Hope Street School Birmingham

[Pete Addis]

Hi,

I am searching for old pupils of Hope Street school in the 1950's on behalf of my cousins Jeannette and Sybil Williams. They both now live in America but have fond memories of their old friends who went to school with them. Pat Vaughan, Anne Collins, Valerie and Rita Eves, Muriel Harris and a girl named Hazel,and Basil Bridge. Anyone who has any memories of their time at Hope Street, would you be so kind to share them with me and I will pass them on.

Many thanks

Mandy

Hi Mandy

My Name is Pete Addis, My brother found this email by chance a couple of weeks ago and send it to me as Im looking into our mothers family tree.
Unfortunately I can give you to much information as she died on the 1st of September this year.
I can tell you I was the baby in 1963 and my aunty Val is living in Spain and is the 3rd girl on the top row of the sports picture.
If there's any information I can tell you please reply.

Pete

 

[colinfoster]

Hi All, I went to Hope Street School from 1954 to 1966. Mr. Clements was the Headteacher in the Infant & Junior Part of the School. Mr. Drayton was head of Senior School, we called him 'Hitler' because of his Hitler style mustache. Mr. Benson took over from him because of illness, Mr. Green became temporary Head in 1964. Mr. Green moved to a brand new school in King Norton, Primrose Hill School. He retired from primrose about 15 years ago.
There was a Jean Shakespeare, Jean Williams, Robert Bashford, in my class, 2.1 (number of class) when Mr. Wilson was the teacher. I remember Miss Houghton, she came to see me when I was in West Heath Hospital. There was a Tony Deeming in class also. I was caned by Mr. Wilson many times. Mrs. Chancellor was the History and Geography teacher when I was in class 3.1. Mr. Burgess was the Art teacher as was Mr. Evans, a big huge Welshman. Mr. Dave Crocket was my teacher in class 1.1 My. dad had a shop at 247, Gooch Street which backed on the The Hebrew School in St. Lukes Road, I lived at 281 Sherlock Street from 1954 to 1959. One of the girls I had a crush on, Christine Addis lived virtually next door to the school in St. Luke Road. Her best friend was Beryl Stanford, her dad had a scrap metal yard in Sherlock Street. Also in my class were Mahmood Shemson who was a mixed race Arab. I remember Brian Davis and his sister who lived on corner of Belgrave Road and Varna Road. I met up with his ister a few years ago. Brian is now a millionaire with a successful engineering business. I also remember Jobe's newsagents shop on Sherlock street. Class 2.1 'borrowed' a cop a copy of a book banned by Parliament called 'Fanny Hill', because we were too young to buy it. (We did put it back after most of the class had read it).
I have a 8 mm film of the class of 3.1 1963 playing a cricket match against the school staff at pebble mill playing fields if anyone is interested. It was taken by Mrs. Chancellor. She gave it to me before she left and took up a headteachers post in Coventry in 1964/5.
I remember, vividly the Triangle Cinema next to Woolworths on Gooch Street. Mr. Freeman had the clothes shop on the bend near Belgrave Road lights. He sold teddy boys metal ties which had string on a metal skull & cross bones. Mr. Freeman is still alive because I met him a couple of years back. (I am 67 years old now). Anyone wants to have anatter call me on 0121 475 7874 office hours. regards to all, Ali

Ali
Do you remember an Alan Foster who would have been at Hope Street in or around your class? I am his younger brother who also started at Hope Street but not until about 1962. Alan lived with his gran Beatrice Foster in Gooch Street (in between the Braggs cake shop and Paynes builders yard if I remember correctly). Incidentally my uncle Fred Grogan used to be the projectionist at the Triangle.

 

[colinfoster]

I have seen a couple of photo's of the school somewhere, i'll try and find them, and your right the whole area was demolished, around 67/68, Gooch St is still there, although a little different, and there is a street where Hope St was,
Hi i just had a look on google maps, and part of Hope St is still called Hope St, when i lived there it ran opposite Vaughton St, on the other side of Gooch St, then up across Sherlock St, which is still called Hope St, of course it would look very different, but still there.
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&...8247,-1.897352&spn=0.005556,0.013797&t=h&z=16

Hi Elizabeth
I attended Hope Street from about 1962 and have just been contacted by a Martin Wheller who was in my class. I just wondered if you might have been in my year (my memory is terrible). I can't open that link unfortunately
Colin Foster

 

[Mr. Mumtaz Ali]

