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Rookery Road William Murdock Schools Handsworth

  • Thread starter Thread starter Premo
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Clive Cummins said:
Miss Smith's Class, Circa 1960

I was at William Murdoch School from 1959 to 1963. Would be interested to hear from anyone else. In this picture I recognise by name: Marjorie Williams, Sylvia Leake and Bruce Chesterman although I think I remember almost everyone in the picture.
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hi remember you from the cubs at holy trinity then at rookery road ,my close friends david jones david childs errol panton will still meet up today,alan jarvis
 
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netta said:
Re: Rookery rd School, Photos Please

hello there my name was jeannette woodward...woodywoodpecker they called me i remember val millerchip, david jones, lee crumpmichael curry also the dance place opposite was it the plaza when the beatles came to practise before they were famous oooh my goodness memories oh yes and mr meredith was the headmaster ...lovely man
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hi david jones i still meet up with today,but my memories of mr meredith ,mr franklin and john roe are not good memories,also liked the plaza on saturday nights,alan jarvis
 
alan jarvis said:
hi david jones i still meet up with today,but my memories of mr meredith ,mr franklin and john roe are not good memories,also liked the plaza on saturday nights,alan jarvis
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Hi I was in miss smiths class I remember Clive my Bessie mate was Ian withers and Ian "Ben" Cartwright so if anybody remembers me (Brian Shaw) I would be pleased to hear from you
 
I went to Rookery Road school for one term in September 1955 and went on a school trip to Paris with them at Easter 1956 even though I had left in the previous December. It was quite eye opening and enjoyable and I was the first in the family to go abroad except for Dad who had gone to Ireland for a fishing trip
 
mr meridith was the headmaster,lets put the record straight mr franklin would these days have been arrestested abully who liked to strike pupils mr john roe pe teacher who was arrested i am sure the boys will no why ,i still meet up with a few friends from school who have done very very well which is not down to the education from william murdoch
 
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alan jarvis said:
mr meridith was the headmaster,lets put the record straight mr franklin would these days have been arrestested abully who liked to strike pupils mr john roe who was arrested i am sure the boys will no why ,i still meet up with a few of friends from school who have done very very well which is not down to the education from william murdoch
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I did not know John Roe but I had Mr Franklin for 5 years, he and Mr Wicksted were very formative and helpful in my career development.
 
Too right they were bullies I remember them having shortened canes which they used to carry down the inside of their trousers, I think their main problem was when it changed to a mixed school they just didn't know how to control them so they took it out on the boys instead
 
Hi there,
anyone out there who was at Rookery Rd between 1949 til 1954? I lived at Douglas Road and my teachers over this period where Miss Myers, Dickie Davis, Wickstead, Franklin, and terrible Mr Griffiths.
I did a paper round from Edwards, the newsagent, (Ex Aston Villa footballer).
It´s a long time ago - is anyone still out there?
George Mayes - Hannover/Germany
 
G.Mayes said:
Hi there,
anyone out there who was at Rookery Rd between 1949 til 1954? I lived at Douglas Road and my teachers over this period where Miss Myers, Dickie Davis, Wickstead, Franklin, and terrible Mr Griffiths.
I did a paper round from Edwards, the newsagent, (Ex Aston Villa footballer).
It´s a long time ago - is anyone still out there?
George Mayes - Hannover/Germany
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Hello George, yes I was there from 54 to 59, 5 years. I remember Mr Kitchen, Mr Moore, Mr Toll also the woodworking teacher whose name I can’t recall. Mr Millington was the headmaster when I started then Mr Meredith. I worked for WTBakers butchers on Soho Rd and occasionally on Birchfield Rd.
 
Richard Dye said:
Hello George, yes I was there from 54 to 59, 5 years. I remember Mr Kitchen, Mr Moore, Mr Toll also the woodworking teacher whose name I can’t recall. Mr Millington was the headmaster when I started then Mr Meredith. I worked for WTBakers butchers on Soho Rd and occasionally on Birchfield Rd.
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Hello Richard,
sorry for the delay because of Covid and then holidays.
On Soho Road I can remember Stodderds, the butchers. My mother shopped at King´s Butchers.
I did National Service for two years til 59, after that everything started to change on Soho Road.
Tibbits, the greengrocer, was still there and I ended up in a house in Chasetown/Staffs and I have been here in Hanover more than 50 years. Because of Brexit things are very difficult - I mean, getting things from England.
That´s all for now, Richard
Thanks again and kind regards
George
 
I was a pupil at Rookery Road infants and juniors from 1948 to 1954. I am afraid I don't really remember many names of the members of staff. I think there was a strict Miss Swift looking after the top class. I think my class teacher was a Mr Burton who was my favourite teacher at the time.

I still consider myself fortunate to have built up life long friendships who we still meet up with including my best man at our wedding who we went to stay with last week

Lovely to read all your wonderful comments, thank you for bringing back so many happy childhood memories
 
Genmac1 said:
I was a pupil at Rookery Road infants and juniors from 1948 to 1954. I am afraid I don't really remember many names of the members of staff. I think there was a strict Miss Swift looking after the top class. I think my class teacher was a Mr Burton who was my favourite teacher at the time.

I still consider myself fortunate to have built up life long friendships who we still meet up with including my best man at our wedding who we went to stay with last week

Lovely to read all your wonderful comments, thank you for bringing back so many happy childhood memories
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I remember Miss Swift in the Juniors, Mr Griffiths, Miss North (Music teacher) Mr Tibbett I think his name was....I cant remember names when I was n the infants there.. I was there from 1950- 1955 (I think) I went onto Handsworth Wood sec mod school for Girls in Church Lane, Miss Wheeler was Headmistress then.
 
