Perry Common Comprehensive School 1964 to 1969

[biffohistory]

Hello

Name Alfred Phillips

I was at Perry Common Comprehensive from 1966 to 1973-( my mother thought I would never leave)

I remember Mr Gee he would come into the classroom with his academic gown drooping and would clean the blackboard with it- the blackboard chalk wiper (wood block) would be used to aim at you if you were talking!

In fact the first time i spoke to Mr Gee was in 1965 before i went to Perry Common Comprehensive-I had to walk home from school down the "gully* which ran next to the school fields and fence and was used by residents of Wyrley Birch estate to get from colleage road to the estate. Some kids from Perry Common had a large block of ice/compacted snow and smashed it over my headwhich floored me. Mr Gee was watching and sent the prefects out to catch those involved and he came to speak to me to see if i was alright.

I remember Mr Palmer who i last saw at an Open University exam we were both taking in the mid 1970's. Mr Eastwood (called basil brush) because of his hair cut was my group teacher. Mr Davis or Davies -a welsh teacher -I use to help him with the school tuck shop

I had Mr Hemmigway and Mr Rhodes as geography teahers and Mr Conker (deputy head) for history with Mr Gee as well. i got on very well with Mr Conker and he took an interest in me and would speak to my mother at parents evening- he advised my mother to keep me at school to do A levels

Mr Mackett took me for A level history and he had his notes in a folder and the paper was headed with a government crest( I later got to use the same paper when i joined the civil service)- I also remember he rocked from side o side when teaching

We had Mr Preston as music teacher ( I later got to meet his twin identical brother who arranged a reitirement meal for my boss in HM Customs)-Mr Herbet and Mr Fowler(nick named plug because of his teeth)also for music.

Mr Newton took me for English and also in the drama group and i was in many of his school plays-last time i saw him was in Rackhams department store in Birmingham- he ws in a jazz band and tapped me on the shoulder as i passed by-late 2980's

I had Mr Hickman for art- very nice man - i remeber he had a fibreglass bodied car based on a Triumph Herald car-last time i saw him was at new Street station 1970's he had taken arly retirement

I remember Mr Neal the headmaster well- last time I spoke to him was in the early 1980's at a reunion in the school he was upset as the education authority was taking away the sixth form

I lived directly opposite the school entrance gate blackrock/faulkners farm drive -so I could never be late for school or mis a day being so close

I moved from Wyrley Birch estate in 1981 and was shcked to hear that it went down hill and was nick named the Birmingham bronx


I went back to see the school a few years ago and got a shock to see that it had been demolished completely -all gone -what a waste.

 

[Bradbari]

hi anyone go to perry common comp 64 to 69.

I am Brad Price and I was an American foreign exchange student for a short time in 1969, May until the end of term. I still have my school tie that my grandchildren ask about when they notice it.

 

[Astoness]

I am Brad Price and I was an American foreign exchange student for a short time in 1969, May until the end of term. I still have my school tie that my grandchildren ask about when they notice it.

how lovely that you still have your old tie as a memory of your time in england...thanks for sharing

lyn

 

[Bradbari]

how lovely that you still have your old tie as a memory of your time in england...thanks for sharing

lyn

Ahhhh, and other bits. Wonderful memories. Being introduced to custard on a doughnut during a Perry Common lunch, demonstrating some baseball on break when someone had a bat and baseball they had as a souvenir, a trip on the Ribble, hearing a different version of what in the US is called the Revolutionary War….

 

[biffohistory]

Hello Brady

Great to hear from you- I was at Perry Common Comp from 1966 to 1973. For most of my time there my group titor was a maths teacher Mr Eastwood(commonly referred to as brush because of his hair)

As you have mentioned 1964 - you would have been 2 years ahead of me at school

I still have my Perry Common tie as well- as i grew in size my mother would have to buy new one from the Co-Operative in Birmingham and i ended up with an adult size one.

