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King Edwards Grammar School Camp Hill

  • Thread starter Thread starter Happyguy
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farmerdave said:
The headmistress of King Edwards Camp Hill School for Girls in 1949-50 was Miss Mandeville. In fact, she was headmistress between 1943 and 1962. The photograph in #1 shows two ladies. One could be the form/class mistress and the other the headmistress. A picture of Miss Mandeville is attached. There is some, only some, resemblance to the lady sitting on the viewer's right.

The School's new headmistress, Miss Muriel Mandeville, had already joined the school on the retirement of the long-serving and very appropriately named Miss Keen after 30 years. Under the new leadership of Miss Mandeville (1943-1962), the school was brought back together although great problems had to be overcome, with war damaged buildings, planning for the new school, and a rapid increase in school numbers.
The years between 1943 and the move to a new school in 1958 saw increasing overcrowding and the appropriation of more space for school use.
Numbers grew from just 340 girls in 1943 to 550 in 1957 but the waiting ended in 1958 when the move to the present school site in Kings Heath, Birmingham, took place.
During her almost 20 years as headmistress, the school had owed much to her guidance.

missmuriel.jpg
Miss Muriel Mandeville
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Are there any old girls out there who aspired to great things under Miss Mandeville's tutilage?
farmerdave said:
The headmistress of King Edwards Camp Hill School for Girls in 1949-50 was Miss Mandeville. In fact, she was headmistress between 1943 and 1962. The photograph in #1 shows two ladies. One could be the form/class mistress and the other the headmistress. A picture of Miss Mandeville is attached. There is some, only some, resemblance to the lady sitting on the viewer's right.

The School's new headmistress, Miss Muriel Mandeville, had already joined the school on the retirement of the long-serving and very appropriately named Miss Keen after 30 years. Under the new leadership of Miss Mandeville (1943-1962), the school was brought back together although great problems had to be overcome, with war damaged buildings, planning for the new school, and a rapid increase in school numbers.
The years between 1943 and the move to a new school in 1958 saw increasing overcrowding and the appropriation of more space for school use.
Numbers grew from just 340 girls in 1943 to 550 in 1957 but the waiting ended in 1958 when the move to the present school site in Kings Heath, Birmingham, took place.
During her almost 20 years as headmistress, the school had owed much to her guidance.

missmuriel.jpg
Miss Muriel Mandeville
Click to expand...
Is there anyone else out there who benefitted from Miss Mandevile's tutelage?
 
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Murge1947 said:
Thank you for the detailed information and photos! It is very interesting to learn more about such an important figure as Miss Mandeville and her contribution to the development of the school in the difficult post-war years. Running a school in the conditions of destruction and an increase in the number of students is a serious challenge indeed. It seems that it was her efforts that helped the school not only survive, but also develop, which was reflected in the successful move to a new location. Such historical details help to better understand how educational institutions were formed and what role the leaders of that time played.
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Murge, welcome to BHF, a wonderful and friendly place, enjoy!
 
I was at Camp Hill under Miss Mandeville's tutelage from 1955 - 1962, so attended both the old school and the new building at Kings Heath. Both my sisters were there before me, as was a cousin and an aunt! I remember always being in awe of MM. She was a great leader.
 
HayleySpires said:
Does any one recall Stuart Spires (pupil)? Nickname Spiro. His time frame must have been 65-71?
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I was the year below Stuart but remember him well as a good sportsman. We were both in Beaufort House. I remember an interhouse rugby match played on the top pitch in awful weather. Stuart converted a penalty for our only score of the match but Roy Crittenden, refereeing disallowed it as Stuart had not said he was going for goal!
 
I have come a bit late to this thread a bit late but have enjoyed reading through all the posts. My experience and memories both pre- and post-date much of this. My Father, Wilf Meadows, was at the old school between 1938-44 and I at the new school from 1965-72. My father was one of the pupils evacuated to Warwick School at the outbreak of war. I don't think that they were there for long but I do remember him saying that the school bullies at Warwick were the Turpin brothers who went on to become champion boxers. We, perhaps forget that the old school was in the heart of industrial Birmingham and not leafy Kings Heath. Both Poly Bates and Bill Drysdale were young teachers in his day and senior masters when I started. I seem to remember that Poly, who must have been at the end of his career once got us confused! My father's best friend at school was Dennis Marsden who was my older brother's Godfather. I was a bit embarrassed to be taught by Uncle Dennis! I remember Des Wright (O Level Biology) and GD Matthews (A Level Maths) as being amongst the very best teachers I ever came across in my academic career. Holy Hovis had become Greasy VC after his initials and penchant for Brylcreem. Ron? Jones of winklepicker and quiff fame was a form master. Bill Hughes (History) was a dead aim with a board rubber and wicked with a ruler across the knuckles. I remember Geoff Sanders as a fair but hard man who you did not cross. Tony Appleby was the art master who recognized my lack of talent with a "D-: He tries hard, but success eludes him". He was from Cornwall where in his teens he was friendly with a girl who became the wife of my main professional mentor. What a coincidence! They both returned to Cornwall where I met up with him in around 2000. He told me that Geoff Sanders had died after falling out of a tree.
I remember my time at Camp Hill as a happy one with a well-rounded education that set me up for my future studies, career and life in general.
 
