Rookery Road William Murdock Schools Handsworth

[Messman]

Hi I’m not on this photo so can’t give you much information, I think it’s about 1960/61. The only faces I recognise are Melvyn Spalding, front row sitting to right of the teacher on photo, and Malcom Knight, 2nd row, 2nd from right.

 

[pfc]

Attached is a photo that I think many people have been looking for. I am third from the left on the front row (seated)
Phill (Phillip Cox) I was friends in particular with David Taylor, David Jones, Jeffrey Hoey and Brian Kirby. I think you have to click on
the photo to get the full width of the image.

 

[Pete Elliott]

Hi PFC , I was at William Murdock from 62’ and 66’, I noticed from the group photo and names mentioned the name Brian Kirby , there was a John Kirby in my class and he did indeed have an older brother Brian . I would be very interested to know if John is still in contact with anyone

 

[pjbhandsworth]

Re: Rookery rd School, Photos Please

Hi Ron,
I was at Rookery Road School from 1955 to 1958 Mr millington was the headmaster and there was a Mr Jones (I think who read to us Edgar Alan Poe). do you know the significance of the Shackleton or Scott Photos in Mr millington's office?
Regards
Roger Onions

I know this thread is from a long time ago but in Handsworth Historical Society's papers is a 2002 'interview' with a lady who lived at one of the four Vine Cottages, which stood next to St Andrew's Church Hall on Church Lane. She mentioned two adjacent larger houses with tree-lined drives, one of which 'which was frequently visited by the famous explorer, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, who had relatives living there'. Perhaps the relatives had a child who went to Rookery Road School and the school became interested in their ill-fated expedition as a result?

 

[Richard Dye]

I know this thread is from a long time ago but in Handsworth Historical Society's papers is a 2002 'interview' with a lady who lived at one of the four Vine Cottages, which stood next to St Andrew's Church Hall on Church Lane. She mentioned two adjacent larger houses with tree-lined drives, one of which 'which was frequently visited by the famous explorer, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, who had relatives living there'. Perhaps the relatives had a child who went to Rookery Road School and the school became interested in their ill-fated expedition as a result?

I went to Rookery Rd, William Murdoch from 55 to 59. HM Mr. Millington then Mr. Griffiths. I think the pictures that are being discussed are those of Captain Oats (that might be the tie to the school). Capt. Oates was a part of the Scott expedition, and it was he, Captain Oates who walked to his death into the storm to save the other remaining members of the expedition. Hope that helps..........

 

[pjbhandsworth]

Thank you Richard Dye, I'm aware of the alleged Captain Oates connection with the school, and the plaque in the floor of the school hall (don't know if it's still there), but as it's all linked with the expedition, the Scott link with a local family is also a possibility.

 

[Richard Dye]

Thank you Richard Dye, I'm aware of the alleged Captain Oates connection with the school, and the plaque in the floor of the school hall (don't know if it's still there), but as it's all linked with the expedition, the Scott link with a local family is also a possibility.

I know nothing about the Scott link to a local family, sorry!

 

[Pete Elliott]

Hi just wondering if any old school friends from William Murdock School’62 to ‘66 are out there, John Kirby, Micky Browne, Rolsten Kerr, Clive Forsyth, Chris Bilboe

 

[Vivienne14]

The school is listed. (The Historic England listing is below). The listing doesn't mention the house alongside the school, but it was, most likely, the schoolmaster's house at one time, with access directly onto the school playground. A very attractive group of school buildings.

ROOKERY ROAD 1. 5104 Handsworth B21 Rookery Road Junior and Infant School SP 09 SW 2/16 II GV 2. Late C19. Brick; terracotta dressings; tile roof. At a slight angle to the road a range of 4 broad single-storeyed gabled bays. Each bay with a pair of windows with auxse-de-painer heads, a band of terracotta decoration and, in the gable, a wheel-type window. To the rear, a range with 7 gables, generally similar to those on the road facade but 2 of them lower and narrower and with a slit window instead of the roundel. Two octagonal louvres, wooden cupolas with conical roof and ball finial. On the left-hand return the Boys' and on the right-hand return the Girls' and Infants' entrances. Along the road, a low retaining wall with iron coping and simple railings.

Listing NGR: SP0424990356




The former 'Boys' entrance

 

[Vivienne14]

A couple of classroom photos of Rookery Road in 1922. The walls are bursting with information in the first photo. Would love to know the full text of the '........The Price of Labour' on the board top left. (Source: Library of Birmingham Archives).

The caption from LOB for the first image :
"To the rear of the class is the then headmaster Mr G. Challenor. The flag hanging at the back was presented to the school but the remaining inscription is too difficult to make out. The flag looks like a naval pennant".

 

[Vivienne14]

A memory from the BBC's WW2 People's Memories site. The boiler room served as a bomb shelter. Was it underground ?

"We were all issued with gas masks. At Rookery Road school we all continually practised putting them on. You went nowhere without it. We also practiced what to do in air raids. We all had allocated areas to go to. One was the boiler-room. It was dark and absolutely packed with all of us children lined up against the walls. Fortunately we only went down on one occasion — the practice run".