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Lawrence College Pitman College Corporation St

jennyann said:
Yes, I well remember Lawrence's College. I attended the school in the early 1950's for a few years. I live in Canada now. Glad to hear that you are having a
reunion in 2016. Going to school at Lawrence's College back then was a joy to me since it was right in the middle of town and I loved to explore the area as it was then.
No gym facilities in this old building on the corner of Martineau Street and Corporation Street. No assembly hall either. Just doors that folded back to make a larger space. So off we went to Kryle Hall for gym and creative dance finding our way down there in parts of Brum we didn't know about. Also, swimming lessons at Woodcock Street. Another area that I would never have known about but for going to Woodcock Street Baths. I loved it. In the summer the girls dressed in summer school uniform with straw boaters, etc. We played tennis in Edgbaston and sometimes Witton Lakes Park grass courts. The school blazer badge was written in shorthand on a shield back when I attended with four words two on the top half and two on the bottom half of the shield: The Shorthand reads:
Top line: Commerce English,
Bottom line: Shorthand, Typing/Typewriting.
The school uniform for Winter and Summer uniforms was quite extensive and I imagine expensive.
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Hi, my mother went to Lawrence College in Corporation Street in 1943 and I wondered if anyone went at the same time or remembered her. Her name is Nora Harvey, she is 92 now. Also if anyone has any photos of the pupils at that time? Many thanks, Nick (her son)
 
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Welcome to the forum., noranellie. There is a thread for the college. and I have moved the posts to this
 
P Prosser (nee Lewis) said:
I was there from about 1956 to 1961. I remember Miss Nock, Mrs "science" Evans, Mr Woodruff, Madame Corbet, Mr Green. I remember Norman Lane making a paper balcony mounted on the wall. My friends were Jacqueline Pace and Eileen Finney.
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I've just found this forum too. We must have been in the same form. My friends were Susan Robinson and Jane Reid. I remember Jacqueline Pace and Eileen Finney too. Also Norman Lane - he did a comic recitation in front of the class, something about a 'stick with a horses head handle and shoved it in Wallace's ear'! Mr Woodruff used to amuse us as he always dusted his chair and desk before sitting down. There was a very strict history teacher probably Mrs Evans - you didn't mess about in her class. Yes, the long treks to PT, netball, tennis and to Birchfield Harriers for athletics - they certainly kept us active. I think Mr Green was the English teacher and he taught the whole class to recite The Charge of the Light Brigade for which we won a prize - a trip to the cinema. Susan R. and I used to go into the nearby C&A's after school and for a laugh, try on as many hats as we could before the assistant ejected us. I have a wide photo of the pupils and staff taken in 1959 and also the sew-on blazer badge - I'm surprised they have survived. I remember moving into the new school building but I was only there briefly as I moved away from the area with my family after that.
 
Feb 19 2021

Hi everyone Mr Murphy was headmaster. Looking for old chums Kathleen Westwood, Stourbridge, Velda Bartram Helen Evans Elaine Nuttall Noel Carr (mad on cars and built one) and anyone in that era. I was on the commercial side but had lots of friends on the grammar school side. I did pass for Kings Norton Grammar School but a commercial career had been decided for me. Would love to hear from anyone who remembers me. We used to go stadiums to train for sports. Also play Netball but could never played in a team as I couldn't get there. Wish you all well with this Virus and hope you have had the vaccine. I used to bring pet mice to school in a luncheon tin and many of you bought one for 6d. We had a lot of fun despite all the hard work we put in.
 
I have not heard from anyone in my era. I was on the commercial side (had friends on Grammar school side) and as we were very competitive and achieved very high skills we used to give demonstrations showing off our skills both in shorthand and typing (typing to music was one). I left at 15 and a half to start work a week later. I enjoyed my work immensely at Peat Marwick Mitchell (Colmore Row) now KPMG only left to get married and have a family. Cosette
 
I am a new member: Ian. I was a pupil at Pitman's College for two years from 1959 to 1961 and I'm now retired. I remember the names of around twenty pupils and five teachers. If anyone on this forum was there during those years I would be interested to learn what happened to them after I left. I was in touch with classmate Caroline Gillott several years ago but lost touch with her. The headmaster was J Stark and I think he left not long after I moved on. Other teachers were Mr Parnell (who I gained a lot from), Mrs Farrell (form teacher), Mr King (geography) and Miss Eden (English). I remember other teachers (mathematics, French, history) but not there names. Does anyone have photos of the buildings housing the college in Corporation Street and Smallbrook Ringway area? I've seen a school photo from the year before I attended the school and I don't recall any photograph being taken when I was there.
 
Hi, my mother Avis Wilson went to Lawrence's in the late 1940's maybe early 1950's (born in 1933). I would be very pleased to hear from anyone who knew her, or with any more memories from that period.
 
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