Martyn Broom
knowlegable brummie
It might have been the Clifton
-
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
the other one down from the lord clifden was the church inn martyn both are still up and running
lyn
Martyn Broom
knowlegable brummie
Hi Lyn, Is it possible to put my pictures on the forum , uploading them from my Facebook account? Im not very Computer Savy. Thank you
Martyn Broom
knowlegable brummie
It was the Clifton , A great little pub. Thank you Lyn
John_Gower_Street_pupil
master brummie
I guess he must have served in Northern Ireland. I'm glad he survived wherever he was.
John_Gower_Street_pupil
master brummie
Yes I remember James Introducing us
Martyn Broom
knowlegable brummie
Do you remember David Broom ? Came to Gower Boys from Australia about 1964
John_Gower_Street_pupil
master brummie
No sorry I don't should I?
Martyn Broom
knowlegable brummie
I mentioned on an earlier post that the students from Holte Grammar had been sitting on their laurels throughout their time at the grammar school.
In fact our form teacher at Holte Comprehensive, Mrs. Wilson, was very impressed with the classes results she couldn’t quite believe it. My fifth form class was made up of all the boys from Gower who decided to stay on and likewise the girls from Lozells girls.
When it came to lessons, however, we were lumped in with the grammar students. Our math’s teacher was Mr. Rodburn. This is only my opinion mind, he was dreadful. He would get us to do an exercise from the text book while he chatted one of the girl students up for most of the period. There was a rumour that they had been seeing each other on the weekends. The whole atmosphere was relaxed and too many of the students just chatted. It was a tad too noisy for my liking.
Mr. Rodburn fancied himself as Tommy Cooper and apparently took on that persona for the Christmas school function. He wasn’t at all funny.
One of the ex-grammar students queried a question from the exercise stating that his answer was different from the solution given at the back of the book. And so the teacher did it on the board.
He got the same answer as the student. He actually said that ‘the solution in the book was wrong’.
As I said before, I used to sit at the back of the class, I just mentioned to my mate sitting beside me that I’d got the answer in the book. No sooner had I said it; an ex-grammar girl sitting directly in from of me blurted out that I had the answer in the book. I was summoned to the front to do it on the board. This girl had a Cheshire cat grin on her mush as I passed by her.
Mr. Rodburn assumed I was going to make a minor change to his working, but I wiped the board clean before I started. I didn’t use the textbook.
I wrote the question from memory and worked it out. All he could say was ‘okay smart arse’ as I walked back to my seat.
Every maths lesson was like that. I was not at all impressed. I would rather have had Mr. Eyton taking class; he would have got some improvement out of them. It would have been interesting to see how he handled the girls.
-<
Martyn Broom
knowlegable brummie
Gower Boys Football Team date on the Ball. Mr Bernard Phillips or Wally Eyton sitting to the right. 
John_Gower_Street_pupil
master brummie
Well that is definitely not Mr. Phillips.
This is indeed a rare photo everybody. I didn't know Mr. Eyton knew how to smile!
This was taken from Guildford Street.
This is indeed a rare photo everybody. I didn't know Mr. Eyton knew how to smile!
This was taken from Guildford Street.
Last edited:
smashing photo martyn... if i am not mistaken taken on the roof top (as so many are) of the school..the block of flats you see behind which was on lozells road has been demolished
lyn
Martyn Broom
knowlegable brummie
Yes the roof was a favourite spot for photo,s, I did see some pics of the flat being taken down, Mr Phillips became Headmaster after Mr Ball retired and left. He was very fair and always made time for you. My days there were very good and i have fond memories of all the teachers even Wally Eyton , tough as he was ( Taps on the back of the head and " 10 house points off your team " lol i learnt more from him than any other teacher i had in my 4 years there. 1967-71.
John_Gower_Street_pupil
master brummie
Hi Lyn
That photo was taken the year before Martyn and I went to Gower.
I want to know where he got it from
Martyn Broom
knowlegable brummie
No Lyn He is definitely better looking lol, No as John said I/we joined the School probably Sept 1967. I can only recognise the Teacher who is very hard to forget as anyone who went to Gower Boys will tell you. I have a picture somewhere of All of the Teaching Staff lined up for a photograph, Im trying my hardest to find it.
thanks martyn be great if you can find it it would be a nice edition to this thread
lyn
Banjo
master brummie
I'm sure this photo is on the Forum somewhere. Credited to Bob Greathead History Collection, it shows Gower St School teachers in 1955. Most of these were still there in 1961 when I left. Standing left to right: Mr Cross (science), Mr Edwards, Mr Williams (my 2B teacher), Mr Phillips, Mr Dean (my 3B teacher) and Headmaster Mr Matts. I don't know the teacher standing on the right. Mr Eyton is front left and I don't know the other two teachers. Were any of these still there in 1967?
John_Gower_Street_pupil
master brummie
Thanks Banjo
Well, well, well. I have been waiting for a photo like this for a while now.
The first thing is that it was taken in the year I was born. Secondly Mr. Eyton was a smoker; didn't know that.
I only recognize Messer's Cross, Phillips and Eyton.
Mr. Phillips was always Headmaster in my time (67 - 70).
I take it you were based in the Annex building so I would not have known your two form teachers.
Last edited:
John_Gower_Street_pupil
master brummie
It is Mr. Eyton on post 161 Lyn. When he taught us his hair was snow white. I saw him many years after leaving school and he hadn't changed at all. There are twelve years between the two photos and a lot can happen in that time.
Going further back in the history of the school, a 1930s Pageant of the Empire display. Viv.