Yes I do have a vague recollection of Alan Foster going to Hope Street School. If memory serves me correctly Braggs was situated near Hope Street, a couple of doors away. I used to buy pineapple tarts from them at 4 pence each, (The old four pence when there were 240 pennies to £1 not the 100 new pence per £1 as is now.) My dads shop was about 10 doors away from Braggs on the same side going towards the triangle Cinema.
regards

Ali

 

[colinfoster]

Yes I do have a vague recollection of Alan Foster going to Hope Street School. If memory serves me correctly Braggs was situated near Hope Street, a couple of doors away. I used to buy pineapple tarts from them at 4 pence each, (The old four pence when there were 240 pennies to £1 not the 100 new pence per £1 as is now.) My dads shop was about 10 doors away from Braggs on the same side going towards the triangle Cinema.
regards

Ali

Yes I do have a vague recollection of Alan Foster going to Hope Street School. If memory serves me correctly Braggs was situated near Hope Street, a couple of doors away. I used to buy pineapple tarts from them at 4 pence each, (The old four pence when there were 240 pennies to £1 not the 100 new pence per £1 as is now.) My dads shop was about 10 doors away from Braggs on the same side going towards the triangle Cinema.
regards

Ali

I have just been looking at historic photos of Gooch Street and I think it could have been Wimbush's cake shop and not Braggs so my gran lived down near the bend in the road near Belgrave Road (I also remember Colemans which I think was a butchers next to the cake shop). What was the name of your dad's shop? Amazing how a photo triggers a memory - there is a photo of the Triangle cinema with Woolworths next door and I the remembered such a trivial point at there was a back exit out onto Conybere Street.

 

[Edifi]

I went to Paris in1952-53 with pupils from Hope St School when I was at Lea Village Sec Mod.

We stayed at a school in Bourg Le Reign on the outskirts.Remember climbing up the Eiffel Tower and the Luxembourg Gardens.Are any posters still alive who went.

 

[kenny]

My dad Walter Dunn and his twin brother Bernard born January 1926 went to Hope Street School. Does anyone on this site know of them or posts or recollections of them. Their father died when they were babies and their mother, Jessie Dunn (nee McNicholl) and their older sister Irene brought them up. I know they live in B2B off Balsall Heath Road and there is some mention of Wrentham street.

 

[Pedrocut]

Back to the Forum?

This picture appears in the book Great Canadian Expectations: The Middlemore Experiance, by Patricia Roberts-Pichette (2016) and Birmingham Forum is mentioned. (A spire, but the windows can’t be seen. Drat!)

 

[Morturn]

Is this the location of the No. 8 bus on one of the other threads?

 

[Mr. Mumtaz Ali]

Might be a bit late but I went to Hope Street School from 1951 to 1957. My name is Fred Heath and brother Philip was there from 1953 to 1957. Does anyone remember Mr Crocker (The welsh man) who taught his class to sing all through the night in welsh. (I still remember most of it) I remember Tony & Budder? Taylor who lived in Hope Street, John Fortunato who lost his eye to a banger. Gordial Singh and his brother were the first sikh's to arrive in the school around 1954. I'm sure if someone jogs my ageing memory other names will come back. I remember going to the Daniell Memorial Hall in Hope Street for Lifeboys and Sunday School.

Hi everyone, my name is Mumtaz Ali. I started Hope Street in 1954 and left in 1965/66. Mr. Clements was the headmaster in the 1950's. Some of the teachers in the Junior school were a Mr. Ward, Mrs. Daniels and Miss Millichap. The classrooms I was in were on the St. Lukes Road side of the school as was the science lab. I remember a Beryl Stanford, Christine Addis, Angela Din, Peter Foulkes, Tony Deeming, Brian Davis who lived on corner of Varna Road and Belgrave Road, Robert Bashford, he lived on Edward Road, Gurdial and his brother Pyara Singh who lived on Corner of Alexander Road and Belgrave Road, Hazel Maguire, Robert Degenjitas, Susan Eid and sister Linda Eid, Miriam Rashman in my class no: 11. I lived at 281 Sherlock Street opposite Jobe's Newsagents. My dad had a shop at 247 Gooch Street which backed on to the Rear of St. David's Hebrew School playground. The house on Sherlock Street was demolished around 1962/2 and I moved to Princess Road off Belgrave Road.

