Marsh Hill Boys Grammar Tech School

[MartinS]

I remember the Harris family, all of them including mom had bright red hair. David was my age; I used to hang around with him so Tony would have been more your age. Think there was a daughter too.

Exactly. Tony was the eldest boy, my age.. David was the middle one. The entire family red hair except for their Dad.

FWIW, David was a holy terror when he was little!

Yes, from distant recall I do believe there was a daughter too.

Re #268 and the language lab. I remember it well. We (Marsh Hill Girls) used it occasionally. I did French and German 'O' level. As far as I remember, we used your lab for German oral lessons and our own (MHGS) for French. Having thought about this a bit more, I wonder if it had something to do with our German teacher, Mrs Banner (formerly Wilkinson) who was married to one of your teachers (presumably Mr Banner) encouraging this exchange. I expect some of MHBS came over to our school, too. I know Mrs Cockbain and Mr Markwell applauded close working between the two schools.

I wanted to learn German too, but my parents and relatives were still rather sore over the events of WWII, so that was a definite no go, end of discussion with them.
I did participate in extra curricular drama stage effects and stage make-up with the girls for a short while.
However, I managed to get caught under the stage at the girls' school without permission one day and that ended any aspirations I had towards a career associated with acting!
Looking back, I find it a bit surprising that Mr. Markwell only had a B.A.

 

[A Sparks]

Exactly. Tony was the eldest boy, my age.. David was the middle one. The entire family red hair except for their Dad.

FWIW, David was a holy terror when he was little!

Yes, from distant recall I do believe there was a daughter too.

I wanted to learn German too, but my parents and relatives were still rather sore over the events of WWII, so that was a definite no go, end of discussion with them.
I did participate in extra curricular drama stage effects and stage make-up with the girls for a short while.
However, I managed to get caught under the stage at the girls' school without permission one day and that ended any aspirations I had towards a career associated with acting!
Looking back, I find it a bit surprising that Mr. Markwell only had a B.A.

My friend and I who were at the girls school helped do stage make-up for revue in the boy's school, in 1966 I think the year was?
One of your teachers was in charge but I can’t quite recall his name, the boys had a nickname for him which I can't remember either, might he have been the woodwork teacher?

I particularly remember the skit on the TV Batman series which was very popular at the time - I think your Peter Evans played Mr Freeze?
Also, I remember the pop band the boys school had, they were pretty good too!

 

[Tinman1952]

Good morning Steve. Welcome and thank you, it's great to put more names to the faces. I happened across this site a few years ago and added some memories, but am so busy that I don't stop in often enough. There are many great memories and photos shared across the forums, well worth visiting.

I had your names on the tip of my tongue, but wasn't quite sure after all these years. I have updated the photo to include the names. One that puzzles me is ?Harris. We had new neighbours move in two doors away from our home, the Harris family. I think that the three boys were Tony, David and Michael. The boy in the class photo could well be Tony, as I think he was my age. I could easily be wrong. Maybe someone on the site has the class register/roster to allow me to fill in the blanks and correct any misspelled names.

Fun times in the main hall at lunch time! You'll probably also recall the tables where two students were the servers who brought over bowls and plates of food from the kitchen. It was like a mad scramble and usually the two boys bringing the food either had to grab some as they walked to the table or miss out as eager hands grabbed it as soon as the food hit the tables.

Graham Taylor, myself and a couple of others somehow managed to work in the "Tuck Shop" counter, in the little alcove on the lefts side of the main hall walking down from the main entrance.

You will probably recall that when we moved into Mr. Keating's room at the end of the hall for our home room, that it had been re-modelled from a regular classroom into the new "Language Laboratory", with little cubicles kitted out with tape recorders and a communication system that he could use to interact with each of us.

Chess was our equivalent to video games today! I still have my little House Martin traveling chess set, after all these years. The lid pretty much fell apart years ago and is duct taped together, but the board and pieces are pretty much intact, as last played during our school days. I couldn't hazard a guess how many games I played on that little board!

Martin

View attachment 205947

Thanks Martin. Sorry I don't remember ?Harris but the boy in the middle on the front row Peter? - was his name Jinks? I'm not sure but that seems to ring a bell.
I remember Mr Keatley very well. Didn't he call us all 'misérables!' Lol... he had that big old Renault if I remember correctly. He once drove Chris Long and me to Birmingham University for a french speaking competition run by the Anglo French society....sadly we came nowhere!
I remember feeling quite proud when they built the language laboratory as they said we were the first in the country to have one. It seemed very 'hi-tech' at the time!
The 'tuck shop' was always very crowded at break time and I remember trying to get a Wagon Wheel biscuit before they ran out.
Your little chess set was just like the one we used....it has certainly stood up well!
Best regards

 

[Tinman1952]

Re #268 and the language lab. I remember it well. We (Marsh Hill Girls) used it occasionally. I did French and German 'O' level. As far as I remember, we used your lab for German oral lessons and our own (MHGS) for French. Having thought about this a bit more, I wonder if it had something to do with our German teacher, Mrs Banner (formerly Wilkinson) who was married to one of your teachers (presumably Mr Banner) encouraging this exchange. I expect some of MHBS came over to our school, too. I know Mrs Cockbain and Mr Markwell applauded close working between the two schools.

