Mary Street School Balsall Heath

[sandracoley]

i havent yet seen anyone who attended mary street infants school in balsall heath on here ..i started there in 1951.and left for secondary school in 1957..to go to upper highgate school for girls where i finished my education. .....

 

[Leslie]

I was at Mary street 1945 to 1951 ,Most of my school friends left for Hope sreet school but I went to dennis road school. the teacher I remember most was
miss Pitt.

 

[Vivienne14]

This 1923 photo is of the girls section. When it opened it would have been a substantial school with junior and senior pupils. It seems to have lost its senior students in the re-organisation of the 1920s/30s. Here's an extract from the British History online site. Viv.

MARY STREET COUNTY PRIMARY SCHOOL, Balsall Heath.(27) Mary St. Bd. Sch. opened 1 Apr. 1878 (25) by King's Norton Sch. Bd. Accom. 820 Boys, Girls, Infants (21) Fees all 1d.(22) It was the first permanent sch. in new buildings opened by the Bd.(25) Enlarged 1883. Altered and reorganized 1928–33 for Junior Mixed, Infants. Damaged by enemy action 1940. Depts. united 1944. Repaired and altered 1950.(21) Accom. 1955: 17 classrooms, hall.(28)

 

[Vivienne14]

This was the WW2 bomb damage to the school mentioned in the previous post. It was repaired in 1950.Viv.

 

[BOBJ]

Mary Street School, Balsall Heath - class photographs

I attended Mary Street School from 1954 to 1961. I have many memories of teachers and pupils but do not have any class/ group photos and cannot find any on websites, although there are some from earlier. I have a couple of individual photos of myself but no class photos, this might be due to these not being taken or that my single parent mother could not afford them. I have still got all my reports and certificates etc. from 54 to 61.

I would love to see any photos from this era and hear any memories.

It is strange that I have lived and worked most of my life in the Birmingham area and have only met one person from Mary Street since leaving Dennis Road school in 1966.

 

[carolina]

 

[carolina]

 

[carolina]

I know there were 2 schools on Mary Street so I am not sure if this is Mary's or St Johns.

 

[BOBJ]

Hi Carolina,
I don't think that is Mary Street School, I can't think where you would be looking at the backs of houses through the playground. I think you would be looking at the front of the houses in Cox Street West from the back of the school across the playground. Bob

 

[mikejee]

Carolina
The last is one of my photos (which I had forgotten I'd ever posted) and is definitely of St Mary St (then Belgrave ) School playground taken when the school was being demolished.. I thought I had previously posted my photos (other than that one) on the forum , but cannot find them. So below are all of them , (including a few not very good ones taken against the sun).

 

[BOBJ]

sorry, correction should have been Upper Cox Street not Cox Street West. Bob

 

[mikejee]

Bob
It was 45 years ago, and, unfortunately, I lost all my notes, but am sure it must have been Mary St, as I do not remember going to the other end of the Street to St Johns, and all the other photos on the roll are of the area. Looking at the 1954 map below, I do agree that from that i cannot see where it was taken, though maybe soem changes in th eplayground were mad after 1954 (extra walls ?)

 

[BOBJ]

Mike,
I agree all pictures on #8 are Mary Street School and are just as I remember it, it was the one on#6 that did not seem to be so to me especially the rear of the houses opposite.

Bob

 

[mikejee]

I agree its strange. I have just assumed it was the playground of the school. It was on the film immediately after the photo labelled 22B and before the ones marked 27B-30B. Cannot think what else it can be

 

[mikejee]

Bob
Do you think they could have expanded the playground to the south after the map was drawn into the area behind victoria Place on the map, and we are looking across that to the back of Victoria Place?.

 

[Vivienne14]

#6 photo definitely looks like a school playground with the high wire fencing above the wall to stop balls going into the gardens/backyards. And it's a similar low wall around other parts of the school buildings.

Looking at Mike's 1954 map the houses behind the wire fence seem to fit the footprint of #s 53 - 57 Upper Cox Street. I don't think the Victoria Pl houses fit the footprint). So I think Mike's #6 photo was looking towards Upper Cox Street. The wall to the right has a break in it to give access to the playground from the area (earlier playground ?) to the right.

Between #53 and the next house (#52 Upper Cox Street?) is a passageway as seen on the map. The school fence ends at that point and the wall would therefore return towards the school itself (left of the photo as indicated by the diagonal post of the fence).

