Great Barr High School & Commercial College
Mrs Hunt was the principal
Hi Hannah,
I went to Great Barr HS & Commercial College 1948-52. When did you go? Headmistress Mrs Fannie Hunt modelled it on Pitmans/Lawrence College, Corporation Street [where my father & mother went 1920's]. Remember the tennis courts in the back garden? We had navyblue uniforms with matching hats [which always had to be worn!] and white panama hats in the summer with blue & white candy striped dresses. The house is still there on Walsall Raod but is kindergarten or daycare centre. Before that I went to Arnold House Preparatory School on Heathfield Road, Birchfields. Miss Margaret Hailey was headmistress. The blazers were spectacular - green with thin red & white stripes - green gymslips, green hats, white panamas in Summer. Boys wore striped caps & blazers with green pants short or long. The striped material was hard to get after War. There was a special school uniform supply store on New Street.It closed in 1948. I started out at Wilson Road School, Birchfields. Remember being given the blue & red "Mickey Mouse" gas mask which I hated to wear - thought it would suffocate me!