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Golden Hillock Road School
- Thread starter tali
- Start date
norfolk brummie
gone but not forgotten
I agree Bernard. My only intention was to remember Basil as an old school friend. Eddie
tali
master brummie
I was a milk monitor at Golden Hillock in the 1950s before passing my 11plus and going to Lordswood Tech, in 1958.
my sole memory before reading your contribution was a lovely white-haired teacher called Mrs Harrington who taught us in the wooden school classroom. Robin Searles
my sole memory before reading your contribution was a lovely white-haired teacher called Mrs Harrington who taught us in the wooden school classroom. Robin Searles
Was your father in charge of the Lifeboys; I remember the leader before we went up to the Boys Brigade.
The teachers I remember were Miss Pargeter; Mr Frankish
Mr Barnett; Miss Venables; the Head, Miss Burwood.
When I left I went to Moseley Grammar School.
Best wishes
Trevor Rawlings
Hi Trevor,
Yes my Dad (Norman) followed Skip Barnard. Your memory of our days at Golden Hillock (60 odd years ago) are much sharper than mine. After a short time as a Draughtsman at the Rover and Parkinson Cowan, I entered the Church. I was an active Methodist Minister until seven years ago.
I returned back to Sparkhill a few years back and observed the tremendous changes that have taken place. I now live in Oulton Broad in Suffolk.
norfolk brummie
gone but not forgotten
Golden Hillock Road School, Sparkbrook, Birmingham. This photograph was taken thirty years ago, during one of my visits to the City.
I left the school in 1948, to start a working life. In spite of a couple of cane thrashings, for misbehaviour, I enjoyed the school. My friend, John Clayton (now sadly passed on), and I, would walk from Anderton Road, each morning, home for lunch, back for the afternoon, and then finally, back home at the end of the day. We must have walked 10-12 miles per week! No cars in sight in those days, and certainly no car park at Golden Hillock Road School. All that was there was a 'bike shed'.
Looking at the 1985 photograph, the tall building behind the school was definitely not there in my day. Just a hard tarmac play ground.
Sadly, the school has been in the National news this year, for all the wrong reasons.
Having commenced school in 1938, and later in my life, taught music in schools, five days a week, from 1995 until 2011, a matter of 73 years apart, I have been given the rare opportunity of being involved in the educations system, over those years. The changes have been immense. The teachers, the pupils, the education system, the facilities, the discipline. All completely different to my days at school.
Most of todays pupils take it all for granted (its the only way they have ever known). I would sometimes sit down with the modern day students (years 9, 10, 11), and tell them about my school days. How we coped in WW2 with schooling etcetera. The nice thing is that all these students would listen, attentively, to every word I said, fascinated, and they would ask me questions about my schooling years of 1938-48. At the end of the conversation, each time, without question, they all thanked me, and said how much they would now appreciate everything that they have. That was nice.
When I started teaching music, in 1995, after a successful working life, I would teach on a 'one to one' basis, and every pupil that came into my music studio, would say 'Good Morning/Afternoon, Mr Haynes'. I made them do it. I also made it a point that, no school teacher was allowed into my studio with out first knocking the door, and waiting for my response. That was how it was in my schooldays, and I felt that there should not be any reason for it to change. Even in the more modern educational system, it worked!!
They may not have liked it, but they respected me. Also probably because I was old enough to be either their father, or grand father!!
The kids were always great, and even now, four years after giving up teaching, and now aged 82, I still have former pupils on my Face Book page, Christmas Cards, phone calls, and the odd bottle of wine, also at Christmas. I cannot have done it all wrong.
Eddie
Golden Hillock Road School
I left the school in 1948, to start a working life. In spite of a couple of cane thrashings, for misbehaviour, I enjoyed the school. My friend, John Clayton (now sadly passed on), and I, would walk from Anderton Road, each morning, home for lunch, back for the afternoon, and then finally, back home at the end of the day. We must have walked 10-12 miles per week! No cars in sight in those days, and certainly no car park at Golden Hillock Road School. All that was there was a 'bike shed'.
Looking at the 1985 photograph, the tall building behind the school was definitely not there in my day. Just a hard tarmac play ground.
Sadly, the school has been in the National news this year, for all the wrong reasons.
Having commenced school in 1938, and later in my life, taught music in schools, five days a week, from 1995 until 2011, a matter of 73 years apart, I have been given the rare opportunity of being involved in the educations system, over those years. The changes have been immense. The teachers, the pupils, the education system, the facilities, the discipline. All completely different to my days at school.
