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St Patricks C of E School Highgate Street.

Hi Guys ...

I've already mentioned Mr Pierce, the Headmaster, but I forgot to mention the other great teachers ..... Miss Sherwood - my teacher, Mrs Pugh and Miss Gittins, who always smelled lovely, but she used to cry while she played her accordion!

Can anyone remember the Shakespeare family from River Street.
 
Hi Annie
Yes i remember your brother Tony - we were in the same class at St Patricks. Never got as far as Mrs Pughs class but i remember Miss Gittins and Miss Sherwood. During advent miss gittins used to have loads of candles on top of the cupboard at the side of the classroom which she would light for a few minutes every day, she used to bring in bunches of hawthorne berries for us to look at and read Heidi and Heidis children to us. Miss Sherwood was SO strict - but I loved her. I lived in Beale Buildings in Frank Street - long gone. I was in Balsall Heath a couple of years ago and the school building was still there - though no longer a school. St Patricks church is long gone too - do you remember the steps going down from the school playground into the back of the church? i have a photo taken in the playground during the coronation celebrations which i will post if I can work out how. My names Elaine, surname used to be Short
 
Hello Elaine

Sorry it's taken ages to reply ..... happy days eh? I loved St Patricks.

Yeah, the building's still there - some kind of Centre now Social Services I think. I remember Mr Pierce telling us one day in assembly that an arsonist has set fire to the church. I do remember the steps leading down from the playground to the church. I remember the toilets too and the tuck shop trolley.

Tony - lives in Somerset. He'll be 61 in September! Then there's David (59 in May), Lavinia (57 in July) and me (55 in August). There are some older siblings too ..... June, Michael, John, Sandra.

It was great to get your message, Elaine. Thanks! I'll keep checking in case you think of anything else or have any more memories (and hurry up and learn how to download that photo).

The landscape's changed a lot - but I still love to see the building. As I've already said HAPPY DAYS!
 
Hi again Elaine ... been thinking, I'd love to see that photo .... if I post you a few quid, is there any chance you could copy me the photo and send it to me? Be great if you could! I'll need your email address ....
 
Hi all, I also went to St Paricks from 1958 on and remember Mr Pierce, Miss Pugh, Miss Gittins, Miss Sherwood and Miss Ford, there were a couple more but cannot recall there names, if anyone has any old photo's that would be great.
 
I was at St.Patricks School l946 to l950. Miss Dickenson was another teacher. Did anyone ever find a picture of it? I thought it had been knocked down...is it really still there?
Pupils I remember....Tommy Jones, Roy Buckle, Mavis Wilde, Audrey Barker Robert Allen....anyone out there remember Margaret White?
 
My husband lived at 7 back of 8 Hick street, Dan Smith. He remembers Miss Gittins. Says a lot of children (including him) would have gone hungry if not for the jam sandwiches.
To the left of their entry was the green grocers, to the right the grocers/general stores and remembers a Fish and chip shop in either belgrave road or Highgate road. he remembers Christine Holdback and Nicholas Holdback. Dan left Hick street abt 1962, he then went to Clifton road school.
any photos old or modern would be most appreciated
 
Hi - St Patrick's was officially a RC school, although RC wasn't taught in the school, CoE was. So the RC St Patrick's you've found on Friends Reunited it sure to be the right one! Do you remember the church at the end of the playground which was burnt down by arsonists? I can remember attending the church during school times, but we definately was not taught catholic religiion. I know from friends and colleagues who have attended 'proper' Roman Catholic schools that Roman Catholic schools have a priest attend on a Friday - we never had that!

I have a photo (somewhere) of St Patrick's - which I'll let you have when I locate it.

xx Annie
 
Phil Russell said:
Hi all, I also went to St Paricks from 1958 on and remember Mr Pierce, Miss Pugh, Miss Gittins, Miss Sherwood and Miss Ford, there were a couple more but cannot recall there names, if anyone has any old photo's that would be great.
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Can any one remember Father Foyne the priest of at Patricks Church and school, I was in the Choir and an Alter Boy would love to know where he moved to, I think it was In south or North Shields, I know he was still at the church up until about 1955
 
margaretwhite said:
I was at St.Patricks School l946 to l950. Miss Dickenson was another teacher. Did anyone ever find a picture of it? I thought it had been knocked down...is it really still there?
Pupils I remember....Tommy Jones, Roy Buckle, Mavis Wilde, Audrey Barker Robert Allen....anyone out there remember Margaret White?
Click to expand...
Hi Shaun I was at St Patricks during those years and remember Tommy Jones,also Tommy Smith ,Mavis Wilde,and I'm Roy Buckles surname was Buckley he lived up the same yard as me also Joey Higgins .Barry Chalke,i also remember Father Foyne he was still there when I left.i remember Mr Pierce,Miss Pugh also,but unfortunately I have no pictures to show,hope this helps
 
