• 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

Eliot Street School Nechells

oh that is sad debs... it was such a very different world back then...how kind of mr edge though...bless him

lyn
 
Hi Pete
I attended Eliot Street between 1949 to xmas 1954(when I was 10)
the staff I remember were Miss Parry and the husband & wife team the Reece`s.
There was a junior teacher Miss Browning (I carried her case to bus stop on her last day)--
and put my ear to the headmasters door and heard Mr Rome say "Go and find yourself a man"
to Miss Browning. I suppose the ten year old boy had a crush on her?
Struggling to remember the others Pete.

Roger
 
My mum moved house in 1961 from Shard End back to her Nechells roots. We lived on Cook Street and I attended Eliot Street from September 1961 to the time I left in April 1962 when I left to start work as an apprentice compositor for Buckler & Webb Ltd.

Fond memories of the pupils I was with; some of their names I remember are: Susan Bird, Gordon Hodges (who lived on Eliot St. I think), Alan Rowlands, Kennie Mills, Robert Hartley, Alan Weaver, John Moult, Susanne ?, Chris ?…I’m sure some others will come back to me in time!

Another friend was Roy Mortimer who was a real hoot and could make anyone laugh like a drain. When going for our first jobs (in April ‘62) he stood over a hole being dug by utility workers and sang, “There I was, diggin ‘an ‘ole, ‘ole in the ground…” and those doing the digging got more than a little angry with him and threw their shovels at him! I’m sure Bernard Cribbins would have loved to see it.

The headmaster was Mr Scott, a lovely caring and jolly man who took time to talk to as many of the children as he could. Mr John was our PT teacher.

If anyone has any contact with the people I’ve mentioned I’d love to know please!

I left Birmingham the day after Churchill died in January 1965 to join the Royal Navy and never returned to my home town. But it’s still a big part of me and I must make more effort to go back from time to time. I now live in Chalfont St Peter, Bucks. (My own children were born in Elgin, Scotland, RAF Cosford Hospital, Shropshire, and Swindon in Wiltshire.)
 
Last edited:
The poor mites in this pic and, even worse, post #25 of 1953, they don't look very happy to be there! The kids in pic #52 look positively petrified!
My Mom (Dorothy Lee, later Dorothy Rawlins) went to Eliot Street school must have been from about 1940-1950. She told me the Headteacher was Mr Edge, she was so undernourished he called her into his office once and made her eat a free dinner.
That’s a lovely school photograph Debsy! Fond memories. Before my time, but so much history in the picture. If only we knew their names now?
 
Hello., I left Eliot Street (Seniors) in 1961 so we may have crossed paths as I also attended Juniors and remembered Mr Rome.,Mr Stratford (EX RAF PTI) I remember Mr Johns, we also had Mr Derby, Mr Holloway, Mrs Stableford the craft teacher who taught me every craft I now do, Miss Peck, domestic science, Mrs Sybil May who coached us through our 'O' levels GCE English Literature at her home as well as at school. I expect everyone remembers Mr Scott who lived next door to John Arlott in Wiltshire and had the lovely accent. Query for those who read this, anyone remember Rita Nicholas (loved her impression of Elvis) Sandra Clarke (Clank) and Gilly Evans, at one point my bestest pals!

Hello Catherine: you were slightly ahead of me at Eliot St as I was there only for a short time before leaving to start work, from September 1961 to April 1962. The PT teacher was Mr John (you added an ‘s’ to his name but it was John not Johns. He had a lovely beard and was not only great at his job but very caring and friendly to all of us.)

Some of my class mates were: Susan Bird, John Moult, Alan Rowlands, Kennie Mills, Roy Mortimer, Alan Weaver, Gordon Hodges, Susanne ?, Christopher ?, Robert Hartley whose granddad kept a shop on corner of Mount Street and Aston Church Road but he also had a one man haulage business and parked his lorry outside the shop at nights.

Fond memories of all of them. If you know of any of them or their siblings I’d love to hear from you. I now live in Chalfont St Peter in Bucks. but I try to get back to B’ham when I have the time or a reason to go. I’ve not lived there since joining the Royal Navy in January ‘65.
 
That’s a lovely school photograph Debsy! Fond memories. Before my time, but so much history in the picture. If only we knew their names now?
i left in 63.i was in miss mcormacks class she was nice hooooooo. the headmaster was mr p. he was a .i think1548580159085.png
 
Last edited:
I don't know if any of these images have been posted to this thread previously and have gone on the missing list over the years. So I am posting them here so they might be enjoyed by some of the ex pupils.

Nechells Eliot St Primary School .jpgNechells Eliot st.jpgNechells Eliott St School 58-59.jpgNechells Eliott St School.jpg
 
Yes, I have one somewhere, it says something like "David loves work, he will sit there and watch others working for hours"
 
My mum moved house in 1961 from Shard End back to her Nechells roots. We lived on Cook Street and I attended Eliot Street from September 1961 to the time I left in April 1962 when I left to start work as an apprentice compositor for Buckler & Webb Ltd.