So the opening in the (original ?) school wall to the right seems to have been made (into the existing wall on the map?) and as Mike says, perhaps to extend the playground area to the south. Maybe due to accomodating increasing school numbers. viv..

 

[Phil]

One thing is for sure, and that it is not St Johns School RC at the other end of Mary Street which only had two small playgrounds one which faced on to Mary Street and was slightly higher than pavement level. The other was boxed in by school buildings at the rear of the School and backed on to St Johns Church in George St.

 

[BOBJ]

Mike,
I think you are right, there was a "new" playground behind and below the prefab type classrooms which faced Mary Street, south of the main school. If it is the backs of the Victoria Place houses (can't really tell) that are backing on to the playground in your photo ,that's the answer, mystery solved.
Bob

 

[mikejee]

Thanks Bob

 

[BOBJ]

My post #3 was asking for any class pictures from Mary Street, I have not found any of these but I did come across a picture of the staff from about 1960, many faces I recall. Does anyone else remember these teachers?

https://www.search.birminghamimages.org.uk/Details.aspx?&ResourceID=10978&PageIndex=3&SearchType=2&ThemeID=367

 

[doctormong]

My post #3 was asking for any class pictures from Mary Street, I have not found any of these but I did come across a picture of the staff from about 1960, many faces I recall. Does anyone else remember these teachers?

https://www.search.birminghamimages.org.uk/Details.aspx?&ResourceID=10978&PageIndex=3&SearchType=2&ThemeID=367

I remember Mrs Wildbore. Fantastic teacher. I also remember Mr Mundy good also.

 

[doctormong]

My post #3 was asking for any class pictures from Mary Street, I have not found any of these but I did come across a picture of the staff from about 1960, many faces I recall. Does anyone else remember these teachers?

https://www.search.birminghamimages.org.uk/Details.aspx?&ResourceID=10978&PageIndex=3&SearchType=2&ThemeID=367

I remember Mrs Wildbore. Fantastic teacher. I also remember Mr Mundy, very good also.

 

[charliewag]

I attended Mary Street School from 1941 till 1947, then left to go to Dennis Road School. The only two teachers I remember at Mary Street, a Miss Middleton and Miss Morgan, the head mistress was a lovey women but I just cannot think of her name, Oops forgot my photos.

 

[Astoness]

what smashing photos charlie..nice and clear as well...hopefully someone may recognise someone...

thanks for sharing

lyn

 

[brian humphries]

I know there were 2 schools on Mary Street so I am not sure if this is Mary's or St Johns. View attachment 108573

definately mary street school remember it well playground at rear and the hill was to the right and a bigger play ground brian humphries and my brother peter went to school here many moons ago

 

[Student]

This 1923 photo is of the girls section. When it opened it would have been a substantial school with junior and senior pupils. It seems to have lost its senior students in the re-organisation of the 1920s/30s. Here's an extract from the British History online site. Viv.

MARY STREET COUNTY PRIMARY SCHOOL, Balsall Heath.(27) Mary St. Bd. Sch. opened 1 Apr. 1878 (25) by King's Norton Sch. Bd. Accom. 820 Boys, Girls, Infants (21) Fees all 1d.(22) It was the first permanent sch. in new buildings opened by the Bd.(25) Enlarged 1883. Altered and reorganized 1928–33 for Junior Mixed, Infants. Damaged by enemy action 1940. Depts. united 1944. Repaired and altered 1950.(21) Accom. 1955: 17 classrooms, hall.(28)

 

[Rawlinson]

I attended the jnr school 1956, I lived at the Britannia Pub

 

[LordWilsonVilla]

I attended Mary Street School from 1941 till 1947, then left to go to Dennis Road School. The only two teachers I remember at Mary Street, a Miss Middleton and Miss Morgan, the head mistress was a lovey women but I just cannot think of her name, Oops forgot my photos.

I went to Mary St school from 1952 then onto Dennis Rd. Mr Munday was the headmaster at Mary St.

 

[Taxi Tom]

View attachment 108571

anyone remember Jimmy Black (Blackie) who had motor repair yard at 74-76 Mary St near Balfour St corner ? 60's 70's
He was my uncle

 

[Dan Bevan]

I went to Mary St school from 1952 then onto Dennis Rd. Mr Munday was the headmaster at Mary St.

My father John A Bevan was at Mary Street School 1934-1939. Then went to Hope Street School before his house in Wenman Road was flattened 13 Dec 1940