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Handsworth Technical School

You were busy at HTS anvil man. I can recognise three things in your pic I would have made. It's nice to see the badges but I've forgotten why there were two different colours.
 
Thanks anvil man for reminding me about the badges, I remember now.
I only (accidently) kept one item from Handsworth Tech which I mentioned in an earlier post see below - sorry about the size of the pic, but thats all we could post back then ...
oldMohawk said:
Confession - When I left Handsworth Tech I didn't hand in the Mathematical Tables book shown below. Someone named T.J.A. Reading had it before me and there is another name crossed out. I didn't cause the large ink blot on it.
One of my uncles bought me a Biro (early ball point pen) which was a novelty but the ink tended to smudge, and Ozzie nearly exploded when I used it for my English homework - had to rewrite it with proper pen and ink.
It's funny how I've kept the book for 60 years - don't know why !
I've just looked inside the book at logarithms and antilogarithms and can't work out how we used them.
Just think - Spitfires were probably designed using log tables and slide rules !
Logtables.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Hi Anvil man,
We were still making the same items that you have shown in 1956-58
It looks like a scene from inside my garage cupboard,
Do you not still have the aluminium casting made from the anvil ? I posted a picture of mine but like yours it was "hacked"

Great stuff Goffy
 
oldMohawk said:
I haven't seen mention of the paper bag water-bombs lately in the posts.
Click the pic to see the Attic Launch Window.
Click to expand...
I behave these days OM though I did buy a Super Soaker to dissuade the stray cat that comes in the garden.
 
Goffy. Sorry to say my casting never materialised, a flop! In 1953 it seemed we only had one attempt as aluminium appeared to be scarce even though aircraft from the recent war were being broken up in their thousands,.
 
I was at Craythorne Ave from 1963 to 1968 in forms from 1b to 5A2.

I can remember some names from my form, Caro, Stanyard, Rogers, Shaw, Kudryl, Wickett, Woodward, Morris.

Mendes was the Head and Trevor Lewis the deputy. I remember "bomber" Plowright teaching English, Flurtter for Maths, Rosier for Chemistry, Stokes and Ball for PE. Rudkin for RE.

Stokes really tried hard to teach me to swim at Grove Lane baths, and eventually succeeded! He did ruin my bowling at cricket though, no balling me 6 balls in a row and never once told me what I was doing wrong!

Happy days
 
Hello Anvil Man.

Thanks for you post it brought back memories, I was at HTS from 1948-1950 and made the items shown in your photo we had more than one attempt at casting the anvil and stand sorry must have used all the aluminium. The only thing that remains is I have my last report dated 20 Dec 1950 head master Mr A J Bryant but all the masters signed with their initials the only one I can remember Is J Osborne the English teacher who whilst I was there always came class wearing a pullover with a scorch mark the shape of his iron.
Many Thanks for you posts,
Regards Norman Thurston
 
Mohawk said:
Great stuff, Charl. I'm guessing that the German master you refer to was Dorman (predictably enough nicknamed 'Dormouse'): tallish, black hair and black thick-rimmed glasses. He was my joint form-master when I started, sharing the job with Bedford; I think both of them were fairly new to the school. I hated Dorman, he was most things a teacher shouldn't be; vindictive, mostly. Once he took a dislike to you, you had no chance. I always said he'd have been better joining the Gestapo. In years 2-5 I got lucky and had Harry Plowright as FM. The only other one that fits (another unpleasant character) was, oddly enough, named Neale; bit older than Dormouse, tubby, fair-haired.
I certainly recall the land-yacht, it was always parked in the hall and many a ticking-off was issued when anyone went too close to it, or dared to sit in it. I have a mate who was with me all through the HTS years (he's the only one I'm still in touch with, but he's not on the net) and I told him about your joining the forum and what you'd said. He remembered the tv thing and said he thought it was Nationwide. I have only vague memories of it. We often talk of those days but we hadn't mentioned the land-yacht for many years.
As soon as I read 'glue-pot' in your post, I, too, could smell it! It was always on the go, being surrounded by a water-jacket, and everything within a foot-radius of it was sticky. Animal glue isn't the nicest of odours.