Hi Viv
I remember Mrs Banner very well (or Frau Banner as we were told to call her...) as I did O level and A level German at the Girls' school. She always seemed very smartly dressed and was a lovely teacher. I also did A level Music with Miss Grimes (later Mrs Allen).
Do you remember Mr Slinn who taught Geography I think and used to organise the school operas?

Regards

 

[MartinS]

My friend and I who were at the girls school helped do stage make-up for revue in the boy's school, in 1966 I think the year was?
One of your teachers was in charge but I can’t quite recall his name, the boys had a nickname for him which I can't remember either, might he have been the woodwork teacher?

I particularly remember the skit on the TV Batman series which was very popular at the time - I think your Peter Evans played Mr Freeze?
Also, I remember the pop band the boys school had, they were pretty good too!

I expect that the music teacher who played the piano in assemblies would have been present. "Bean Head" and/or "Chrome Dome" come to mind as he was bald, but I'm not absolutely sure though as it's been so long now.

He was the one who did the stage make-up training in the afternoons after school lessons ended. I don't recall the woodwork teacher's name, as I preferred metalwork, so didn't spend much time in the woodworking class. So, you could quite well be correct on that, as he would have most likely participated in controlling the staging etc.

I had a job at Moyle and Adams Grocery store at Stockland Green after school and on weekends, which usually conflicted with drama-related studies. I later moved over to work at Wheelers Timber and Builders' Merchants 6/20 Hampton Road with the Bromley family.

 

[MartinS]

Thanks Martin. Sorry I don't remember ?Harris but the boy in the middle on the front row Peter? - was his name Jinks? I'm not sure but that seems to ring a bell.
I remember Mr Keatley very well. Didn't he call us all 'misérables!' Lol... he had that big old Renault if I remember correctly. He once drove Chris Long and me to Birmingham University for a french speaking competition run by the Anglo French society....sadly we came nowhere!
I remember feeling quite proud when they built the language laboratory as they said we were the first in the country to have one. It seemed very 'hi-tech' at the time!
The 'tuck shop' was always very crowded at break time and I remember trying to get a Wagon Wheel biscuit before they ran out.
Your little chess set was just like the one we used....it has certainly stood up well!
Best regards

I'm not sure on Peter or Jinks, but if it rings a bell there's usually something to it! Perhaps someone else familiar will chime in.

I read somewhere the other day of an "A" class student claiming to have been demoted, but there was no hierarchy in A, M, R and S.

Yes, I too remember Mr. Keatley quite well and addressing us as "misérables" his nasal tones. I've referred to him both as Keatley and incorrectly as Keating from time to time, just slip of the mind/typos.

I enjoyed French and romped through the oral "O" Level exam. I'd originally desired to be an English and French teacher and had a girlfriend who went on exchanges with girls from France. That's when I quickly realised that my French wasn't nearly as good as I thought! These days the best I can muster in a typical Keatley nasal tone, is "Je ne comprends pas Français!"

I did pass "O" Levels in English, English Literature, French and Metalwork, CSEs in Maths, Science and Physics. I was a better student than my results identified. I just got lazy and distracted towards the end of the journey, even though I enjoyed school most of the time.

I already had the engineering apprenticeship "in the bag" by then, so like many teens I wasn't worried much about the exam outcomes and didn't put in enough effort to achieve.

I still recall Mr. Markwell's callous final address to us school leavers at the last assembly. "To those of you who are leaving today, don't come back."

Family money was a bit tight, so I elected not carry on through sixth level, to instead enter the work force. My brothers both benefited, as they had the chance to continue on.

Best regards,
Martin

 

[Vivienne14]

Hi Viv
I remember Mrs Banner very well (or Frau Banner as we were told to call her...) as I did O level and A level German at the Girls' school. She always seemed very smartly dressed and was a lovely teacher. I also did A level Music with Miss Grimes (later Mrs Allen).
Do you remember Mr Slinn who taught Geography I think and used to organise the school operas?

Regards

'Frau' Banner was a great teacher, the best I had at MHGS. Very modern, fashionable and approachable. She had big hair and wore quite short skirts at one point. Wonder what Mrs Cockbaine and Mr Markwell made of that ! We so missed her when she left - about 1970/71, I think. A vivid memory from German lessons was we used the textbook Aufentalt in Deutchland, red cover- isn't it strange the fairly insignificant things we remember ?

