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Birmingham Open Air Schools - Cropwood, Hunter's Hill, Marsh Hill and Skilts (excl. Haseley Hall and Uffculme)

michaelwicks54 said:
I know the feeling. That kind of stuff still goes on here. For some unknown reason, people tend to class us brummies as the lower class of society, when in fact we are the best. I have always thought that, even though I am not a true brummie, as I was born in Nottingham. I miss those old houses that we thought were slums at the time, but have noticed that some of the houses & the area's of today are much more of slum. I am the same now I am getting much older. When I was so much younger, I never thought about the life we had, but now, I find I am always remembering the old days & the fun we used to have. I think it is good that we remember all those wonderful day. They are the days that make us who we are today. We are so much wiser.
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My Mom was born in Nottingham!
She often mentioned playing in Sherwood Forest as a child and hiding in Robib's Oak.
 
ChrisM said:
If you do decide to exchange information by a different route, gentlemen, do please remember to try to share as much of it as feel able to, later, on the Forum. It will always be of interest to other members and it will add to our permanent, accessible store of knowledge of these institutions. And possibly prompt the memory of others, now and far into the future, and encourage them to make further contributions.

We tend not to use the "F" word here, any more than we have to! We try not to be stuffy about it because, clearly, that particular "F" has its place and function in modern life. But it can never serve the purpose of recording the history of our City, and of those who live here and have ever lived here, in the way that this Forum is able. Of keeping information available in an orderly framework, of making it searchable, of ensuring that it is a pleasure to read. And of making sure that there is a comfortable environment to do everything in.

Thanks, both, for your exchange of posts recently. And a belated welcome to the Forum, Walkscrow. Do please dig around in your memory and tell us what you know and remember about anything to do with Brum.

(End of Easter Day sermon!)

Chris
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No problems Chris. I always like to share my memories with everyone & love reading everyone else's. Sharing our memoriesof thing from the past is what is needed in our lives. It keeps the old greay matter ticking over. I always say, there is a time & place for such profanities, & this is certainly not a place for it.
 
These are the only photographs I have of Hunters.
Me at home for my birthday in my Hunters summer clothes. Mom and my sister in her Cropwood dress outside Hunters front gates and mom, Dad and Catherine on Hunters Hill with Cropwood in the background.
 
ChrisM said:
If you do decide to exchange information by a different route, gentlemen, do please remember to try to share as much of it as feel able to, later, on the Forum. It will always be of interest to other members and it will add to our permanent, accessible store of knowledge of these institutions. And possibly prompt the memory of others, now and far into the future, and encourage them to make further contributions.

We tend not to use the "F" word here, any more than we have to! We try not to be stuffy about it because, clearly, that particular "F" has its place and function in modern life. But it can never serve the purpose of recording the history of our City, and of those who live here and have ever lived here, in the way that this Forum is able. Of keeping information available in an orderly framework, of making it searchable, of ensuring that it is a pleasure to read. And of making sure that there is a comfortable environment to do everything in.

Thanks, both, for your exchange of posts recently. And a belated welcome to the Forum, Walkscrow. Do please dig around in your memory and tell us what you know and remember about anything to do with Brum.

(End of Easter Day sermon!)

Chris
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Mate Sooooo many memories!
Christmas shopping in the old market hall...sitting on the big red bomb in there.
Going to Henry's to see Father Christmas and Uncle Holly.
Hot potatoes and chestnuts being sold in Corporation Street, the lights and the crowds.
I remember the tramlines still running along the road.
Getting the bus to Bromsgrove to go to Hunters Hill after a break at home from the Midland Red depot and the cinema opposite that showed Bugs Bunny films....I could go on and on!
 
Walkscrow said:
Mate Sooooo many memories!
Christmas shopping in the old market hall...sitting on the big red bomb in there.
Going to Henry's to see Father Christmas and Uncle Holly.
Hot potatoes and chestnuts being sold in Corporation Street, the lights and the crowds.
I remember the tramlines still running along the road.
Getting the bus to Bromsgrove to go to Hunters Hill after a break at home from the Midland Red depot and the cinema opposite that showed Bugs Bunny films....I could go on and on!
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I totally agree Walkscrow. I remember all of these. Absolutely loved Henry's. I can still remember the number of the midland red bus we used to catch to get back to school(145). How I miss those buses, & the old bus station.
 
michaelwicks54 said:
I totally agree Walkscrow. I remember all of these. Absolutely loved Henry's. I can still remember the number of the midland red bus we used to catch to get back to school(145). How I miss those buses, & the old bus station.
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I remember it being the 145.
Just posted a photo of the 144 but I'm sure it was the same type of bus
 
I remember going to that place to get the coach to Hunters...I hated and feared it.
I remember everytime begging my mom everytime to let Catherine and I stay at home.
 
