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Lordswood Boys' Technical School

Thanks for posting that - brings back all sorts of memories.
The full title back in those days was "Lordswood Boys' Technical School"
I served my time between Sept 1961 and July 1966. I think the school had only been open for 3 or 4 years at that point?

Having passed the eleven plus at Camden Street Primary school, the choice of schools was mainly traditional grammar schools like George Dixon or Handsworth Grammar. The "Technical" school was a fairly new choice and majored on practical skills like woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing. Language taught was German as again this was deemed to be tech/engineering speak at the time.
The single storey block in the foreground of the photo was the metal and woodworking shops.

It soon dawned on me that my practical skills were zero and dropped the subjects for grammar and science based stuff!
Turned out to be a wrong choice for me but for those school pals who were more practical they were able to flourish.
Still in touch with a few of the 1961 entrants - we've all just reached retirement age and starting a whole new chapter!
 
Welcome Roger. Thanks for the school details. Hopefully we have other members who were former pupils. Meanwhile enjoy the forum. Viv.
 
All sorts of memories of Lordswood here too - mostly pleasant ones - I was there from 1960-67 and came away with enough knowledge to set me off on a career in river engineering. I did return to the school about 12/15 years ago - they had an open day for prospective pupils and their parents - I just wandered in and tagged onto one of the guided tours of the school - so very little had changed from my days there. I was though really impressed by the music demonstrations they put on in the school hall - there was next to no music education in my day - unless you could sing to Mr Lee's high standard to get in the choir! I still have a few of the annual school magazines on our bookshelves somewhere - I'll have to dig them out - and I'm still in touch with half a dozen folk from my days there.
 
I also attended Lordswood Boys' Technical School, and was there between 1961 and 1968. Hills Ltd, of West Bromwich, had been involved in the construction - I know that because my father worked in the drawing office at Hills.

Like Roger Blower above, my practical skills turned out to be non-existent. In woodwork, we were given a piece of rough-sawn timber and the first task, which took me the best part of a term to complete, was to plane it straight and square. After numerous attempts to get my efforts accepted by Mr Caldicott, and after each rejection having to shave off more wood, my piece ended up not much bigger than a matchstick (I exaggerate a little, but not much). I also remember the metalwork teacher, Mr Betts, who liked to tell us that his dog could do better than us - and in my case I've no doubt he probably could.

I also recall the Astronomical Society. The observatory was already built, and an impressive structure it was, but when I joined the school in 1961 they were grinding the mirror for the telescope - and when I left in 1968 they were still grinding the mirror. I often wonder if the job was ever finished - and whether the end result was a perfect parabola.

My abilities lay in maths and science and this is what I focused on, dropping the crafts as soon as I could. Overall, I got a very good education at Lordswood, where there were some excellent teachers, and I went on to Birmingham University where I read chemistry.
 
Malvernian said:
Here's the observatory in 1963 - from the school magazine - the Astronomical Society, and the observatory doesn't seem to get a mention in my magazines after 1964.....
Click to expand...
Nice photo of the observatory. I've also kept my old school magazines as well but I've not looked at them for years.
 
Hi all. Just joined. I was in the first intake in 1957 when there were just 2 years. The 2nd year were 12plus intakes.

I've always appreciated the skills we learnt with Messrs Cauldicott and Betts, real woodwork and metalwork. Not to mention technical drawing with... ???

I stayed through to the 6th form then read maths at B'ham University.

More memories to come if anyone is interested and/or can add to them.

Phil Neath
 
Hi Phil,

I think technical drawing was Mr Fletcher when I was there.

I'm interested in what else you may remember. I started there in 1961.

Roger
 
Thanks guys. Didn't expect such prompt replies. It was Harrington.

This is surreal, sitting in a restaurant in Denia (Spain) thinking about school 50 yrs ago. Back to food for now.

Add more soon
 
Thanks again. The staff list brings back lots of memories. I still have a goblet made in Mr George's class, a French polished stool (Mr Caldicott's class), my technical drawing set and somewhere photos (form, cricket teams and badminton teams). From the prefect list I'm reminded that I didn't make "rank" until 6th form. As a prefect I was asked to catch smokers who used the observatory as a screen. Unsuccessfully, I'm glad to say.

I also remember feeling mortified when the school badge was introduced with the motto "Service" in letters which could be seen from many yards away.
 
Quite a nostalgic trip looking at the comments. I was at Lordswood from 1959-1966.
It was a fabulous school for me, particularly when I did four A levels.
Metalwork under Mr George, woodwork under Mr Chapman then Mr Hart, pottery under Mr Rankin then Mr Boddison and Technical drawing under Mr Harrington.
I remember so many staff staff from the 1961 list posted.
The single story building in the photograph was where I spent many hours doing my woodwork.
At 70 I’m now re-training, making furniture and classical guitars, it’s bringing back so many fond memories of my time at Lordswood.
 
welcome to the forum houghton thanks for your memories of lordswood and good luck with your re training...enjoy

lyn
 
I was at Lordswood from 62-69 and just about survived. Faraday House and 6th form Science for ever!
 
RogFromBrum,

Re: your post #12, was Fletcher the same guy who taught Techical Drawing, Woodwork & Metalwork at Moseley Grammar School between 1947 & 1953. If not, then we have a massive coincidence!

Maurice
 
sospiri said:
RogFromBrum,

Re: your post #12, was Fletcher the same guy who taught Techical Drawing, Woodwork & Metalwork at Moseley Grammar School between 1947 & 1953. If not, then we have a massive coincidence!

Maurice
Click to expand...
I've no idea where he was before he came to Lordswood but if he was a young man at Moseley Grammar then it's possible that he was the same chap. I recall he was middle-aged when he was teaching me but when you are young it is difficult to gauge the age of people much older so I could be wrong.

