Hi All
I recently found this site and the interesting threads on Lordswood BTS.
I joined the school in 1958 after passing the eleven plus at Dudley Road. Lordswood was then only one year old, I believe. I stayed until A levels in 1965. I did physics at Birmingham then trained and qualified as a patent attorney.
Like several others, I was not very good at practical subjects. I was much better at the academic ones.
Teachers I can remember from my years at the school are as follows:
Bailey (Maths), Balsom (Deputy Head and English), Barnsley (Chemistry), Betts (Metalwork), Caldicott (Woodwork), Craig (German), Dale (Maths), Davies (Geography), J Griffin (PE and Geography), D Harkness (Headmaster and Maths), Harrington (TD), Hawkridge (History), D Hepton (Chemistry), Ingamells (German), D George (Craft), Hart (Art), G Jones (PE), V Jones (English and General Studies), C Lee (Music and RE), Lewis (PE and History), B Long (German), R Long (English), Luckman (German), Ludlam (English and General Studies), P Mason (English), Mercati (Biology), Rankin (Pottery), H Reinstein (Maths), Rhodes (Chemistry), Sawyer (Physics), Sturmen (TD), Summers (English), Wilson (Physics), Woods (Physics).
Harkness was a very good teacher. I had him for some A level Maths. He was very clear and logical. Also, I had Balsom for some basic English and he too was clear and easy to follow.
My favourite teacher was Griffin (‘Noddy’) for the mature way in which he interacted with us. He was keen on cross-country (I was a runner) and left to become a professional cyclist. My least favourite was Dale who dangerously would throw the hard board rubber at anyone not paying attention.
‘Character’ teachers were Hawkridge, Reinstein and Hepton. Each could be very funny (not deliberately!) in their own different ways.
Lads that were my contemporaries are as follows:
R Adams, S Alexander, J Ashby, R Bannister, J Barton, K Beesley, R Beach, R Bradburn, A Bray, F Boyce, A Brown, C Broughton, H Bull, K Cocking, F Collin, G Conyers, D Cotterell, J Curtis, T Fisher, J Clayton, P Dalton, J Daw, W Eddy, F Evenson, P Geraghty, Goundry, Green, P Greeno, Grinyer, P Grubb, P Gunningham, D Harris, Higginson, P Hind, J Hodgetts (deceased 1963) , B Hughes, G Insall, D James, P James, R Johnston, B Joyce, F Kerrigan, R Knight, L Kricka, T Lears, C Margetts, M McGaheran, J Moore, E Morris, P Morris, B Newby, J Nicholls, Parsons, Polanski, K O'Brien, K Reading, J Reilly, D Rhodes, S Ryall, R Scott, W Sharpe, I Sheppard, P Simpson, R Smith, J Smith, P Styzaker, D Taborn, J Tehan, R Tookey, C Trickett, Tumelty, M Veale, J Westlake, F Whitehouse, M White, R Wilkes, D Workman, B Ying.
Glad to offer these comments. It's very pleasing that a record is still being kept on the early days of the school. There were many such details recorded on Friends Reunited but unfortunately they were all lost when that site folded.