A few names to conjure with that haven't yet been mentioned on the thread (and may only be recalled by us latecomers): DAVIES (GEOG), BATTS (MATHS), I'ANSON [himself a former HTS pupil] and SKELDING (WOODWORK), FISHER and FISHER (METALWORK), RAY COXON (MUSIC), HAMILTON (ART), JENNY HUGHES later ADAMS-HUGHES (GERMAN and FRENCH), PAGEL (GERMAN), STEVE GATELEY (CHEMISTRY), RUDKIN (R.E.), THOMPSON (FRENCH and GERMAN), MISS THOMAS (SECRETARY). I may yet think of more.
When I started, the head boy was Poultney, one of his sidekicks was Green. They and their clan were called 'deefs' , shorthand for defects, to rhyme with prefects.
Do you remember a lad named Graham Stokes? He was killed by a landslide while playing in a quarry. I think this was about 1967 and he was about 14.

Well, there's a bit to be going on with!

Regards, Mohawk.
Click to expand...
Hi, have been reading forum for a while, was at HTS 60-67. Walked up from train every day including incredible winters 62/63 remember fug of wet macs in the cloakrooms. Watching steam trains, milk crates stacked outside main building. Mr Morris maths, Mr Fryer music, Mr Griffiths biology, Mr Birch history, Mr Hollingsworth German. Mr Mottishead ran the chess club. I took all the photographs for the land yacht project and went to London to see the show recorded.
 
Hello Everyone
Professor Rosier was science teacher at Loxton Street School before he moved to the Tech. He took us for our lesson in sex education, He stood in front of the class with 2 stuffed rabbits and told us one was male and one was female. We were told what made them different from each other and how they mated. Donald Bywater stood up and said 'do you and your wife dress up as rabbits then every night you go to bed' Professor Rosier turned away and the class was falling about laughing. After a few minutes he said I think we will all go for a walk, we got back to school in time to go home.
Great memories.
Gerald
Garden Gerald.
 
Hello Anvil Man
I went to Loxton Street School and was in the class when he gave the sex education talk. He did not stop long at Loxton
Street but was a very good teacher.
Take care...Gerald
Garden Gerald.
 
Flashman10d said:
Hi, have been reading forum for a while, was at HTS 60-67. Walked up from train every day including incredible winters 62/63 remember fug of wet macs in the cloakrooms. Watching steam trains, milk crates stacked outside main building. Mr Morris maths, Mr Fryer music, Mr Griffiths biology, Mr Birch history, Mr Hollingsworth German. Mr Mottishead ran the chess club. I took all the photographs for the land yacht project and went to London to see the show recorded.
Click to expand...
 
Goffy said:
Hi Jimster, Glad you can remember all those names, I too left in 58.
The teacher we had for Physics I remember was a Mr Store. we always had to queue up outside his door before his lesson, I remember one lad saying "I wonder whats in Store for us today" much to everyones amusement.

Goffy
Click to expand...
mike-g said:
All I remember of the house system was the colour of my games kit..YELLOW. mom used to moan about getting it clean.
I think that was Murdoch
Click to expand...
 
tim eborn said:
Hi Reg, Don't know what age our Mr Stokes maybe only his 50,s but to a 13 year old that is OLD. Maybe I should google to see if there is anything about him, or maybe I should get a Life?
A bit of my missing memory has surfaced, the lad whose name I could not recall was Robert(Bobby) Pritchard I think.
Another ex Stratford Road School boy was Keith? (Willy) Abbott, very athletic he was expelled from HTS for knocking out a teacher who picked on the wrong boy. From the top of the Gym building you could see into Mr Bryant's office and the procedure ( which seemed to take hours) was watched and reported to all and sundry. His father came in from Solihull (?) to fight his case and take him home. He was a hero for a few days and a bit rubbed off onto us who knew him.
Cheers from Down Under
Click to expand...
Hello Tim
As ever I'm years out in finding these most interesting posts. Bobby Pritchard and Keith (Piggy) Abbot were both good friends of mine. Bobby lived in Long street and I knew him and his family quite well. Keith is the same age as me with the same birthday date. I'm assuming that it is 'is' and not 'was'! I see in another post that you mention Tillingham Street. My grandparents lived here at No 10 and I used to visit regularly with my parents. I must have been in your company at some time in our educational voyage.
Neville Knight
 