Most of todays pupils take it all for granted (its the only way they have ever known). I would sometimes sit down with the modern day students (years 9, 10, 11), and tell them about my school days. How we coped in WW2 with schooling etcetera. The nice thing is that all these students would listen, attentively, to every word I said, fascinated, and they would ask me questions about my schooling years of 1938-48. At the end of the conversation, each time, without question, they all thanked me, and said how much they would now appreciate everything that they have. That was nice.
When I started teaching music, in 1995, after a successful working life, I would teach on a 'one to one' basis, and every pupil that came into my music studio, would say 'Good Morning/Afternoon, Mr Haynes'. I made them do it. I also made it a point that, no school teacher was allowed into my studio with out first knocking the door, and waiting for my response. That was how it was in my schooldays, and I felt that there should not be any reason for it to change. Even in the more modern educational system, it worked!!
They may not have liked it, but they respected me. Also probably because I was old enough to be either their father, or grand father!!
The kids were always great, and even now, four years after giving up teaching, and now aged 82, I still have former pupils on my Face Book page, Christmas Cards, phone calls, and the odd bottle of wine, also at Christmas. I cannot have done it all wrong.
Eddie
Golden Hillock Road School
Ray T
master brummie
Lovely to read about the old school after so many years. I was at Golden Hillock (all boys then) from about 1961-65 and remember some of the teachers mentioned here. Mr Minton teaching science I remember well. Mr Matthews the music teacher caned my hands for idly picking at a chair while listening to the music he was playing us. I was probably the only boy there who was enjoying the music! I once threw a snowball that hit Matthews's car by accident. I turned to the staff room window to see the man himself glaring at me, so that was another caning. He once told us he'd taken his daughter to the Albert Hall to see the Rolling Stones and from his description of it, it apparently scarred him for life. He was very fond of Gilbert and Sullivan. I remember Mr Travers caning a whole class, me included. Not his false teeth falling out (this time) but for some misdemeanour I can't recall. I do recall he gave the culprit so many minutes to own up or he'd cane the lot of us. We all knew who it was and he promised he'd confess when it came to it (no snitching in those days). He never did, and we all copped it!
Ray T.
O happy memories! We had a Mr Marslake for woodwork. When the King George VI died and Elizabeth took over at the Till he told us how he had now lived under 6 monarchs as he was born when Victoria was on the throne. We all stood fascinated whilst he spent the rest of the lesson telling us his life story, sleeping under bridges during the Depression etc. anything was better than actually doing work. Just about anything would set him off! Once someone (probably me!) stuffed up the job in hand and asked for another piece of wood it was just like a scene from Oliver Twist. We were all called round whilst he took up the chalk box of his desk (about the size of a house brick).We were told that this was how much we were allocated for a year due to the meanness of The Midland Education Dept. and the shortage due to WWII. However due to his contacts in the trade he was able to double the amount, and so another lesson was spent on another of his walks down memory lane.
He must have been not too bad as I can't recall him as a violent man.
Cheers Tim
He must have been not too bad as I can't recall him as a violent man.
Cheers Tim
Ray T
master brummie
Hi, Roy. So far as I recall, the two teachers with the most violent tendencies were Travers and Matthews. I seem to recall that Travers gave names to the canes he used on us and, unless my memory deceives me, the thinnest of them was called "Whistling Willie". Does that ring a bell with you or anybody else?
Ray T.
Ray T
master brummie
Hi, Tim. What fascinating memories of those woodworking classes. I've always remembered the woodwork teacher when I was at Golden Hillock in the early 60s as old Mr Marsden. Could that have been your Mr Marslake? Or was my Mr Marsden really Marslake? Anybody else remember either name?
Ray T.
Gooday Ray, I may have name a bit on the wobbly side, a bit morphed with a Mr Shelldrake the Chemistry teacher at Handsworth Tech. Perhaps someone will help sort it out.
My woodwork teacher was always doing marquetry (whilst we were left to follow his instructions) and didn't like being brought back to reality.
Another memory is of the glue pot that sat on the gasring and gave those beautiful aromas as the melted bones dribbled into the little blue flames.
There was also a huge grinding stone that only the privileged few were allowed to turn under close supervision.
I don't have the pipe stand that I think I made but I did come across one in a charity shop which was about the same standard that holds a couple of unused pipes having denounced My Lady Nicotine.
Like the school photo put up by Eddie, the only things in the yard were the toilets and occasionally the Austin Ruby belonging to Mr Price the assistant Head.
Cheers Tim
My woodwork teacher was always doing marquetry (whilst we were left to follow his instructions) and didn't like being brought back to reality.
Another memory is of the glue pot that sat on the gasring and gave those beautiful aromas as the melted bones dribbled into the little blue flames.
There was also a huge grinding stone that only the privileged few were allowed to turn under close supervision.