Source: British Newspaper Archive
Source: British Newspaper Archive
Last edited:
I’m adding a school description here from British History Online as I can see there are girls included in the Pageant (and the thread title originally included only the Boys’ school, so have edited the title). The school premises have had a fairly complicated history :
GOWER STREET COUNCIL SCHOOL, Lozells. Gower St. Sch. (apparently undenominational) established 1862 in temporary building. New building opened in same year. Received annual grant from 1870, when it had one teacher. Fees 3d. –6d. A.a. 1871: 123. By 1876 apparently included I, in separate room. Transferred to Aston Sch. Bd. 1876 as Gower St. Bd. Sch. Fees 1d.–3d. Then apparently very efficient. Overcrowded 1877–8. Enlarged for 3 depts. 1878. New B block opened 1879. Total accom. 1880: 1,128. Site enlarged and new JM block opened 1886, accom. 256. G dept. enlarged 1889. Accom. 1889: 1,355. Bd. of Ed. demanded substantial improvements in premises 1912. Reorganized 1931 for SB, JM, I. I dept. closed 1938. JM block destroyed by enemy action 1940 and dept. housed in former Alma St. Sch. until 1945. It then closed and children transferred to Cowper St. Council Sch. SB dept. became a separate sch. 1945 (see next sch.). JM buildings repaired 1948, 1954 and used by Gower St. Cty. Modern Sch.
GOWER STREET BOYS' COUNTY MODERN SCHOOL, Lozells. Became a separate sch. 1945 (see preceding sch.). Accom. in part of former JM block provided 1948, and more in 1954. N.o.b. 1961: 460.
Here’s a link to Cowper Street School https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/william-cowper-street-school.31250/page-5
Here’s a link to Alma Street School https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/alma-street-junior-infants.25189/page-3
GOWER STREET COUNCIL SCHOOL, Lozells. Gower St. Sch. (apparently undenominational) established 1862 in temporary building. New building opened in same year. Received annual grant from 1870, when it had one teacher. Fees 3d. –6d. A.a. 1871: 123. By 1876 apparently included I, in separate room. Transferred to Aston Sch. Bd. 1876 as Gower St. Bd. Sch. Fees 1d.–3d. Then apparently very efficient. Overcrowded 1877–8. Enlarged for 3 depts. 1878. New B block opened 1879. Total accom. 1880: 1,128. Site enlarged and new JM block opened 1886, accom. 256. G dept. enlarged 1889. Accom. 1889: 1,355. Bd. of Ed. demanded substantial improvements in premises 1912. Reorganized 1931 for SB, JM, I. I dept. closed 1938. JM block destroyed by enemy action 1940 and dept. housed in former Alma St. Sch. until 1945. It then closed and children transferred to Cowper St. Council Sch. SB dept. became a separate sch. 1945 (see next sch.). JM buildings repaired 1948, 1954 and used by Gower St. Cty. Modern Sch.
GOWER STREET BOYS' COUNTY MODERN SCHOOL, Lozells. Became a separate sch. 1945 (see preceding sch.). Accom. in part of former JM block provided 1948, and more in 1954. N.o.b. 1961: 460.
Here’s a link to Cowper Street School https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/william-cowper-street-school.31250/page-5
Here’s a link to Alma Street School https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/alma-street-junior-infants.25189/page-3
Last edited:
Two other threads have now been merged into this one thread so there may be previously unseen posts. Viv.
Banjo
master brummie
Seeing the name Cora Watkins running pubs makes me think that she might be the Watkins family I lived with at 136 Victoria Road in 1958. She was German and her husband was Bill Watkins. They had two sons but I can't remember their names. A few years later I heard that she was running a pub in Villa Road.
Martyn Broom
knowlegable brummie
It is the same family Banjo.
does anyone remember the pub or pubs that cora ran and when...having no luck tracking any down
lyn
Banjo
master brummie
In recent years I've often wondered why my school was called Gower St School when only a small part of it was actually in Gower St. The block we used for woodwork,metalwork & pottery was on Lozells Rd between the Police station & St Pauls church. The block (which still stands today) that had the Headmaster's office, the Admin office & even the cookhouse was on the corner of Lozells Rd & Guilford St. The science block stood on the corner of Guilford St & Gower St. Seems to me it would have made more sense to call it Guilford St School.
Anyway, I've been trying to find out some history of the school but, there is little information to be had. Vivienne's post #203 gives all the info that is currently available but without knowing which building came 1st, 2nd or 3rd it's hard to understand which depts were housed in which building.
By 1889 it looks like all three buildings were built as the map shows.
This seems to have remained so until 1931 when they re-organised the depts into Senior Boys, Junior Mixed & Infants. I assume the Junior Mixed was housed in building 1 as it was destroyed by enemy action in 1940 and rebuilt in 1948.
As there was further rebuilding in 1954, I assume it was on building 2 as the apex roofs have now gone as shown in this low res photo.
I'm still looking for a good ground level photo of building 2 which I'm hoping to find somewhere in the Birmingham Library.
Anyway, I've been trying to find out some history of the school but, there is little information to be had. Vivienne's post #203 gives all the info that is currently available but without knowing which building came 1st, 2nd or 3rd it's hard to understand which depts were housed in which building.
By 1889 it looks like all three buildings were built as the map shows.
This seems to have remained so until 1931 when they re-organised the depts into Senior Boys, Junior Mixed & Infants. I assume the Junior Mixed was housed in building 1 as it was destroyed by enemy action in 1940 and rebuilt in 1948.
As there was further rebuilding in 1954, I assume it was on building 2 as the apex roofs have now gone as shown in this low res photo.
I'm still looking for a good ground level photo of building 2 which I'm hoping to find somewhere in the Birmingham Library.
hi banjo it could be possible that the land that the original part of gower st school was built on could have been named after a landowner called mr gower the street being named first...i have found that this happens a lot with street names...will see if his name is on any of the older maps i have
lyn
Last edited: