M
mike-g
Guest
It was in the tech drawing room that was sometimes used for maths
-
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
Handsworth Technical School
- Thread starter Rupert
- Start date
My memory must be getting bad but I can't ever remember being served school dinners at Goldshill but I know it did happen in the older times...pre fifties maybe, and it must have happened in my time too...1952 to 1955; couldn't all be at Boulton at lunch time. School dinners were served in the lower shed at Boulton for me. It was also the assembly room in the mornings. Assembly at Goldshill was in the drawing shed I believe. Must have missed quite a bit and water bombing and stairwell activity does not ring a bell at all. What's all this about the roof of the gym. New to me also. Funny, we left for ever at the start of the summer holidays and I thought that everyone did that...not so seemingly. Our class was the very first third year class and ran from summer 1954 to summer 1955. It comprised of 6A and 6B students and Civil stream who wanted to stay on for O-levels. At the end of this there was the opportunity to stay on for A-levels but I did not do it. Wished I had later. A few guys did though and went on to University possibly Sheffield at the time. The degree that they got stood for far more than the HNC which seems to have fallen through the cracks and is now largely forgotten. Ah well...don't need either anymore.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
My memory has been revived several times on this thread. I can clearly remember the roof of the gym with it's wire fence. Water bombs were usually dropped from an attic window to land by a main entrance. I remember filling a brown paper bag with water and dropping it. I'm glad one never landed on me !!!
mike jenks
master brummie
hi
Yes the Assembly in the morning at Goldshill Road. As you say in the drawing Shed.
Not much on Union Row. The Lair of Jackie London. I think it was 3C's that were
assighned to him. It was a Sunny day on our first day. We seemed to be going back
into Dickensian times has he marched around with his old fashioned cane was it
Mr Squeers. I was lucky alway's 100% on everything but those who were less
fortunate took the fall out from him. Lash upon lash. But from my point of view
he was good to me often held my work up. Was I Mr Creep.
For some reason in my Day School realease in the 60's we went back to the
room for some lesson. It was like walking back in time to some 10years
earlier. Jackie was gone all the lads but an erie feeling.
Mike Jenks
Yes the Assembly in the morning at Goldshill Road. As you say in the drawing Shed.
Not much on Union Row. The Lair of Jackie London. I think it was 3C's that were
assighned to him. It was a Sunny day on our first day. We seemed to be going back
into Dickensian times has he marched around with his old fashioned cane was it
Mr Squeers. I was lucky alway's 100% on everything but those who were less
fortunate took the fall out from him. Lash upon lash. But from my point of view
he was good to me often held my work up. Was I Mr Creep.
For some reason in my Day School realease in the 60's we went back to the
room for some lesson. It was like walking back in time to some 10years
earlier. Jackie was gone all the lads but an erie feeling.
Mike Jenks
I can't say that I found Jackie London to be anything less than a great maths teacher. A little guy with a big heart as far as I am concerned. Never saw him cane anyone and am surprised at some of the revelations here but also on here there are remarks about some happenings in his later personal life, that may have left a mark on him. Anyway from Jackie we went on to Charlie Flutter for math and we hit the jackpot again...another fine teacher also with a sense of fun under it all. I am sure that there were a couple of well deserved canings in my class but can only remember my own sole event which did not make much of an impression on me...mostly embarrassment I think. The ordinary decent kids in my class had more to fear from the odd sadistic bully, as I think I have posted before, but in the third year these 'waste of space' individuals were gone.
My working life has been based on the schooling at HTS...in mechanical engineering. Other learning was to follow of course but the base was a good one to work from. I am sure that others from there went on to impressive achievements and found one such who became an MP (if that can be considered such)...maybe not...but some would have.
I had a great sense of loss after I left HTS and started work...I missed it intensely and the family of comrades one developed there. These feelings went on for quite a while and I often wondered if others had the same emotions. I suppose it would be the same for any school and grouping but I think that there was something special about that place and the dedication of the masters. It was not for nothing perhaps, that only 90 individuals from the whole of Birmingham won a scholarship there in any one session.
And yet, a year or two ago, via the web I was in contact with an individual who was at HTS at about the same time as me. We chatted about the masters and old West Brom busses that we took from Snow Hill to the school. He had moved to Texas and was a car salesman and had never used his training from HTS at all. There is another side. He remembered the anvil and tools also though and it was clear that he placed some value in being at the school.
My working life has been based on the schooling at HTS...in mechanical engineering. Other learning was to follow of course but the base was a good one to work from. I am sure that others from there went on to impressive achievements and found one such who became an MP (if that can be considered such)...maybe not...but some would have.