Sorry to yank you back to the topic in question, chaps. Please try to keep this thread to the subject in hand. I know it’s a problem when there are a lot of different memories bubbling up, but see if you can formalise them a bit and put new posts in the appropriate section (or add to existing ones), please. As applicable, of course. Otherwise threads like this soon become unreadable to those who are only interested in the headline topic.

Thanks.

Chris
 
Well I've enjoyed this conversation about hunters a lot, most of it seems relevant to someone who was at Hunters for five and a half years from 66. There was an art teacher might have been andrews followed by Evershed, he had a beard-me and two lads helped to paint his new cottage by pikes pool. Mr tebbut had quite a cynical sense of humour, I remember him briefly tying someone to the ladder in the woodwork class- it was taken in good humour by us generally. Mr Brownsword the gym teacher turned up one monday with a dressing on his head there was talk of him being kicked by a horse - in later years I suspected he'd been at a certain event in London -it was about '68. They never told us about the poet A E Houseman being born and living about a couple of miles away.He used to walk into Bromsgrove to school and I suspect the landscape partly inspired the feelings displayed in his poem " A Shropshire lad". I know that encountering those few line at the end of the film Walkabout took me right back to the time and place that was a part of my life.
 
tt300 said:
Well I've enjoyed this conversation about hunters a lot, most of it seems relevant to someone who was at Hunters for five and a half years from 66. There was an art teacher might have been andrews followed by Evershed, he had a beard-me and two lads helped to paint his new cottage by pikes pool. Mr tebbut had quite a cynical sense of humour, I remember him briefly tying someone to the ladder in the woodwork class- it was taken in good humour by us generally. Mr Brownsword the gym teacher turned up one monday with a dressing on his head there was talk of him being kicked by a horse - in later years I suspected he'd been at a certain event in London -it was about '68. They never told us about the poet A E Houseman being born and living about a couple of miles away.He used to walk into Bromsgrove to school and I suspect the landscape partly inspired the feelings displayed in his poem " A Shropshire lad". I know that encountering those few line at the end of the film Walkabout took me right back to the time and place that was a part of my life.
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Mr Brownsword was a brilliant gym teacher. He helped me complete my Duke of Edinboroughs award, even though I was scared in case I failed. Did not like mr tebbit. He always picked on me, but then turned decent as he had me working up on the allotment by the block. Taught me about bee keeping. I think he picked on me as I was too quiet.
 
pollypops said:
Here is a picture of Cropwood, Blackwell early 1900's. My son who worked at Blackwell Court adventure centre a few years ago said it is the Manor House at Blackwell court*

*Please note since this post it has been confirmed that Blackwell Court was NOT Cropwood Open Air School
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pollypops said:
That sounds horrible littleemily. I can't imagine why they would have wanted to treat children like that - especially children who were not well. It is so sad that you were not allowed to be happy and enjoy your time there.

Here is another old picture (c 1925) that says it is Cropwood - I know there are a few building up there - do you recognise this one?
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That is at the side of Cropwood an extension that use to be two units known collectively as Drake House/ The Stables is the small black and white building adjacent to the road at the other end of the field that faces Cropwood
 
Wendy harris said:
Hi Sandra
I was at cropwood the same time as you and i remember you my name was Wendy Cleaver back then i remember Miss Clark she was a lovely lady. Remember sister Shaw the nurse i did not like her. I used to like the house mothers to we used to have some fun times.
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i remember sister shaw did you know miss rimel dont know if spelt right
 
Walkscrow said:
Hi there,
The PE teaher i remember was a Welshman named Jones would you believe!
I also remember a young teacher with a beard named Evershed who we called "Hedgehog" He drove an old teo seater car and sometimes gave us rides in it.
In my dorm I remember a David Peter's and the two McCluskey brothers.
Plug would show us films in the form during the winter.
I also remember him taking photos on visiting day!
Do you remember the "hunted cottage" at the entrance to the Hill.
How about Saturday tv night watching Batman and the Man from Uncle?
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was he called idwel jones he had a wife called pat
 
Hi there tt300.
So good 2 hear all about ur memories,was really curious 2 know who u are..as u wer there adzactly the same time as me.and,even left the same time as me!!!
I was in the block also,can u remember ur room numba?or whether u wer on the ground floor or top floor?who ur room mates wer etc.look forward 2 hearing from u?
 
the teachers i remember at hunters hill/crop wood are
Mr Kesterton
Mr jones
Mr smith
Mrs boddison
Mrs Woodward
Mrs Coleman
mr williams headmaster
mr tedds

the care staff
Mrs jones
mrs lejuine (sorry if name spelt wrong)
miss fisher
miss Williams
miss thompson
miss moore
Mr pennnet
miss rymell
miss barnes
miss farmer
 
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