Well young Neville what can I say about this blast from the past.
Bobby Pritchard was my mentor when I went to HTS as he was a term ahead of me and sort of took me under his wing, or lead me astray. He and I were in a funny little club who's after school challenge was being able to unlock every desk and locker in the school. When everyone had gone home we would go round with huge bunches of keys just show that we could open them. This often meant buying a new brand of lock just so we had the key to add our collection, as locks were pretty primitive and shared the same profile of could be filed a little to do the job. I must stress that we never stole anything , just held the lock aloft to show our prowess. Of cause we were " sprung " one afternoon by a teacher who's name I can't recall who at first was going to take us to higher authority but after he saw us do our little trick he merely confiscated our keys and told us to do something better with our time.
Bobby got me a part time job working with him at a bespoke tailors shop on Stratford Rd. Sparkhill. We were jack of all trades there , making pick ups and serving the public not overpaid paid but it beat my paper round.
We must hav
 
Hi, sorry to not get back, been buying and selling houses but settlement is next Monday then perhaps we will be back to somewhere near normal. Long story ,short as they say!
Cheers Tim.
 
Well back again . Neville I'm sure I knew Keith Abbot as Willie and believe that as a youngster he had polio and used swimming as a aid to his recovery. He became very good at it and I remember seeing him in a schools competition at Moseley Rd. Baths.
He became a hero to a lot of us when he floored a teacher (in self defense) an was expelled. A lot of us were on the gym roof looking down into the Headmaster's office waiting on his father to come in to the defense. I think his father had a factory in Olton.
I remember you at Stratford Rd. Infants School you and Josephine Normansell were the star pupils whereas I came in about 7 or 10th. I was in love with Hazel Cox (not reciprocated ) which I can understand as I wore glasses and was a bit of woose .?
I remember you're grandfather he was a hairdresser with a shop in the city somewhere near where my father had his collars and Dicky front laundered and starched (he was the Head Waiter at the New Victoria Hotel in Corporation Street).
Bit of a coincidence Nobby Clarke from my HTS days visited his relatives at 11 Tillingham St.
Small World eh!
Cheers Tim.
 
An apology, the unfortunate girl was actually Christine Cox who I had morphed with another of my childhood non sweethearts Hazel Booth. 65 years is even a bit more confused in my memory than what I did last week.
Cheers Tim
 
tim eborn said:
Well back again . Neville I'm sure I knew Keith Abbot as Willie and believe that as a youngster he had polio and used swimming as a aid to his recovery. He became very good at it and I remember seeing him in a schools competition at Moseley Rd. Baths.
He became a hero to a lot of us when he floored a teacher (in self defense) an was expelled. A lot of us were on the gym roof looking down into the Headmaster's office waiting on his father to come in to the defense. I think his father had a factory in Olton.
I remember you at Stratford Rd. Infants School you and Josephine Normansell were the star pupils whereas I came in about 7 or 10th. I was in love with Hazel Cox (not reciprocated ) which I can understand as I wore glasses and was a bit of woose .?
I remember you're grandfather he was a hairdresser with a shop in the city somewhere near where my father had his collars and Dicky front laundered and starched (he was the Head Waiter at the New Victoria Hotel in Corporation Street).
Bit of a coincidence Nobby Clarke from my HTS days visited his relatives at 11 Tillingham St.
Small World eh!
Cheers Tim.
Click to expand...
 