Happyguy said:
Links to other KE schools in the Birmingham area are below


Edgbaston

King Edward VI School Edgbaston 1936

Links to other King Edwards Schools in the Birmingham area are below New Street https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edwards-school-new-street-1838-1936.9441/ Five Ways...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk

King Edward High School for Girls Edgbaston Park Road

Hadn't realised this but the building was once King Edward's High School for Girls - Edmund Street. Postcard dated 1904. Viv.
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk

Five Ways

King Edward VI School, Five Ways 1883 - 1958

New Street https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edwards-school-new-street-1838-1936.9441/ Edgbaston https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edward-vi-school-edgbaston-1936.57135/#post-811091...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk

Handsworth
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...dwards-girls-grammar-school-handsworth.16714/

Handsworth Grammar King Edward Boys' Grammar Grove Lane

Here are other links to King Edward's Schools in the Birmingham area: Edgbaston https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edward-vi-school-edgbaston-1936.57135/#post-811091...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk

Aston

King Edwards Grammar School Aston 1883

Links to other King Edward's Schools in the Birmingham area are : Edgbaston https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edward-vi-school-edgbaston-1936.57135/#post-811091...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
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I recently came across this photo of a class of girls said to be in the Birmingham area.
The photo is of Class 11 in 1949,50. It would be interesting to find out where it was and who the girlsView attachment 102467 are.
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With reference to the above photograph this is definitely KEGS Camp Hill for Girls.
 
Monkey Hole. Access for timber to woodwork shop OR where new starters to the school, sherrins were deposited on their first day.
Pedrocut who was William A Clark. What happened in 1933
 
And having been herded into said hole, unaware of what was to follow, were bombarded with whatever detritus older pupils had to hand. Not a pleasant experience!
 
Enrico said:
And having been herded into said hole, unaware of what was to follow, were bombarded with whatever detritus older pupils had to hand. Not a pleasant experience!
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Was the monkey hole custom adapted for the move to Kings Heath?
 
HayleySpires said:
Does any one recall Stuart Spires (pupil)? Nickname Spiro. His time frame must have been 65-71?
Click to expand...
3 of us went to the same primary school as his cousin Paul, and we caught the 11 bus to school from the Swan Yardley with a fare of 5 1/2 old pence.
Stuart played scrum-half at rugby, and took a great cricket catch right in front of the chemistry lab/bicycle shed.
I think the umpire was Sherlock Holmes (Biology teacher), who gave a 6 and not out, for stepping on the foot of the wall.
Stu repeated the catch perfectly a few balls later. I think he played for Birmingham boys at football too.
Some of us 6th formers, including Mark Hayman played football in Kings Heath Park during dinner breaks.
One day a couple of bullies, way older than schoolboys, tried to interrupt a game, but Chris ''Bomber'' Harris (now in USA?), dissuaded them.
 
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The above picture appears in Birmingham Archives and Collections and contributed to a Thomas Lewis, and dated 1890s-1910s.
The Old Camp Hill Grammar School for Girls, Bordesley.
 
The 1952 'Victorious Seven' if Camp Hill KEGS. (Source: Old Edwardians Magazine: School Chronicle)Screenshot_20260905_080915_Chrome.jpg
 
jmadone said:
I started there in 1961 until 68. I recognise some of the masters in the photograph who were still there when I started. Bill Drysdale, took us for English, "Polly" Bates (Deputy Head), No 10 was that Harry Brown the Woodwork teacher? Dai Thomas left the year before I started but his son was in my year. Geoff (?) Saunders, history. Our Headmaster was Alan Cholmondely.
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I was at KECH from September 1961 until June 1966. My classmates included, Kenny Weeks, a boy with very distinctive blonde hair, ( we both came to KECH from the Clifton Road Junior school, in Balsall Heath,Nicky Norton, Kieith Purdom, Steve Levin, Steve Thomas, ( who was known as Pole, or Polecat. Kenny weeks had the brilliant idea of telling everyone that my Clifton Road nickname had been DRIP, because he had heard my dad call me PIP.
I had forgotten most of the names of those who taught us, but the name of HarryBrown rang a bell for me. During our very first lesson, in the wood work shop, Harry was explaining the potential dangers of incorrect use of very sharp tools, such as chisels When stating that both hands had to behind the cutting edge, he mentioned that if anybody slipped their wrist with a chisel, their blood would gush out so quickly, that they would be dead before Harry could get to them. one classmate, galin Yves, was so impressed with this very gory explanation, that he promptly fainted.
Some names that I do remember, DENIS MARSDEN, he must have done decent job teaching me French, as I moved to France in 1974, and, apart from 10 years in other job related countries, China, India and Italy, I have lived there ever since.
I remember Appleby, Shifty, Johnny, Sid the music teacherDaddy Thain, and an R I teacher we referred to as Punk.
 
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