I went back to Birmingham (as i now live in Manchester) to see a friend and went to have a look at the school. To my horror they had demolished the school completely -what a waste of tax payers money- given it had language labs- well equiped science labs and a swimming pool

Who was your group tutor and can you remember any of your class mates names-

take care of yourself,old son

Alfred ( nick name bog brush because i had wirely red hair)

 

[John L]

The swimming pool that biffohistory mentioned @ #35 (it seemed bigger back in the day) and The Ribble that Bradbari mentions @ 34 (photographed in 1975 on a sans uniform day):

 

[biffohistory]

Hello John L

Thanks for the photos of the swimming pool and Ribble- I never had a trip on the Riblbe but i did go to Corris- Perry Commons hostal in Wales. i remember a Welsh man who kept singling me out just outside the hostal every day saying "give me sixpence for a cup of tea that i can take in a big hotel"- i must have given him half a crown over the days i was there

When was the photo of the group at the ribble taken?

I was present a the launch of the Ribble -I think in 1966/1967 but as I said never went on it.

take care

Alfred

 

[John L]

Hello John L

Thanks for the photos of the swimming pool and Ribble- I never had a trip on the Riblbe but i did go to Corris- Perry Commons hostal in Wales. i remember a Welsh man who kept singling me out just outside the hostal every day saying "give me sixpence for a cup of tea that i can take in a big hotel"- i must have given him half a crown over the days i was there

When was the photo of the group at the ribble taken?

I was present a the launch of the Ribble -I think in 1966/1967 but as I said never went on it.

take care

Alfred

I had a day on The Ribble a couple of years before this photograph was taken in 1975 Alfred, but I didn't get to Corris.

 

[John L]

As

Hello

my name is Aflred Phillips and i went to Perry Common 1966 to 1973

my group tutor was Mr Eastwood-he taught maths

history was with Mr Gee and Mr Mackett

happy times and I learned a great deal from both teachers

i understand that Mr Mackett retired and openned a Post office in th country some where


I bumped into Mr Newton -in the late 1980's in Birmingham centre - he took me for English and ran the drama at school in the evening-not seen since

When i was doing my Open University degree in 1976 -I ran into Mr Palmer who was also taking a degree at the same time- i donot remeber whether i was actually in one of his classes or not

For gym there was Mr Beal- in the mid 1990's i was passing near to the school and popped into see the old place and i spoke to Mr Beal then -not seen since that time

I was shocked to discover that they demolished the school buildings -fairely recently -what a waste of buildings and resources

I had an excellent relationship with Mr Conker Deputy Head- he would steer me clear of the bad influences and individuals at school

I really hadn't realised that they had demolished the old school. As you say, that does suggest a waste of buildings/resources. It was only built in 1964, so was it really necessary to demolish it, rather than just re-name it? I know there have been problems identified with other school buildings recently, so perhaps it was related to that. I hope so, rather than just a "cosmetic" idea of giving North Birmingham Academy a new building to occupy, as properties nearby were being demolished as well.

Victorian and Edwardian schools still remain suitable for use in Birmingham (including the primary school that I went to), is it just that they were built to last, but schools built 60 or so years later had a shelf life of 50% or so less? If not, perhaps this is an example of the type of unnecessary public spending, that has led the local authority to the situation that they are now in.

 

[John L]

North Birmingham Academy (previously College High and Perry Common Comprehensive), very nice, but obviously no expense was spared:

 

[biffohistory]

Hello John L

Thanks for the photo's of the new school. As you say there could have been problems with Perry Common's structure.

My infant and junior school was not far away in Hastings Road ( 1960 -1966) and was re named Perry Common junior while i was there. The buildings were certainly old- the toilets were outside of the school building and you had to cross the playground to get to them The school was originally an infant/junior with secondary modern buildings- seperate buildings for boys and girls


Was your primary school near Perry Common ?

take care

Alfred



I

 

[John L]

Hello John L

Thanks for the photo's of the new school. As you say there could have been problems with Perry Common's structure.

My infant and junior school was not far away in Hastings Road ( 1960 -1966) and was re named Perry Common junior while i was there. The buildings were certainly old- the toilets were outside of the school building and you had to cross the playground to get to them The school was originally an infant/junior with secondary modern buildings- seperate buildings for boys and girls


Was your primary school near Perry Common ?

take care

Alfred



I

No Alfred, I went to Slade Road School. Built in 1903 and still in use today, I went to the 100th celebrations and it had hardly changed. They built them to last back then. All the very best.