From Class 11 Juniors I moved into the Senior School Form 1.1, an 'A' Stream Class. My form teacher was DC Stokes, (Davey Crocket Stokes. The other teachers I remember were Mr. Wilson, Miss Brazier, who later married and became Mrs. East-Hope, Miss Chancellor, History/Geography, Mrs. Wilson (not related to Mr. Wilson) for Maths, Mr. Evans for PE/Games (Big Welshman), Mr. Burgess for games and Art etc, Miss Houghton, for RE and Music, Mr. Drayton was Headmaster (Moved to Lea Mason School) was replaced by Mr. Ralph Benson who fell Ill and Mr. Wilfred Gordon Green became temporary Headmaster. Mr. W G Green became first Headmaster at newly built Primrose Hill School in Kings Norton. Sadly Mr. Green passed away around 2006. (May he rest in peace). I met Mr. Green many times at Primrose Hill school which later became Kings Norton High School and currently it is Ark Academy.

I also had 2 half brother, Yusif and Anwar Mohammed, and my Half Sister Miriam at Hope Street School. Yusif play for Warickshire Cricket Club a couple of years after he left Hope Street. Sadly Yusif passed away about 4 years ago. (May he rest in peace).
Later, some of the Hope Street pupils moved to newly built Mount Pleasant School on Balsall Heath Road, near the Mosley Road End because the steeple part of Hope Street School was ear marked for demolition. The St. Lukes Road part of the school I think is still standing.

If anyone is interested I have a 30 minute of 8 mm film of a cricket match between Hope Street teachers and pupils around 1963/1964. I will try to print some pictures off the fill and post them to see if anyone recognises the pupils and staff.
my email address if anyone is interested and may wat to get in touch please send me a private message.

Love and best wishes to all. Ali.

 

[Morturn]

Good evening Ali. Welcome to the forum and thank you for your interesting story.

We try our best to protect the interests of our members here on this forum, so can I advise you remove your mail address so that anyone who wants to contact you can do so via a Private message.

The internet if full of bots that will harvest your email address and use it for spam mail and fraud.

Regards

 

[brownie70]

Hi Henry, Jeannette was good friends with Anne your Mum, and also Pat Vaughan. Jeannette is now over from America an sends her regards. She would love to hear from you if possible and talk memories of your mum. Jeannette is very sorry that your mum is no longer with you, she had the same birthday as your mum an often thought of her and all her old school friends,
Regards,
Mandy

Hi Mandy,
Hoping alls well with you and Jeannette.
By the time I read your last message the time had passed. Just reconnecting
Regards
He

 

[RecentBrummie]

Hi everyone,

I'm posting on behalf of my father he came to the UK in Dec 1966 and was at Hope Street for a year and then moved to Mount pleasant. He remembers a trip to Dudley Zoo and to Westminster. I saw some pics of the school on this forum and showed him, it made his day. He remembers having photos taken with the class on those two trips I wonder if anyone has photos around 1967 of the school trips. I understand the school was demolished soon after. My father would have been 12/13 years old then. He remembers Miss Davies. If any of that rings a bell with anyone on here please do get in touch.

Thank you.

 

[Astoness]

hello recentbrummie and welcome to the forum..fingers crossed that someone out there may have some of those class photos...

lyn

 

[RecentBrummie]

hello recentbrummie and welcome to the forum..fingers crossed that someone out there may have some of those class photos...

lyn

Thank you. I hope so. Birmingham has changed a lot in my own lifetime and so much more in that of our parents and their generation. I have to say I do misss how it was.

 

[CBirch]

My wife and her siblings lived in St Lukes road in the 1950's and attended Hope street school. Her maiden name was Eunice McConnell and she was there with her cousin Nina Mohammed. She mentioned Margaret Ali among others.
Anyone remember them?

 

[NoddKD]

My dad Walter Dunn and his twin brother Bernard born January 1926 went to Hope Street School. Does anyone on this site know of them or posts or recollections of them. Their father died when they were babies and their mother, Jessie Dunn (nee McNicholl) and their older sister Irene brought them up. I know they live in B2B off Balsall Heath Road and there is some mention of Wrentham street.

Kenny,
Check post#685 in Balsall Heath thread.

 

[Garylloyd1710]

Kenny,
Check post#685 in Balsall Heath thread.