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Clive Cummins said:
Miss Smith's Class, Circa 1960

I was at William Murdoch School from 1959 to 1963. Would be interested to hear from anyone else. In this picture I recognise by name: Marjorie Williams, Sylvia Leake and Bruce Chesterman although I think I remember almost everyone in the picture.
Click to expand...
Possibly too late now but I was there in that class with those three, great times
 
Clive Cummins said:
Miss Smith's Class, Circa 1960

I was at William Murdoch School from 1959 to 1963. Would be interested to hear from anyone else. In this picture I recognise by name: Marjorie Williams, Sylvia Leake and Bruce Chesterman although I think I remember almost everyone in the picture.
Click to expand...
Hi clive not too good with modern technology so I can't see the picture yes I remember you very well as we were in the same class all through school if you remember a scruffy little urchin (and probably not too wholesome!!) Then that was me (Brian Shaw)
 
johnthegent said:
Hi Alan That's Mr Davis, he also told us horror stories, he used walk round the class banging the desks if we played up lol, other teachers there were Mr Wickstead , Mr Franklin, Mr Harris, the first two were very strict, A year after I starte they let girls into the school and we had female teachers one I remember was Miss Evan we all lusted after her lol Oh and there was a MR Moore PE teacher, I wonder if there were any others there the same years as me
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Hi I remember Mr. Moor also Mr Franklin ( I had the cane from him in the silence lab)
 
Ken Birks said:
Hi I remember Mr. Moor also Mr Franklin ( I had the cane from him in the silence lab)
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Ken, what years were you there? I was there 54 to 59, as a 5th former. I knew Mr. Moore (managed to break my left ankle in his PE class on the last day of school 58. Had the cast taken off three days before summer break ended). Mr. Franklin & Mr. Wickstead were two of my favorites.
 
johnthegent said:
My name is John Russell my mates at that school were Derek Jeavons (died not long ago god bless him) Ray Diacoff, John Glue (sticky) Graham Farnell, I had a crush on Sally Smith but she was going out with Johnny glue. I remember Diacoff asked wickstead one day in class if we could have the birds and bees lesson he said Diacoff you could teach us some things lol
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Hi john my name is Ken ( Kenny) Birks I believe that we were in the same class please contacte
Regards Ken
johnthegent said:
My name is John Russell my mates at that school were Derek Jeavons (died not long ago god bless him) Ray Diacoff, John Glue (sticky) Graham Farnell, I had a crush on Sally Smith but she was going out with Johnny glue. I remember Diacoff asked wickstead one day in class if we could have the birds and bees lesson he said Diacoff you could teach us some things lol
Click to expand...

Richard Dye said:
Ken, what years were you there? I was there 54 to 59, as a 5th former. I knew Mr. Moore (managed to break my left ankle in his PE class on the last day of school 58. Had the cast taken off three days before summer break ended). Mr. Franklin & Mr. Wickstead were two of my favorites.
Click to expand...
Hi I started in the Infants 1950 then the juniors finally to the seniors
Regards Ken
 
johnthegent said:
My name is John Russell my mates at that school were Derek Jeavons (died not long ago god bless him) Ray Diacoff, John Glue (sticky) Graham Farnell, I had a crush on Sally Smith but she was going out with Johnny glue. I remember Diacoff asked wickstead one day in class if we could have the birds and bees lesson he said Diacoff you could teach us some things lol
Click to expand...
Hi John I was in the same year as you
Regards Ken
 
G.Mayes said:
Hi there,
anyone out there who was at Rookery Rd between 1949 til 1954? I lived at Douglas Road and my teachers over this period where Miss Myers, Dickie Davis, Wickstead, Franklin, and terrible Mr Griffiths.
I did a paper round from Edwards, the newsagent, (Ex Aston Villa footballer).
It´s a long time ago - is anyone still out there?
George Mayes - Hannover/Germany
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Hi mate, I’m probably a bit too late for your era, I was at Rookery road school ( known as William Murdock when I was there) between 1962 & 1966, the teachers I remember were Dickie Davis, Duffield, Trumper, Jonny Roe ( who was a pupil there previously) Coxon, and Merry legs was head teacher. The school moved to Oxhill road opposite Handsworth Cemetery and became Blessed John Wall, the original building in Rookery road is still there I think, no idea what it is now. Maybe you remember my brothers Kevin & Ronnie Elliott they were there before me ✋
 
Richard Dye said:
I did not know John Roe but I had Mr Franklin for 5 years, he and Mr Wicksted were very formative and helpful in my career development.
Click to expand...
Hi, Johnny Roe had been a previous pupil at rookery rd, my oldest brother Kevin was there at the same time, the favourite trick then was to empty a couple of quids worth of gunpowder from the penny bangers into small wooden boxes and then with the aid of blue touch paper drop lighted box into the old galvanised bins and blow the lids sky high, it was one of these ventures that blew most of Johnny roe’s fingers off thumping the top on the wooden box ,I remember him using his “ claw” in the back of our necks if we messed about in his P E class
 
Franklin and Wicksteed were out and out bullies and roe wasn't much better we got our own back on him when we went camping and filled his running vest with air holes from an air rifle lol
 
Premo said:
This is a long shot but here goes, I attended (well most of the time) Rookery Road Secondary modern Handsworth, from 1960 to 1965, my question is does anyone have any photos of this school from around this time.

Many thanks, Premo (David)
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