I had a great sense of loss after I left HTS and started work...I missed it intensely and the family of comrades one developed there. These feelings went on for quite a while and I often wondered if others had the same emotions. I suppose it would be the same for any school and grouping but I think that there was something special about that place and the dedication of the masters. It was not for nothing perhaps, that only 90 individuals from the whole of Birmingham won a scholarship there in any one session.
And yet, a year or two ago, via the web I was in contact with an individual who was at HTS at about the same time as me. We chatted about the masters and old West Brom busses that we took from Snow Hill to the school. He had moved to Texas and was a car salesman and had never used his training from HTS at all. There is another side. He remembered the anvil and tools also though and it was clear that he placed some value in being at the school.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Young Mohawk - don't forget us senior members had to deal with Ozzie when he was younger and the Woodbines hadn't done their damage. He must have been fitter when I was there because he was once referee for a football match I was in at the playing fields, and of course he told most of us we were no good at football.
oldMohawk
Don't worry, OM, Ozzie still managed to cut a fearsome figure in his nicotine-stained suit, even in my day. I gather he told quite a few people they were no good at English, too! I had the good fortune to have Harry Plowright as my English master and form-master, he was a great guy. As for Ozzie the ref; well, he would have needed his bike to get around the field when I knew him - all bookings recorded by fountain-pen, naturally.
mroldbrummie1
proper brummie kid
We meet again oldmohawk i must have followed you around [ice rink now school].I was at HTS from jan 1957 till dec 1958.The last months from sept to xmas 58 we moved from goldshill road to the new school in Craythorne ave, i think we were the first there?.I have looked on google maps and it appears that HTS no longer exists and is now called hamstead hall college ? i cant read any more on google.Teachers i remember were Jackie London maths later to be MR Emmerson,Ozzie Osbourne history,Mr Ball pt i think and i think Mr Bryant was head for a time.
I know it wasnt you but i was water bombed waiting to be let in,i thought that room was the chemistry lab. I have still got my school leaving certs but cannot decifer the signatures to remember other names
Are there any others out there that remember Craythorne ave that time, especially teachers ie RE. PHYSICS.CHEMISTRY,WOODWORK.Also does any body remember walking through the woods by the side of that stinking river from HAMSTEAD train station and bus stop to the school.Ihad to do that or walk from the bottom of Rookery road right down to the school.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi mroldbrummie,
Maybe you are the first old boy on the thread who was hit by a water bomb, many of us dropped them but seemed to have avoided being targets, and it wasn't one of mine because I left in 1950.
I've had a look with Google Maps Streetview and the photo below appears to show the famous 3rd floor attic window from which many water bombs were dropped. When you were starting at HTS and the year you mentioned at the ice rink, I had reported for two years National Service in RAF.
There is a NS thread on the forum with some photos showing happy looking conscripts!! The River Tame you walked by was later cleaned up to a condition where fish could survive in it.
oldmohawk
Maybe you are the first old boy on the thread who was hit by a water bomb, many of us dropped them but seemed to have avoided being targets, and it wasn't one of mine because I left in 1950.
I've had a look with Google Maps Streetview and the photo below appears to show the famous 3rd floor attic window from which many water bombs were dropped. When you were starting at HTS and the year you mentioned at the ice rink, I had reported for two years National Service in RAF.
There is a NS thread on the forum with some photos showing happy looking conscripts!! The River Tame you walked by was later cleaned up to a condition where fish could survive in it.
oldmohawk
mike jenks
master brummie
Hi
Yes I spent over a year at HTS Craythorne Avenue. bussed in on a No 15 to Great Barr Station.
Then the walk along the River through the Woods to the Playground. Spent hours with our
satchels has either Wickets or goal posts. In the beginning it was a sea of Mud the Builders
hadnt properly completed things and the Sports Field was still a figment of the Imagination.
Again we buses to Wood lane. Those terrible dressing Rooms.
PT was always cross country runs with Stokes and Ball. I was lucky has I played for one
of the Teams. So I could run for miles. The Chubby softy ones had a terrible time.
we were keen trainspotters and my mate mellings bought his Binoculars to get the
Name of the Jubs and Scots till one day he got caught. Still for a few day's we got a
few. The Line ran alongside the Colliery a couple of miles from the Schools.
It was a nice place new Canteen all rooms on one site instead of the Split sites.
Still time moved on and I was swolled up in the Huge Kynoch works.
Years later must have been around 1967 we walked from great Barr Station
towards the School. It was now Hamstead School and the whole are was secured.
Fantastic sports fields were there in my day’s it was just a mud heap.
Happy days
Mike Jenks
Yes I spent over a year at HTS Craythorne Avenue. bussed in on a No 15 to Great Barr Station.
Then the walk along the River through the Woods to the Playground. Spent hours with our
satchels has either Wickets or goal posts. In the beginning it was a sea of Mud the Builders
hadnt properly completed things and the Sports Field was still a figment of the Imagination.
Again we buses to Wood lane. Those terrible dressing Rooms.
PT was always cross country runs with Stokes and Ball. I was lucky has I played for one
of the Teams. So I could run for miles. The Chubby softy ones had a terrible time.
we were keen trainspotters and my mate mellings bought his Binoculars to get the
Name of the Jubs and Scots till one day he got caught. Still for a few day's we got a
few. The Line ran alongside the Colliery a couple of miles from the Schools.
It was a nice place new Canteen all rooms on one site instead of the Split sites.
Still time moved on and I was swolled up in the Huge Kynoch works.
Years later must have been around 1967 we walked from great Barr Station
towards the School. It was now Hamstead School and the whole are was secured.
Fantastic sports fields were there in my day’s it was just a mud heap.
Happy days
Mike Jenks
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Welcome Roverman,
You've probably noticed quite a number of us on the forum went to HTS.
Most of us remember Mr Stokes and Mr Bryant. Was Mr Osborne an English master when you were there ?
He is mentioned in many of the 200+ posts in this thread and was a bit of a 'legend' in his own way.
oldmohawk
You've probably noticed quite a number of us on the forum went to HTS.
Most of us remember Mr Stokes and Mr Bryant. Was Mr Osborne an English master when you were there ?
He is mentioned in many of the 200+ posts in this thread and was a bit of a 'legend' in his own way.
oldmohawk
Hi, Roverman. You must be one of the older HTS members on here and sounds like you were in the auto manufacturing industry from your posting name. Always nice to meet another HTS member to reminisce with and Bryant and Stokes were around for quite a while after your time. I remember them in 52/55. Other postings will probably spark your memory about other names.
Hi Folk, Thanks for your quick relies, as I mentioned I am new to this form of communication so it is very encouraging.As to Roverman I have always been a Rover Fan, had several over the years and still drive one today.
Re Mr. Osbourne, I can see faces but can't remember names at the moment, perhaps with a bit of memory jogging they will come to me.
Good luck. "Roverman"
Re Mr. Osbourne, I can see faces but can't remember names at the moment, perhaps with a bit of memory jogging they will come to me.
Good luck. "Roverman"
D
diamond
Guest
Nice shot of the Fire Station, OM. For our younger viewers HTS is the left 1/3 of the pic and THE winow is top of the distant gable. The arched window nearest camera was, I think, mechanics (?) in '53. A matching window at the far end, obscured by Fire Statoin in photo, was our Maths/Dinner room in '56.......Integral calculus to the aroma of stale cabbage. Oh joy !
John D.
John D.
D
diamond
Guest
Hi Roverman and welcome, Mine's a P5B of '71, thought I'd try one for 6months, had it 34 yrs. Just had it tested at Villa Cross garage run by ex HTS man, Paul. You meet 'em all over the place ! John D.
B
BernardR
Guest
I must have been in the same year as you were. I recall the following (I apologise if I have mentioned these before) - Onion, Peach, Quesen, Brown. A lad with a constant cold but now we would probably know it as Hay Fever. Harvey who wanted to be in the Army and was a Cadet. Bates, John Goldsborough(?). More names will come to me.
Last edited by a moderator:
B
BernardR
Guest
Roverman - Ozzie had grey wire wool hair swept straight back.
Last edited by a moderator:
D
diamond
Guest
Ruperts talk of dinners at Boulton revived another memory - that fuming coke stove in the corner left of door. (and was there another in the diagonally opposite corner?)Its fumes really caught the throat, probably carbon monoxide, but we survived . Re. 3rd year: I can't figure out how the thrice a year starts mated up with the "O" level exams for the 6th formers. I can't believe that "O"levels were sat at three times of the year. Did the Winter and Spring starters do extra terms to wait for a September start for their 6th form - no, the classes would have been too big ?? As a September starter it never occured to me before.
Hi "Bernie",
I'm afraid I still can't place "Ozzie", a name that has come to me is Mr. Clifford who taught maths he had quite a strong Dorset or Devon accent and some students used to mimic him (not me of course)he pretended not to realize but I expect that he did.Classes were held at Boulton Road school even as far back as 1943,including metalwork,but i don't remember dinners being taken there we had to go to Goldshill Road if you wanted dinner, not many bothered as to say the least they were not very tasty.
Cheers, "Roverman"
I'm afraid I still can't place "Ozzie", a name that has come to me is Mr. Clifford who taught maths he had quite a strong Dorset or Devon accent and some students used to mimic him (not me of course)he pretended not to realize but I expect that he did.Classes were held at Boulton Road school even as far back as 1943,including metalwork,but i don't remember dinners being taken there we had to go to Goldshill Road if you wanted dinner, not many bothered as to say the least they were not very tasty.
Cheers, "Roverman"
Hello"Diamond"
Nice to hear from you,I have never owned a P5 but I have driven them on quite a few occasions also the P6 lovely cars.At the moment I drive a Rover45/1.8 Spirit "S" and my wife has a 25 Impression "S",somebody has to keep the name alive !!
Cheers "Roverman"
Nice to hear from you,I have never owned a P5 but I have driven them on quite a few occasions also the P6 lovely cars.At the moment I drive a Rover45/1.8 Spirit "S" and my wife has a 25 Impression "S",somebody has to keep the name alive !!
Cheers "Roverman"
D
diamond
Guest
Could it have been Mr Wood for RE, a rather serious, portly gent, balding but with some slicked back black hair. He was still there when I left in '56. We refered to him as "creeping Jesus" in view of his ponderous gait ! You'll be pleased to hear thet the River Tame no longer stinks (most of the time). Apart from some litter at the Hamstead end it's a pleasent walk right through to the Newton Road and beyond. Herons often flap lazilly along and there are plenty of water fowl. There are a dozen or more sewage works upstream still so it must be down to stricter controls
B
BernardR
Guest
I recall that the River Tame did not so much flow as ooze along due to the level of contamination.
Last edited:
mike jenks
master brummie
hi
The last time I saw Ossie was in shirley on a Midland red bus circa the mid 60,s.
he was still smoking fag after fag.
I cant believe the image ouch.
mike jenks
The last time I saw Ossie was in shirley on a Midland red bus circa the mid 60,s.
he was still smoking fag after fag.
I cant believe the image ouch.
mike jenks
D
diamond
Guest
Wow ! Lovely pic of Ozzie. Cropped from the extra long school photo ? He looks much younger than I remember him '52 - '56.
Now the best of seasonal greetings Old Mowhawk who started this thread and to all Old Boys especially: ( fast as you can now ) Andrews; Bailey; Bateman; Beardsmore; Bench; Bishop; Bowen; Branson; Broadbent; Brough; Bryan; Clayton; Clifton; Court; Cragg; Creswell; Dainty; Devaney; Durdin; Dutton; Evans; Flemming; French; Gardener; Greenfield; Grove; Guest; Harrabin; Hawtin; Hitch; and Horell.
Happy Christmas, Diamond.
Now the best of seasonal greetings Old Mowhawk who started this thread and to all Old Boys especially: ( fast as you can now ) Andrews; Bailey; Bateman; Beardsmore; Bench; Bishop; Bowen; Branson; Broadbent; Brough; Bryan; Clayton; Clifton; Court; Cragg; Creswell; Dainty; Devaney; Durdin; Dutton; Evans; Flemming; French; Gardener; Greenfield; Grove; Guest; Harrabin; Hawtin; Hitch; and Horell.
Happy Christmas, Diamond.
M
mike-g
Guest
You forgot Harris. Happy christmas to all old boys.
Yes Happy Christmas to all. By the way I started the thread not that it matters.
Osbourne was a difficult man to deal with but did have a sense of humor that showed very fleetingly every now and again and was easy to miss. He kept order by keeping a stern pressence but this did not present itself in bouts of caning. The subject that he taught was not one that would endear itself to most also.
One wonders if he ever had a real passion for anything but he was a competent teacher I think. No former pupil would forget him.
Osbourne was a difficult man to deal with but did have a sense of humor that showed very fleetingly every now and again and was easy to miss. He kept order by keeping a stern pressence but this did not present itself in bouts of caning. The subject that he taught was not one that would endear itself to most also.
One wonders if he ever had a real passion for anything but he was a competent teacher I think. No former pupil would forget him.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all the HTS old boys, and yes Rupert started the thread which is doing well at 239 posts with Ozzie mentioned in many of them.
I knew him when his hair wasn't grey and I tried to make myself invisible when he took the class.
He would probably realise that he failed to teach me any grammar etc, if he could read my posts.
I knew him when his hair wasn't grey and I tried to make myself invisible when he took the class.
He would probably realise that he failed to teach me any grammar etc, if he could read my posts.