J

Hi Henry, Jeannette was good friends with Anne your Mum, and also Pat Vaughan. Jeannette is now over from America an sends her regards. She would love to hear from you if possible and talk memories of your mum. Jeannette is very sorry that your mum is no longer with you, she had the same birthday as your mum an often thought of her and all her old school friends,
Regards,
Mandy

mandy, i thought there would have been lots of answers to your request, as i am sure there are a lot of balsall heath people on the site, and hope street school was one of the catchment schools for the area, i was at hope street from 1950 to 1952 , ithink mr anderton was my teacher i can remember a mr green who was my sisters teacher, iplayed cricket for the school alongside basil bridges , he went on to play for warwick. also there was john randal ,pat roach , " the wrestler " frankie ellis , jimmy rose , the kelly brothers , two girls from the class , ican remember were , miriam dinn and valerie cambell , we used to go up to cannon hill to play sports , and somewhere up bristol road to do gardening , the best part of those two years at school were going up and down longmore street and gooch street to attend it , in the winter there was a fare set up in benacre street , so we used to come out of school and stay the evening at the fare rather than go home , every morning we would leave the house walk as far as the luxor cinema , meet up with our friends then go to our various schools , be it hope street or dennis road or st albans, i believe there is a hope street site on friends reunited, hope you get a few more replies to your post, rwm,

My name is Gary Lloyd playing field s was at pebble mill

 

[Garylloyd1710]

I remember going 2 perbber mill for footie 4 us guys & skitttlles 4 the girls swiming at kent st bath

 

[Garylloyd1710]

Sorry Mandy I never got notification of this post. My mother was Anne Collins (centre bottom) on the large pic. Her friend Jackie Brown who is not on pics also same age, went to that school. My mother married her brother. So of course that makes Jackie my Aunt whom I speak with from time to time. best wishes Henry

My name is Gary Lloyd i was at hope st 1954-60

 

[Vivien kelly]

Enjoyed so much readin a lot of these posts I lived 2 back of fifty LongmoreStreet in the fifties and attended Hope Street school remember Mr Clements Miss Millichamp Also Mrs Daniels who bought everyone a bible or a book when she retired I remember people mentioned Pyhara Singh. Angela Dinn . Miriam Miah. Johnette Hayden. Pat White Trevorlla Hogetts Pauline Robinson.Diane Pedon. Stella and Jean Morriss .Ian Scott .Jean Floyd . still re.ember there names fondly after nearly sixty years we were all poor but played on the Bomb site in Sherborne road . In calthorpe park.and shoped at Mr Bliss the Groceries. MR Burly the Butchers. Miss Wright the sweet shop It broke my heart when we left in1962 to live in Yardley my maiden name was Vivien Lewis

 

[Villian64]

Hi,

I am searching for old pupils of Hope Street school in the 1950's on behalf of my cousins Jeannette and Sybil Williams. They both now live in America but have fond memories of their old friends who went to school with them. Pat Vaughan, Anne Collins, Valerie and Rita Eves, Muriel Harris and a girl named Hazel,and Basil Bridge. Anyone who has any memories of their time at Hope Street, would you be so kind to share them with me and I will pass them on.

Many thanks

Mandy

my dad was a pupil till 1936

 

[Dre]

Hi there
I wonder if anyone can help me.....I am Birmingham born, but living in Australia for the last 30 years. I am researching my mom's history and have been given her wartime identity card and its original wallet. In the wallet is a newspaper clipping entitled "Death after Dance". Frank Moss, who was the leader of the band at a dance held at Hope Street School was "injured" and later died in hospital. Unfortunately there is no date on the clipping, but I know that my mom was a keen wartime dancer so suspect it was late 30's/early 40's. She may even have attended the dance at Hope Street School as she lived in Ruston Street (hope that she didn't witness poor Frank's demise!). Anyway, any details about the incident - date etc - would be very very much appreciated.
This is a brilliant forum. Makes me long for Birmingham. I try and get back every couple of years, but thats not possible for the foreseeable future due to the pandemic. Grrrrr.
Anyway, if anyone can help that would be bostin!.

 

[mikejee]

Dre
Apparently he was at the school every Friday and Saturday. Here is the report of the death in the Birmingham Mail in November 1942

 

[Vivienne14]

Mr Shurmer’s “Sparrows” at Hope Street - probably not all Hope Street children ? Viv.

