The Midland Ed. was the parent company for Barnbys. Both shops had stores in Birmingham, Coventry, Bristol, & Solihull. There were other shops that were part of the group, but my memory is on meltdown at present.!
I worked as a manager (As a young lad, In truth, the wonderful Staff there did all the work, I just signed the paperwork!) for The Midland Educational from approx. 1973-1977, from memory, they also had stores in Sutton Coldfield, Stratford on Avon, Wolverhampton, owned Mawson Swan & Morgan in Princes St. Edinburgh?, traded under "A.O. Jones?" in the midlands somewhere (Worcester?)and bought a high class china and glassware company (2 or 3 units) based around Derby?. (Caused a lot of consternation at the time as the MD, Jonathon Sayers, installed his Son as Director of this latest aquisition, not that I should complain as I was given some nice cut glass as a wedding present! ). Cliff Harris, I believe, started as toy director?, later joined the big ctm chain (Alfred Preedy?)who ended up buying what was left of Midland Ed.
I will always remember a conversation with a guy who had previously been an assistant manager at the Solihull store in the 60's - had to take two shirt collars to work every day, collar changed daily at 12:00 precisely!
His main job, as he put it, in the afternoons, would be to hand deliver "2 pencils" or similar using his bicycle, to various local account customers - how things have changed.
Generally speaking, not bad people to work for at the time, some lovely people and stores with a great range of products.
Keith.