Fond memories of the pupils I was with; some of their names I remember are: Susan Bird, Gordon Hodges (who lived on Eliot St. I think), Alan Rowlands, Kennie Mills, Robert Hartley, Alan Weaver, John Moult, Susanne ?, Chris ?…I’m sure some others will come back to me in time!

Another friend was Roy Mortimer who was a real hoot and could make anyone laugh like a drain. When going for our first jobs (in April ‘62) he stood over a hole being dug by utility workers and sang, “There I was, diggin ‘an ‘ole, ‘ole in the ground…” and those doing the digging got more than a little angry with him and threw their shovels at him! I’m sure Bernard Cribbins would have loved to see it.

The headmaster was Mr Scott, a lovely caring and jolly man who took time to talk to as many of the children as he could. Mr John was our PT teacher.

If anyone has any contact with the people I’ve mentioned I’d love to know please!

I left Birmingham the day after Churchill died in January 1965 to join the Royal Navy and never returned to my home town. But it’s still a big part of me and I must make more effort to go back from time to time. I now live in Chalfont St Peter, Bucks. (My own children were born in Elgin, Scotland, RAF Cosford Hospital, Shropshire, and Swindon in Wiltshire.)
mr scott was a very nice man.
 
the factory


hello dolly, i was in the same class as clive bamford when we were at eliot st school. The derelict factory was known them days as lindleys, they made railway lamps for parafin, My dad worked there so i had a good collection.In the late sixties Tester and swane spayer makers bought it.then clark took over.
I left 3b eliot st 1964.the headmaster was named parsons,I did not like that man as much as mr scott.
 
Greetings from British Columbia.I was in Infants 1947 to1952 and seniors 1953 to 1959. I was one Scotties original Guinea-pigs. In 1961 to 1964 I did teacher training and taught in Sussex for 2yrs. Married Jean Dykes in 1965. We emigrated to Canada in 1966. Went down Nechells last time in 2008. Retired in 1999. Still active. Will be in England 2022. I remember a ton of names, kids and teachers. Would love to hear from anybody. Up the Blues! Dave Cookson.{ Sam of Cheatham. St.}
 
my Nan Norma Hollingsworth left 1961-62 was always being sent shopping for mrs Bint domestic science teacher sent to Lewis’s mr Scott headmaster mr West was her final teacher nan and my aunt Sandra lived in Eliot st her mom Alice Perks with brothers Bill and Joe also attended Eliot st in 1915 on wards
 
my Nan Norma Hollingsworth left 1961-62 was always being sent shopping for mrs Bint domestic science teacher sent to Lewis’s mr Scott headmaster mr West was her final teacher nan and my aunt Sandra lived in Eliot st her mom Alice Perks with brothers Bill and Joe also attended Eliot st in 1915 on wards
Mr Scott was a nice headmaster.i left in 1964
 
I see this post is still going so thought I'd make a few more random entries, my previous ones were Oct 2016 to Jul 2018
Firstly, a photo, no idea where I copied it from, good healthy atmosphere we lived in. I know this was taken 1953, I was 7-8 then so could be part of that circle, or there abouts. Part of the canteen, background right, and the old toilets, background middle.
 

Attachments

  • Eliot St playground.jpg
    Eliot St playground.jpg
    83.7 KB · Views: 41
i remember the old cookhouse my friends mom worked in there, she gave us left over puddings at afternoon playtime.
and the row of loos with no doors on.
 
Another pic, taken in July 1956 by Miss Gooding, soon to become Mrs Power. Its our last month of Junior school at Eliot St, me and a number of class mates. Sorry if I've got anybody's name wrong. Left to right - Colin Utteridge, me Bill Austin, Tony Kirby, Malcolm Langbourne, John Leedham, Roger Farmer, Roy Jennings, Malcolm Lambimg649.jpg
 
What amazing stories and incredible memories everyone has. I’m new to this site and already feel addicted!
My mom, Brenda Hatherley, went to Eliot St school from around 1938. She lived in Plume St where her dad ran a shop on the corner with Holborn Hill. I’m trying to put a collage of photos together ready for her 90th birthday in February so if anyone has any pictures of that area around those years I’d be ever grateful. Also great to read some of the stories of life in that part of Birmingham. Thank you everyone
 
What amazing stories and incredible memories everyone has. I’m new to this site and already feel addicted!
My mom, Brenda Hatherley, went to Eliot St school from around 1938. She lived in Plume St where her dad ran a shop on the corner with Holborn Hill. I’m trying to put a collage of photos together ready for her 90th birthday in February so if anyone has any pictures of that area around those years I’d be ever grateful. Also great to read some of the stories of life in that part of Birmingham. Thank you everyone
welcom et the forum Kevin.best of luck.
 
Back
Top