I don't have the pipe stand that I think I made but I did come across one in a charity shop which was about the same standard that holds a couple of unused pipes having denounced My Lady Nicotine.
Like the school photo put up by Eddie, the only things in the yard were the toilets and occasionally the Austin Ruby belonging to Mr Price the assistant Head.
Cheers Tim
Hi Ray..I remember Mr Travers I think he taught English...I remember his collection of canes hanging on the side of a cupboard. I think he had served in the Royal flying corp in the first world war because of his stories of removing bodys from crashed planes, very graphic details ..I remember the woodwork room was on the top floor of the new block I recall the bubbling glue pot ..and not being given a new piece of glass paper untill the one you were using was completely useless but I cant recall the teachers name .I remember Mr Simkins our form teacher for a couple of years ..There were 44 boys in that class... Roy.
Brian Leslie Sumner
New Member
I went to Golden Hillock school 1950 -55, there was , a photo of myself in the school soccer team ,I played right back.
It was on the Golden Hillock website , The only other pupil I remember was Peter Squires, who was really good a P.t. called P> nowadays! I think Mr bates was head teacher and Mr Tr avers was 4th year teacher, a very strict Scotsman.
Brian Sumner
It was on the Golden Hillock website , The only other pupil I remember was Peter Squires, who was really good a P.t. called P> nowadays! I think Mr bates was head teacher and Mr Tr avers was 4th year teacher, a very strict Scotsman.
Brian Sumner
Brian Leslie Sumner
New Member
I was off sick when Mr Travers caned the whole class!, his favourite songs (which he attempted to teach us ,was Skye boat song& swing low sweet chariot)
Brian Sumner
Brian Sumner
Ray T
master brummie
I was a Golden Hillock pupil about 1961-65 and I well remember the formidable Mr Travers who taught English. I believe he was the one with a selection of canes, one of which he called "whistling willy". Mr Matthews the music teacher was equally cane-happy, and he once caned me for idly picking at a splinter in a chair while listening to some classical music he was playing us. I think the charge was vandalism! There was also Mr Minton, the science teacher and an ex-RAF man, and also old Mr Marsden who taught woodwork. I forget the art teacher's name, but he was an easy-going younger man who wore the classic leather patches on the elbows of his jacket.
Regards, Ray T
Brian Leslie Sumner
New Member
Mr Marland was one woodwork teacher, I think Mr Mitchel was another teacher, and Mr Houghton also told of vivid memories of the war. One of the pupils claimed he had heard him tell the tale of forcing a German plane to crash ,by throwing a hammer up at it !
Hi Brian, I may be very wrong ( often am!). I left Golden Hillock Rd. School in 1952(?). I think I recall a Mr. Mitchell had red wavy hair and wore a blue pinstriped suit, also ex RAF.
Like the story about throwing the hammer, must have been a low flying Hun!
Cheers Tim
Like the story about throwing the hammer, must have been a low flying Hun!
Cheers Tim
norfolk brummie
gone but not forgotten
Mr Marsden, still teaching woodwork in 61/65??!!!
I left in December 1948, and Mr Marsden was there. I always thought he was an old man, even then.
Eddie
I left in December 1948, and Mr Marsden was there. I always thought he was an old man, even then.
Eddie
Ray T
master brummie
Yep, he was still glueing those joints and sanding those dowels, Eddie.
Regards, Ray T
norfolk brummie
gone but not forgotten
Delighted to me up yesterday with Ed Taylor, also a drummer, at the Vintage Drum Show, in Coventry.
Discovered that Ed also attended Golden Hillock Road School in the early fifties.
There are still a few of us "old 'uns" left, so watch it 'our kid'.
Eddie
Discovered that Ed also attended Golden Hillock Road School in the early fifties.
There are still a few of us "old 'uns" left, so watch it 'our kid'.
Eddie
oldbrit
OldBrit in Exile
YOU OLD!!!!
norfolk brummie
gone but not forgotten
oldbrit
OldBrit in Exile
Your just a kid Eddie! Happy B/day all the best and have many more, Birthdays are GOOD for you
norfolk brummie
gone but not forgotten
Just dug out my School Leaving Certificate, Still in its original brown envelope. Good final term, finishing 3rd out of 43 in exams.
Also found an exam report where I finished 2nd out of 40. Not bad for someone who went to ten schools in ten years, even if I say so myself. Note the date heading, where the year 47 has been written over the 1930's exam report date.
Also found an exam report where I finished 2nd out of 40. Not bad for someone who went to ten schools in ten years, even if I say so myself. Note the date heading, where the year 47 has been written over the 1930's exam report date.
oldbrit
OldBrit in Exile
I like #10 Eddie!!!
O