The Lordswood magazine from July 1961 welcomes him on board but doesn't say where he came from.
 
May be a coincidence then, as he would have been middle-aged when I left MGS in 1953. I will try and find out from fellow pupils. Cheers.

Maurice
 
Hello everyone. I have enjoyed reading all the memories on here. I was a 2nd year intake when the school opened in 1957 placed in form 2D, and left in 1961. My first form master was Gil Jones, P.E. Master. My house was Telford. Good memories of Mr Reinstein, maths, Mr Hawkridge, history, Mr Davies, geography and many more. I am still in touch with a few old school pals. I must dig out some class photos and post them on here.
 
Malvernian said:
Just been trawling the internet to see if I could find out when the school organ was removed. Instead I found out that the Kier Group have just made a start on a project to remove the whole school building and replace it with a new one by 2020 - see..... https://www.kier.co.uk/media/news-releases/kier-to-deliver-new-144m-boys-academy-for-birmingham/

Wonder if there will be any guided tours, for us old boys, before it goes?
Click to expand...

I left the school this year and got to see a glimpse of the building being built on results day. The DT block has been demolished I belive (not sure) and the build is in full swing. The Headteacher at the time said that we could have a tour. Hopefully there will be a grand opening of the school.
 
vicfarlowe said:
I was at Lordswood 1961-67. I was a friend of 1960s legend London John/Johnny Parka, who went to Stanmore Road which is now part of George Dixons. I never liked school. My fault, not the school. My pal of 45 years, Pete Williams from Weoley Castle, was also at Lordswood. He passed away in 2011. I remember Dimsey who taught Maths and a Scots Maths teacher who used to say you could cure a cold by putting a hot brick on your chest! I was a total waster at school and did not read a degree until I was 31! We used to play cards in the Observatory. Was it ever finished? I was also part of the form that was sent by Mr Harkness to dig stones out of the playing fields.
Click to expand...
You must have been there the same time as me - I was 1961 to 68. I was in Stephenson House, and Form 1J when I started.

As I recall, the observatory was finished as a building in 1961, but didn't have a telescope, a somewhat vital accessory. Bizarrely, they were grinding their own mirror for the telescope when I started there and it was still a work in progress when I left.
 
Those were my recollections of the house colours as well. I remember some of the names you mention - George Foley, Steve Skidmore and Adrian Bolton - although I don't remember what they looked like, not that that would be much use if I bumped into them now.
I remember playground fights and long ice slides. I also recall the long winter of 62/63. No one clamored for the school to be shut and everyone seemed to make their way in, either on foot or by bus.
I didn't much enjoy school life until the 6th Form when we were suddenly given much more freedom, including our own common room and at least one free period a day, which many of us spent playing bridge.
 
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RogFromBrum said:
Those were my recollections of the house colours as well. I remember some of the names you mention - George Foley, Steve Skidmore and Adrian Bolton - although I don't remember what they looked like, not that that would be much use if I bumped into them now.
I remember playground fights and long ice slides. I also recall the long winter of 62/63. No one clamored for the school to be shut and everyone seemed to make their way in, either on foot or by bus.
I didn't much enjoy school life until the 6th Form when we were suddenly given much more freedom, including our own common room and at least one free period a day, which many of us spent playing bridge.
Click to expand...

Seems we were all together in the September 1961 intake. My birthday at the end of August made me the baby of the year and I ended up in 1S and in Faraday (green) house. Once the academic shuffle started I was in the A/ Alpha stream and finished up in 5Alpha before leaving in Summer '66.
I have here a class photo of 5 Alpha and sure enough all those faces - Steve Skidmore, Ada Bolton are all there! I'm actually standing next to Steve S on the back row together with my pals, Ed Hadley and Bernard Dooling.
I need to scan this photo and load it up as it will help trigger fading memories.

I think I know who RogfromBrum must be - I think your surname begins with a P and you were in the A stream?

Vic - you spoke of London John which also triggers a memory jolt. Another Lordswood pal, Roger Miller, lived on Harborne High St. and we socialised after leaving school. He often spoke of this character "London John" around the pubs of Harborne and Quinton. If I remember correctly he joined the Fire service and then became known as "Asbestos Man" ??

I'll get this photo scanned during the next few days and load it up.
 
Roger Blower said:
Seems we were all together in the September 1961 intake. My birthday at the end of August made me the baby of the year and I ended up in 1S and in Faraday (green) house. Once the academic shuffle started I was in the A/ Alpha stream and finished up in 5Alpha before leaving in Summer '66.
I have here a class photo of 5 Alpha and sure enough all those faces - Steve Skidmore, Ada Bolton are all there! I'm actually standing next to Steve S on the back row together with my pals, Ed Hadley and Bernard Dooling.
I need to scan this photo and load it up as it will help trigger fading memories.

I think I know who RogfromBrum must be - I think your surname begins with a P and you were in the A stream?
Click to expand...

Yes, I was in the September 1961 intake and came in from Summerfield Junior School. Your memory is better than mine and you're right that my surname begins with P - "Roger Parker".

I've attached three class photos. One is of 1J, with Form Master Mr Ashby - I'm 4th from the left in the 2nd row from the back.

Another is of 5A, with Mr Fletcher - I'm 6th from the left, back row. (Is this the same as your 5 Alpha photo?)

The final photo is of U6Sc with Mr Rhodes - I'm 3rd from the left, in the 2nd row from the back.

I can remember a few of the names, but not many. I lost contact with all my compatriots when I left in 1968 to go to university and I've not seen any of them since.
 

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