Guthlac House School, Castle Bromwich

[Stephen Bullas]

Hi Figboucher!

You will need to go to the following website address:

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/direct-messages/guthlac-house.45606/unread?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email

and then hit the black register button at the bottom of the screen. It will then guide you further.
You will need to be registered in order to post.
I am also sending you a direct e-Mail to this effect.
I had forgotten about the embroidery lessons, but now I recall them vividly. How strange! I can also still recite (most of) daffodils but didn't know exactly why. What a useful forum

You don't say whether you were a boy or a girl. Can you please enlighten us with your name, and that may prompt people you knew at the time to reply. I'm not entirely sure when I myself left, but am pretty confident that it was before 1957.

Looking forward to hearing from you!


Steve

 

[Stephen Bullas]

It’s with great interest that I found this forum on Guthlac House School, not that I remember much of it, or were even told anything about it later, in fact all I can remember is wearing the shorts, blazer and school cap, and playing on a tree at the back of the building, this must have been some time in the early 50’s.

I was born in Birmingham, just off the Sparkbrook Road in Sparkhill, and later moved to near Coleshill and The Hunters Moon Pub, so the school was only around 600m away (looking at the address someone posted), I would certainly be interested in any history, photographs etc., of the school.

Later when I was around 9, we moved to Sudbury, near Greenford as my father’s work relocated him, then going to the local Secondary Modern School.

After doing an engineering apprenticeship, I moved into technical sales / sales management for a number of years, spent almost 2 years working in Frankfurt, Germany. Returning to the UK my Finnish wife and I had two children, who are doing well, our daughter lives near Watford, and our son now lives just outside Birmingham (oh the irony!), so have visited Birmingham quite a few times now, and certainly the centre is quite spectacular, we were at the Frankfurt Christmas Market a few weeks ago, and also saw “Ozzy” at New Street Station.

I have now been living in Southern Finland for just over 12 years, but regularly travel back to the UK to see family, life in Finland is pretty good, although we just had over a week, where the temperature was not warmer than -25 degrees Celsius.

If anyone has information of Guthlac House School, I would be delighted to hear about it.

Hi Colin, and welcome to the Guthlac House school thread!

I have been off the board for most of the year due to illness, but now seem to be OK. Please accept my apologies for the very delayed response.

I was there in the early to mid '50s too (best guess Jan '53 - '56 ???)!

When I started the Guthlac House forum, I posted some stuff regarding school uniform together with a black & white 'photo. There was a discussion about its colour, and whether or not it was changed from green to blue (or vice versa, or not at all!) at some point? Do you have any 'photos of the school and/or pupils, especially if you are in any of them?

I my day, only the girls were (sporadically) allowed into the garden "to play with the fairies", although Robert remembers that boys had also been allowed when he was there a couple of years earlier and, indeed, he had a bit of an accident on an outside bench one day.

I have also lived in Germany (for more than 20 years - mostly Munich, but also Bonn (in the days when it was the Federal Capital.).

Here's a picture of the pub near to you at the time. I hope it brings back some memories too

 

[Figboucher]

My name at the time was Susan McCredie. Blond hair and NHS specs. I do remember the uniform fondly as I’d never worn one. Only problem was beret as I have a huge head and it kept popping off. I also remember we had Wednesday afternoon off so we could go shopping with our mothers? This may be a fantasy but I love it.

 

[Stephen Bullas]

Hi Susan!

Thanks for replying so promptly!

I remember quite a few Susans (see earlier posts on pages 1 and 2). but not your surname, I'm afraid :-(

Do you have a photo of the time that you would be prepared to share?

I don't remember Wednesday afternoons being 'free', but it's quite possible that I've forgotten. Does anyone else remember that at all?

Love your 'fantasy'.

Steve

 

[Figboucher]

And my uniform was green. Badge had a gold tree.

 

[Figboucher]

I’ll see if I have an photos and post if I I do.

 

[Stephen Bullas]

Excellent on both counts, Susan, thank you - I'll look forward to seeing the photos (if you find any)!

Did you see the b&w photo of the boys' uniform on Page 1? No skirt or beret, I'm afraid, but the blazer should ring some bells

BTW, looking at some of my earlier posts, it looks as though I was there until Easter term of 1957, not '56 as I speculated in my previous post to you. Seems, therefore, that our times at Guthlac House would have overlapped!

Best wishes,

Steve

 

[Stephen Bullas]

Hi Myra, and welcome to the forum! It's wonderful to have found someone else that was at Guthlac House.

Please do post any photos (of pupils and/or staff) that you may have, together with the names of anyone on them that you may remember!

I take it that you meant elocution lessons - do you recall what the name of the teacher was? From one of my earlier posts, his/her initials were MHC - another member of the Colenutt family, perhaps?

Also from an earlier post, I seemed to remember a girl called "Moira", but it might well have been Myra - in fact, I think it probably was. I do remember her being smaller rather than taller, but we all were then :-(
Do you have a photo of yourself from that period? I'm sure I would recognise you if you were the same girl . . .

I also remember a dance display, but it was in the church hall, a modern building (then) a little further up the road, just past the bus stop on the same side. The church and hall are still there.

Another thing that I remember was when the school first introduced the concept of school 'houses'. I was in "Robin" which had a red circular badge which we would wear on our lapels. Another house-name was "Blackbird" which had a yellow badge. I also seem to remember there being a third house with a green badge, but goodness knows what bird that would have represented!

Lovely to have 'met' you, Myra - please do continue posting

Robert: You may not see these postings if you're away on your 'grand tour', so I'll send you an LI message to draw you attention to it . . .

All the best to everyone,

Stephen

Hi Myra and all fellow pupils!
I've found a modern photo of the church / church hall that I referred to in my original reply to you and am attaching it to this post. Does it bring back memories to anyone? We used to do our Christmas plays there, as far as I recall. I do remember one year whilst looking for the backstage toilets and innocently stumbled into the girls' changing room for the play. Scandal! I was quickly removed by one of the teachers and must have been at least 6 years old