Tim. Just caught up with this post of yours.
I remember Keith getting busted from HTS. I also remember Josephine Normansell! I don't recall being a star but if it was the case it didn't last!
Yes, g'father was a hairdresser, the saloon was in Ethel Street and carried on being run by my father and his brother until the late 50's I think it was when the area was redeveloped..
Cheers. Neville
 
Hi Neville, Thanks for the catch up. Can't think of anything clever to add.
I presume that you must have gone direct from Stratford Rd School to HTS and into the engineering as I can't recall our paths crossing. I only did the two year building course which didn't set up with a career, not being a Star by any stretch of the imagination.
Cheers Tim
 
Tim. As you say not much more of interest to add. I went to Golden Hillock Road for 2 years before going to HTS. I did 2years Mech Eng course and then a further year ie 51 to 54. We didn't spend much time at Boulton Road so wouldn't have come across you. I do have school photo for 195? so I guess you would be on that.
Neville
 
Hi Neville, They did take a school photo, on clockwork timed camera, took a photo in about 5 minutes that came out about 2 foot wide.Think it was only of the Boulton Rd mob. If I had a copy must have left it with all my other stuff when I came to Oz in 1961.
Cheers Tim
 
Mohawk said:
Great stuff, Charl. I'm guessing that the German master you refer to was Dorman (predictably enough nicknamed 'Dormouse'): tallish, black hair and black thick-rimmed glasses. He was my joint form-master when I started, sharing the job with Bedford; I think both of them were fairly new to the school. I hated Dorman, he was most things a teacher shouldn't be; vindictive, mostly. Once he took a dislike to you, you had no chance. I always said he'd have been better joining the Gestapo. In years 2-5 I got lucky and had Harry Plowright as FM. The only other one that fits (another unpleasant character) was, oddly enough, named Neale; bit older than Dormouse, tubby, fair-haired.
I certainly recall the land-yacht, it was always parked in the hall and many a ticking-off was issued when anyone went too close to it, or dared to sit in it. I have a mate who was with me all through the HTS years (he's the only one I'm still in touch with, but he's not on the net) and I told him about your joining the forum and what you'd said. He remembered the tv thing and said he thought it was Nationwide. I have only vague memories of it. We often talk of those days but we hadn't mentioned the land-yacht for many years.
As soon as I read 'glue-pot' in your post, I, too, could smell it! It was always on the go, being surrounded by a water-jacket, and everything within a foot-radius of it was sticky. Animal glue isn't the nicest of odours.

A few names to conjure with that haven't yet been mentioned on the thread (and may only be recalled by us latecomers): DAVIES (GEOG), BATTS (MATHS), I'ANSON [himself a former HTS pupil] and SKELDING (WOODWORK), FISHER and FISHER (METALWORK), RAY COXON (MUSIC), HAMILTON (ART), JENNY HUGHES later ADAMS-HUGHES (GERMAN and FRENCH), PAGEL (GERMAN), STEVE GATELEY (CHEMISTRY), RUDKIN (R.E.), THOMPSON (FRENCH and GERMAN), MISS THOMAS (SECRETARY). I may yet think of more.
When I started, the head boy was Poultney, one of his sidekicks was Green. They and their clan were called 'deefs' , shorthand for defects, to rhyme with prefects.
Do you remember a lad named Graham Stokes? He was killed by a landslide while playing in a quarry. I think this was about 1967 and he was about 14.

Well, there's a bit to be going on with!

Regards, Mohawk.
Click to expand...
I must have been in the same class as you! I remember Dorman and Bedford. Dorman taught German without resorting to any English which made life a bit difficult at times and I can remember Bedford giving a boy a cigarette in class when we were acting out a play - presumably to get into the role. I certainly remember the land yacht parked in the hall and I can remember it being on TV. I also remember the boy being killed. Being older than us, he wasn't someone I particularly knew, but I can remember being told about the death in assembly. I always wondered where the word "deef" came from - now I know.
 
Welcome Graham. Hope other HTS pupils see your post. Thanks for posting and enjoy the forum. Viv.
 
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