 

[MICHELLE EDWARDS]

my dad was a pupil till 1936

My mom went to Hope Street School. Her name was Brenda Godfrey. She lived in Bishop Street

 

[bully]

Hi everyone, my name is Mumtaz Ali. I started Hope Street in 1954 and left in 1965/66. Mr. Clements was the headmaster in the 1950's. Some of the teachers in the Junior school were a Mr. Ward, Mrs. Daniels and Miss Millichap. The classrooms I was in were on the St. Lukes Road side of the school as was the science lab. I remember a Beryl Stanford, Christine Addis, Angela Din, Peter Foulkes, Tony Deeming, Brian Davis who lived on corner of Varna Road and Belgrave Road, Robert Bashford, he lived on Edward Road, Gurdial and his brother Pyara Singh who lived on Corner of Alexander Road and Belgrave Road, Hazel Maguire, Robert Degenjitas, Susan Eid and sister Linda Eid, Miriam Rashman in my class no: 11. I lived at 281 Sherlock Street opposite Jobe's Newsagents. My dad had a shop at 247 Gooch Street which backed on to the Rear of St. David's Hebrew School playground. The house on Sherlock Street was demolished around 1962/2 and I moved to Princess Road off Belgrave Road.

From Class 11 Juniors I moved into the Senior School Form 1.1, an 'A' Stream Class. My form teacher was DC Stokes, (Davey Crocket Stokes. The other teachers I remember were Mr. Wilson, Miss Brazier, who later married and became Mrs. East-Hope, Miss Chancellor, History/Geography, Mrs. Wilson (not related to Mr. Wilson) for Maths, Mr. Evans for PE/Games (Big Welshman), Mr. Burgess for games and Art etc, Miss Houghton, for RE and Music, Mr. Drayton was Headmaster (Moved to Lea Mason School) was replaced by Mr. Ralph Benson who fell Ill and Mr. Wilfred Gordon Green became temporary Headmaster. Mr. W G Green became first Headmaster at newly built Primrose Hill School in Kings Norton. Sadly Mr. Green passed away around 2006. (May he rest in peace). I met Mr. Green many times at Primrose Hill school which later became Kings Norton High School and currently it is Ark Academy.

I also had 2 half brother, Yusif and Anwar Mohammed, and my Half Sister Miriam at Hope Street School. Yusif play for Warickshire Cricket Club a couple of years after he left Hope Street. Sadly Yusif passed away about 4 years ago. (May he rest in peace).
Later, some of the Hope Street pupils moved to newly built Mount Pleasant School on Balsall Heath Road, near the Mosley Road End because the steeple part of Hope Street School was ear marked for demolition. The St. Lukes Road part of the school I think is still standing.

If anyone is interested I have a 30 minute of 8 mm film of a cricket match between Hope Street teachers and pupils around 1963/1964. I will try to print some pictures off the fill and post them to see if anyone recognises the pupils and staff.
my email address if anyone is interested and may wat to get in touch please send me a private message.

Love and best wishes to all. Ali.

sorry to hear about yusuf, he was a mate throughout senior school and got up to many escapades together.peter bull

 

[Shemsan]

Hello Mumtaz,we were in the same class at Hope street.I lived in Belgrave road,next to Percy Shurmer the Labour MP.
Mahmood Shemsan.

 

[Gingerden]

sorry to hear about yusuf, he was a mate throughout senior school and got up to many escapades together.peter bull

Hi was was at hope street school from 1956 till 1961 when my parents my mother paid to look after me both died within 6 weeks of each other. My name was denise spragg in those days. I was susan Eades friend. I lived this school. I lived at 67 st lukes rd and loved the yard we all played in. Those days were haed but magic. In 70 now still got my red hair ! And wd love to reminisce. I live in poole dorset now. 2 children , 5 grandchildren.

 

[Gingerden]

Hi,
Thanks Robert for the memories, I shall pass them on to Jeannette and Sybil.
My mum lived on St Lukes road her name was Margaret Davis, she had an older brother John. She remembers Pat Roach well. He used to give shoulder rides to the kids.

My family the Whellers lived at 86 St Lukes Road opposite the school no chance of bunking off there then!! They lived there for many years.

What happened to Basil Bridge, do you know if he still with us? Jeannette had a real crush on him!!
Thanks again
Mandy

Hi I lived at 76 st Luke's road, from 1951 till 1961. Went to hope street school, my name was Denise spragg in those days. My mother gave me away as a baby to Winnie and Bert and Martha Winnie's mother. I loved it there and the pec we played for hrs a big Gang of us, I had a friend at school Susan ease I'd love to know if anyone knows what happened to her? I got fostered to another family in 1962 as Winnie Bert and Martha died. I live in Poole Dorset now since 1969. I've 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren.