thing was , the first stream didn't do music so when we got to the fourth year why were we expected to pick them up and play them ?
I also remember that our fourth year teacher was also the Deputy Head so he'd teach for 1/2 hour then disappear doing "Deputy Head " stuff . We'd all been given a book to read for such occasions , which were many . Just as you were getting into the book he would return & attempt to resume teaching which started to become annoying to be honest because 1/2 hour later he'd be off again . This was 1960, I remember the book now , No Highway by Nevil Shute .
Sad thing is I do't think we learned much at all in the fourth year , or 4/1 as it was called . I was 15 in the November and had the choice to be a Christmas leaver, which I took .
This reminds me that I had an interview with a firm as an apprentice electrician sometime in the November I think . I'd told the teacher , that was OK . Left the class in good time , heading across the hall and another teacher asks where do I think I'm going in the middle of a lesson, I told him , he didn't believe me , ordered me to stand under the clock and explain myself to the Head . Stood there until I was late , (well you did as you were told in those days) in the end I just ran out & turned up late thanks to that stupid ##@@****
Our 2nd & 3rd yr teachers were very good , I think we thrived during those years , Mr Evans 2/1 & Mr Davis 3/1 .
Beginning of the 3rd yr we went into the History class for the first time , the guy started teaching stuff we'd covered about 10 times , amazingly the class became restless , muttering , ( remember classes were silent then) . He asked what was going on . Someone indicated me ,saying he'll tell you Sir . Great !! So I said you be telling us that King Arthur burnt some cakes in a minute Sir . We should be learning ,say , about what started the last war etc .
OK he said and walked out . Returning he said "I've been to see the Head " ( Oooh we're in trouble now!) " He told me I MUST teach the set curriculum" ....( then added ) " I'm sorry" So that was that .
In those far off days , secondary modern schools were there to turn out factory fodder every August . They hammered maths & English into us every day , History was pathetic , never did any languages , woodwork , never actually made anything, metalwork was brilliant ...thank you Bronco Lane , Oh and Printing was interesting , with Jasper Jarrett Hmmmm! I think I've banged on enough for now.
We were then given recorders ( Sort of flute thing) to play , none of us could as we'd never seen them before .
He then ripped into us saying "Call yourselves the cream of the school but can't play an instrument "
Thing was , the first stream didn't do music so when we got to the fourth year why were we expected to pick them up and play them ?
I also remember that our fourth year teacher was also the Deputy Head so he'd teach for 1/2 hour then disappear doing "Deputy Head " stuff . We'd all been given a book to read for such occasions , which were many . Just as you were getting into the book he would return & attempt to resume teaching which started to become annoying to be honest because 1/2 hour later he'd be off again . This was 1960, I remember the book now , No Highway by Nevil Shute .
Sad thing is I do't think we learned much at all in the fourth year , or 4/1 as it was called . I was 15 in the November and had the choice to be a Christmas leaver, which I took .
This reminds me that I had an interview with a firm as an apprentice electrician sometime in the November I think . I'd told the teacher , that was OK . Left the class in good time , heading across the hall and another teacher asks where do I think I'm going in the middle of a lesson, I told him , he didn't believe me , ordered me to stand under the clock and explain myself to the Head . Stood there until I was late , (well you did as you were told in those days) in the end I just ran out & turned up late thanks to that stupid ##@@****
Our 2nd & 3rd yr teachers were very good , I think we thrived during those years , Mr Evans 2/1 & Mr Davis 3/1 .
Beginning of the 3rd yr we went into the History class for the first time , the guy started teaching stuff we'd covered about 10 times , amazingly the class became restless , muttering , ( remember classes were silent then) . He asked what was going on . Someone indicated me ,saying he'll tell you Sir . Great !! So I said you be telling us that King Arthur burnt some cakes in a minute Sir . We should be learning ,say , about what started the last war etc .
OK he said and walked out . Returning he said "I've been to see the Head " ( Oooh we're in trouble now!) " He told me I MUST teach the set curriculum" ....( then added ) " I'm sorry" So that was that .
In those far off days , secondary modern schools were there to turn out factory fodder every August . They hammered maths & English into us every day , History was pathetic , never did any languages , woodwork , never actually made anything, metalwork was brilliant ...thank you Bronco Lane , Oh and Printing was interesting , with Jasper Jarrett Hmmmm! I think I've banged on enough for now.
Geoff Sutton
Brummie babby
Yes I was there the same years. I was woodwork monitor in my last year and played rugby for the school, scrum half.
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Ex Briton worker
Brummie babby
otoI
I attended birchfield road school from 1954-1958, and remember all the teachers names,my form teachers name was mr blockley and I have not ,heard anyone else mention his name.
I too fell victim to fatty Taylor’s red or blue end cane it did sting a bit ,due to both ends of the cane being split.
You probably would not know any of my old class mates as you attended there a few years after me , overall I could not say they were my best school days.
Dave
Hi Geoff
I attended birchfield road school from 1954-1958, and remember all the teachers names,my form teachers name was mr blockley and I have not ,heard anyone else mention his name.
I too fell victim to fatty Taylor’s red or blue end cane it did sting a bit ,due to both ends of the cane being split.
You probably would not know any of my old class mates as you attended there a few years after me , overall I could not say they were my best school days.
Dave
Ex Briton worker
Brummie babby
Hi Jean
I used to live in Prestbury Road ,between Whitehead Road and Bevington Road up till I was 22 then moved to Witton Road after getting wed.
Regards
Dave ex Briton worker
Hi my name is Ray Cope found this site about 12 months ago, I attended BRSM from 1957 to 1961, classes were 1/3, 2/2, 3/2, 4/3. main teacher through the years was MR. Williams ,I got on well with him over the years, mainly I think because I was good at most things to do with sport. He was a member at Birchfield Harriers over the road from the school. Foot ball, cricket, a bit of rugby, well hardly any really, any gym work, athletics, and the last year I was the swimming captain for the school. They were the things that were most prominent on my school report! good hey. The one good thing that came out of the athletics was that I was selected to run the mile at Birchfield Harriers and represent the school in my final year, I remember someone drawing the school badge on my white shorts, Mr Williams gave me a pair of spikes to wear, they where 2 sizes to big! I fell over at the start of the race, but managed to finish third. Well pleased was Mr W. I got a big round of applause the following day at assembly, another guy who won his race was spud taylor a powerfully built black lad, he won easily the 100 yards, (as it was then). sadly I heard a few years later that he died in a fight (cant go into details). One day all the school was called to assemble in the schoolyard I don't recall why, but f"""y Taylor (teacher) addressed the classes he was fuming he shouted, WE CAN FLOG YOU WITH THIS, and smashed a cosh like object on the wall at the top of the small steps to the metal work room several times, he then let rip, wish I could remember what he said I was probably, well you can guess. I remember 2 lads playing guitars in the school hall when the music teacher Mr Lowe was there, he was playing the piano, I often wonderd who the two lads were, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler? At the end of the school year,1961 there were a few scores to be settled by a few people. one or two got a right pasting. Many faces I can still see, names? no chance. All the Best, Ray Cope, who????
Hi Howard (or should that be bone LOL) hope you and yours are ok. regards tony bradbury
graham bradbury
Brummie babby
Hi Ross
Would be great if you could contact me Graham Bradbury
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Graham, thanks you for posting on the forum. We strongly advise member not to post their personal email addresses on the forum. The data can be harvested and use for scams, fraud and identity theft. If you wish other members to contact you, then its best if you advise them to use the “Start Conversation” facility we provide. This then protects your privacy.
graham bradbury
Brummie babby
Hi Morturn Thanks for the advice . Can you on my behalf delete the ref to my email. Regards Graham
A Sparks
master brummie
You should be able to do that yourself - click on to the three dots next to Report at the bottom left hand corner and it will drop the box with Edit down, click onto that and you can remove the address - then click Save
Pat Downey
proper brummie kid
Me too. Started HTS in January 1953.
Newtfrogman
Brummie babby
Hi my names Ian Freeman, I was one of the Major Generals Daughter's in the same "play" I put a scan of the programme on to Friends Reunited a few years ago, sent a few emails, but got no response.
I left when the school was demolished, ( aged about 14ish) we all got a photgraph taken from a tower block opposite the school (also put on Friends Reunited), moved on to Stockland Green Bilateral School, My junior school was Yewtree Junior school near the villa Ground (i'm a West Brom fan lol) I've lived in and around the London area since about 1975.
I left when the school was demolished, ( aged about 14ish) we all got a photgraph taken from a tower block opposite the school (also put on Friends Reunited), moved on to Stockland Green Bilateral School, My junior school was Yewtree Junior school near the villa Ground (i'm a West Brom fan lol) I've lived in and around the London area since about 1975.
graham bradbury
Brummie babby
Hi Ian You may be getting this message twice. I was the major general in the production. The image below is from our school production in 1962. I also have found you listed in the production programme. You may remember me??? I was friends with Chris Burke & Ross Muller. I have other photographs. I suspect you were a couple of years below me, perhaps in the same year as Ozzie (John Michael) Osborne who was also in Pirates.
Regards Graham Bradbury
Regards Graham Bradbury
Attachments
larry wright
Brummie babby
Hi Graham my name is Larry Wright i was in T Iommi's class along with Albert chapman, Ozzy was a year younger but we were good friends from 1963 to 69. I still see Albert chapman. In your school photo i am 2 down 4 across. Are you in the school photo ??