I remember Mr Slinn, he was my Geography teacher. He constantly moved around the classroom. He often wore corduroy. Drove a sports car.

The language lab had booths lined with that cladding with holes in, like in record shop listening booths. They had glass fronts so the teacher could see what you were getting up to and, I think they could listen in on your speaking. Not sure if the visit of Margaret Thatcher (then Education Minister) materialised, but she was supposed to visit the boys' school language lab - seen as a very progressive move in foreign language education.

You might have realised we have a Marsh Hill Girls thread too. Here's a link for anyone interested.

Thread 'Marsh Hill Girls Grammar Tech School'

Jul 8, 2010

Edit. A link to Marsh Hill Boys Grammar Tech is here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/marsh-hill-boys-grammar-tech-school.34993/


The school opened in 1960 but no longer exists. Think it became Josiah Mason College. Headmistress in 1967 was Mrs Cockbaine (who insisted on being called CObaine i.e silent middle c and k !!) Viv.

A school record was recorded in the 1960s. Be interesting to see if anyone has a copy.

The school blazer badge - Non Nobis Solum.

• Vivienne14
• Replies: 312
• Forum: SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

 

[Tinman1952]

'Frau' Banner was a great teacher, the best I had at MHGS. Very modern, fashionable and approachable. She had big hair and wore quite short skirts at one point. Wonder what Mrs Cockbaine and Mr Markwell made of that ! We so missed her when she left - about 1970/71, I think. A vivid memory from German lessons was we used the textbook Aufentalt in Deutchland, red cover- isn't it strange the fairly insignificant things we remember ?

I remember Mr Slinn, he was my Geography teacher. He constantly moved around the classroom. He often wore corduroy. Drove a sports car.

The language lab had booths lined with that cladding with holes in, like in record shop listening booths. They had glass fronts so the teacher could see what you were getting up to and, I think they could listen in on your speaking. Not sure if the visit of Margaret Thatcher (then Education Minister) materialised, but she was supposed to visit the boys' school language lab - seen as a very progressive move in foreign language education.

You might have realised we have a Marsh Hill Girls thread too. Here's a link for anyone interested.

Thread 'Marsh Hill Girls Grammar Tech School'

Jul 8, 2010

Edit. A link to Marsh Hill Boys Grammar Tech is here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/marsh-hill-boys-grammar-tech-school.34993/


The school opened in 1960 but no longer exists. Think it became Josiah Mason College. Headmistress in 1967 was Mrs Cockbaine (who insisted on being called CObaine i.e silent middle c and k !!) Viv.

A school record was recorded in the 1960s. Be interesting to see if anyone has a copy.

The school blazer badge - Non Nobis Solum.

• Vivienne14
• Replies: 312
• Forum: SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

Hi Viv
Thanks very much for the link to the Girls' School thread. Just enjoyed reading through that and studying that big school photo!
I seem to remember that one year when they took that photo Susan Nicklin appeared on both ends of the photo....she ran from one end to the other while the camera was panning across....
I remember Mr Slinn's sports car. He often used to give a girl a lift in it which would set some tongues wagging.....
Rumour was he had a pet goat too!

Regards

 

[Vivienne14]

Pet goat - sounds very likely ! Think (David) Slinn went on to become a deputy head somewhere in Perry Barr.

 

[Vivienne14]

Another school performance. Produced by Mr Hellings.

Source: British Newspaper Archive

 

[Tinman1952]

Another school performance. Produced by Mr Hellings.
View attachment 205991
Source: British Newspaper Archive

Oh I remember that production well. I played the doctor's assistant and did the whole play in a fake 'Scottish' accent! I was worried it wasn't believable but heard later that one of the parents had said she thought the 'Scottish boy' was good, so that pleased me.
Garry Danks was good in this but even better I think in My Fair Lady with Susan Nicklin as Eliza Dolittle. I played the hapless Freddie in that one.I wonder if he managed to go to RADA and live his dream?
I heard from Ken Campbell once many years later via Friends Reunited and he was then working for Cancer Research UK. Sadly didn't manage to meet up in person.
Janet McGowan had married a computer guy and was living in Iraq then I believe. How often Marsh Hill people seem to have travelled all over the globe! Another friend was living in the US in a beach house on the Pacific West Coast.
Pete Hellings was a legend and always used to have an after show party at his house with his French wife. One time I spotted his British Empire Medal on a shelf which said 'For Valour' I think. I asked him about it but he just smiled... I only found out later he was actually fairly famous for his poetry in Wales. At Marsh Hill he was famous for always smoking french cigarettes 'Disque Bleu' and being surrounded by a cloud of smoke! A great man and sadly missed.

Best regards