christopher short
Birmingham Post
Does anyone have any memories or reminiscences of this school ?
Lots. Lovely teachers esp. Mr Stucky and Miss Hunt. Library duty. As a prefect, standing by the back entrance before afternoon lessons in case anyone came sneaking in, late, that way We had a lot of freedom at that school.Does anyone have any memories or reminiscences of this school ?
Thanks for responding, Noodles. I'll see what the internet shows up. I'm not sure where the school was located - I always had the impression that it was on Warwick Road, as was Yardley Grammar, but further down towards Stratford Road. I seem to remember going past it on the bus when on the way to school swimming lessons at Sparkhill baths on Monday mornings. If I remember, it was the No. 36 bus that I caught but that may be an unreliable memory.Sorry no memories of your brother, but I was starting Sparkhill Commercial when he was leaving or had left the year before, depending whether he stayed on for an extra year. All the best reminiscences of the School could be found in the (now defunct) Friends Reunited and I contributed to that for some time and discovered old class mates. I am sure information can be found within the Forum or try Googling. I know I have found photos online of the school and facts of its history including how it finally ended up under its Hall Green label.
I too attended 1953/55..Christopher,
If you were an ex-pupil then there is a one off open day at the old school premises, corner of Newton Road, on Thursday 28th October. They have been given permission to have the hours from 10 am to 3 pm open for old students to go down memory lane. If you search the web for the school under its name you will come across a site, that is dedicated to the old school and has a multitude of old photos of staff and pupils, that is open to join. There is a yearly reunion at the now Hall Green College, Stratford Road, the next one being on a date I cannot now recall in May 2011 - but it is on the site I referred to.
Me? An Old Dolphin of 1953/55.
Will.
Teachers...Miss Hunt..RI and her knitted stockings...Mr. Tillitson.. bookkeeping Madam Landau. French.Taffy.. commerce.the numerous steps to the classroom and the one way system...school being banned from Woolworths because of bad behaviour...playground on the roof and throwing flour bombs down on unsuspecting public..bus trips to school playing fields....2 year commercial course but options to stay for an extra year if you wished to take your 'O' levels...Does anyone have any memories or reminiscences of this school ?
Thanks for info but living in Kent and rare Brum visits not sure I can make any reunions but will check out the web for old school memorabiliaI too attended 1953/55..
I too attended 1953/55..
Do you remember Mr Whippy ice cream place in Denis Rd ? and Abdula carpets on corner that was old Debs transport yardHi Noodles
Denis Road was behind Stoney Lane off Anderton Park Road, the school was split over each side of Denis Road, in fact the annex building of Denis Road School backed on to Stoney Lane next to the TA centre and contained the science and art blocks. Denis Road is still there today although a cul-de-sac now and the school is renamed Anderton Park School I think.
Denis Road was changed to a primary school so all the secondary pupils moved to Sparkhill School (the Commercial tag was dropped) by default, no entrance exam was required because Sparkhill Commercial moved elsewhere, I don't know where. By coincidence I moved from Highgate to Yardley Wood in the 1970's. Colemeadow Road. There are numerous references to Denis Road School with photos on this excellent forum.
Old bus routes bring back memories. 13 Stratford Road, Then Stoney Lane, Yardley Wood Road then left down Trittiford Road to the terminus by School Road. 24 Stratford Road to Showell Green Lane, then Yardley Wood Road all the way to the terminus by the bus garage (still in use today). No11 bottle of pop, bag of sandwiches and a happy couple of hours going around the outer circleCant say I do from my school days at least and I left Brum to go in the RAF in 1958 and after that married and moved away first to Northamptonshire, and then to Kent where I have lived since 1970. So although I remember well Stoney Lane and Ladypool Road (as the 13A bus went up there) whilst the 24 -the one I usually caught when I worked in town - went along the Stratford Road until past Sparkhill Commercial, then it turned up Showell Green Lane. (Amazing what you remember and what you forget).
I always had an ambition to go all the way round on the outer circle, it somehow had mystery and magic 'feel' to it. I never managed it - too unusual to try it on my own and none of my friends would go with me....I should have been born a boy obviously.....Joan R.Old bus routes bring back memories. 13 Stratford Road, Then Stoney Lane, Yardley Wood Road then left down Trittiford Road to the terminus by School Road. 24 Stratford Road to Showell Green Lane, then Yardley Wood Road all the way to the terminus by the bus garage (still in use today). No11 bottle of pop, bag of sandwiches and a happy couple of hours going around the outer circle
Certainly do bring back memories, although wasn't it the 13A that did the Stoney Lane route and yes ended up at the School Road terminus. When the shift was finished they used to return to the Yardley Wood Road garage down (I think) Cleeve Road and then Pendeen Road. I recall also that my mate (now sadly deceased) used to catch the first bus of the morning at the 13A Terminus (around 6am as he had to be at work at a Foundry by 7am). He maintained that one morning (within the 50's or early 60's) he and a couple of others waiting for the bus saw a UFO hover overhead and fly away. He was ribbed when telling this story for years and being a mate, used to say - well he couldn't have been drunk at that time of day. He also maintained that the sighting (of whatever it was) was mentioned in the Birmingham Mail but as I serving in the RAF at the time, never verified this. As for the No. 11 outer circle bus will relate to this when replying to Joan R.Old bus routes bring back memories. 13 Stratford Road, Then Stoney Lane, Yardley Wood Road then left down Trittiford Road to the terminus by School Road. 24 Stratford Road to Showell Green Lane, then Yardley Wood Road all the way to the terminus by the bus garage (still in use today). No11 bottle of pop, bag of sandwiches and a happy couple of hours going around the outer circle
I always had an ambition to go all the way round on the outer circle, it somehow had mystery and magic 'feel' to it. I never managed it - too unusual to try it on my own and none of my friends would go with me....I should have been born a boy obviously.....Joan R.
That goes back into history, certainly in the early 50's when I attended (and I once met someone who attended in the late 40's and the badge was a Dolphin then). And meet-ups were always in the name of the Old Dolphins. Perhaps it is recorded somewhere, otherwise in the dark as to why a Dolphin was chosen.Meant to ask. Does anyone know why Sparkhill Commercial has a dolphin? It's a long way from the sea. A bus conductor once asked me if the badge was a mouse.
We still have an annual re-union now held in Moseley. Before Covid it was held in April but as from last year, we shall be having our re-union in September. We welcome any Old Dolphins who would like to join us and happy to give details of contact on this forum.That goes back into history, certainly in the early 50's when I attended (and I once met someone who attended in the late 40's and the badge was a Dolphin then). And meet-ups were always in the name of the Old Dolphins. Perhaps it is recorded somewhere, otherwise in the dark as to why a Dolphin was chosen.