Rae said:
Hi Sandra my mum, aunt and uncles all attended St Patricks. Michael, Sedella (mum), Cicely and David Buckley. Mum and Cicely then attended Upper Highgate Secondary Modern and Michael and David went to St Albans (mum thinks). Mum remembers your name and thinks you may have known Cicely. They used to live on Tenby Avenue. You mention a Miss Robertshaw, mum said she never seem to be cheery a person, her favourite teacher was a Miss Pugh. Mum used to go to Sunday school at St Patricks church and has fond memories of squash and biscuits and her attendace stamp album! A few houses up from the school there was a sort of shop where you would buy cheap comics then return and exchange for a new one. Mum also remembers an off licence On the corner of Highgate St and Hick St which was run by the Frost family (son Christopher who was friends with Michael).
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Hi, I remember your mother Sedella (had a very hard time saying her name ) and Cicely I used to live at 5/8 hick street and they lived opposite and down a bit, I was younger than them by a few years and one day they decided to back comb my hair and style it, I had long black ringlets at the time and I remember my mother having to comb it all out LOL. I also attended St. Patrick's till I was 9 and we moved to Acocks Green. My Favorite Teacher was Miss Sherwood who used to give out books as Christmas gifts which I still have. I remember a very tiny shop at the bottom of our yard and too the left, cant remember the names of the people who owned it, but did have to stay there over night as my mum went into labour with my sister and there was no one else to look after me!
 
odbsmith said:
My husband lived at 7 back of 8 Hick street, Dan Smith. He remembers Miss Gittins. Says a lot of children (including him) would have gone hungry if not for the jam sandwiches.
To the left of their entry was the green grocers, to the right the grocers/general stores and remembers a Fish and chip shop in either belgrave road or Highgate road. he remembers Christine Holdback and Nicholas Holdback. Dan left Hick street abt 1962, he then went to Clifton road school.
any photos old or modern would be most appreciated
Click to expand...

Hi I used to live next door to the smiths and was friends with Dan's sisters Karen and Diane I seem to remember another brother Terry, and I think I have a photo of all of us at the bottom of our yard !
 
kristinej said:
Hi I used to live next door to the smiths and was friends with Dan's sisters Karen and Diane I seem to remember another brother Terry, and I think I have a photo of all of us at the bottom of our yard !
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Probably wrong Smiths...... Dan didnt have sibings with those names.
 
annieshake said:
Has anybody got a photo of St Patrick's School, Frank Street, please?
Click to expand...

Hi Annie,

As I said in my reply to your PM, sorry I can't locate a photo of the school, but I am almost certain that I have seen one somewhere so I'll keep on looking. In the meantime this is St Patrick's Church that was next door to the school.

Highgate St Patricks Church Frank Street.jpg
 
I was so happy to see so many old friends names on this post from long ago , My hubby and I were living in the south of Spain for 20years , So Yes I remember all of you especially Margret White She was the beautiful girl in class , Tom Jones , At the age of 8 going on 9 yrs old l was in love with Tom HaHa , Brian Allen Sylvia Smith Roy Buckle Peter Hood so many more I have taken a couple of photos recently of St Patrick’s School still standing proudly there , we all had the best time Do any of you remember having a clout on the head from Mr Pearce I’m sure you will best wishes to you all Mavis Wild
 
St Patricks was if your looking down Highgate from Hick St its two thirds the way down on the left hand side just before Upper Highgate Street . hope this helps
 
Mavis Wild said:
I was so happy to see so many old friends names on this post from long ago , My hubby and I were living in the south of Spain for 20years , So Yes I remember all of you especially Margret White She was the beautiful girl in class , Tom Jones , At the age of 8 going on 9 yrs old l was in love with Tom HaHa , Brian Allen Sylvia Smith Roy Buckle Peter Hood so many more I have taken a couple of photos recently of St Patrick’s School still standing proudly there , we all had the best time Do any of you remember having a clout on the head from Mr Pearce I’m sure you will best wishes to you all Mavis Wild
Click to expand...

HI Mavis I do remember you at St Patricks school I remember Mr Pearce and Mrs Pugh also miss Dickinson I remember all those you mentioned and Audrey Brown I was in love with her,Brian Allen I think got a job at ATV studios as a camera man and Roy Buckley lived opposite our house also Joey Higgins was my best mate I also remember Tommy Smith his dad used sell papers down the town. I am stuck but will try to think of some more people best wishes to Mavis
regards Peter Hood
 
sandracoley said:
hi candy sorry about misprint on your name ....if you knew the watkins family did you know the smiths ..they lived at top of upper highgate street .i went to school with linda...
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Hi sandracoley. I am one of the Smiths. Linda was the eldest of our family. We lived at 71 Leopold Street. We had the the back as well as the front of the house because we were a family of 8. I remember dolly guest hairdressers. Mom used to send us with a plastic spray bottle to get filled with lacquer. I remember Miss Robertshaw and Mrs Bamford. Happy Saturday mornings at the Alhambra . My other sisters are Wendy, Geraldine, Carol and our brother Clive. Only recently joined this site. Geraldine has been researching the family tree and found this site. Lovely memories
 
Lagney said:
Hi Annie
Yes i remember your brother Tony - we were in the same class at St Patricks. Never got as far as Mrs Pughs class but i remember Miss Gittins and Miss Sherwood. During advent miss gittins used to have loads of candles on top of the cupboard at the side of the classroom which she would light for a few minutes every day, she used to bring in bunches of hawthorne berries for us to look at and read Heidi and Heidis children to us. Miss Sherwood was SO strict - but I loved her. I lived in Beale Buildings in Frank Street - long gone. I was in Balsall Heath a couple of years ago and the school building was still there - though no longer a school. St Patricks church is long gone too - do you remember the steps going down from the school playground into the back of the church? i have a photo taken in the playground during the coronation celebrations which i will post if I can work out how. My names Elaine, surname used to be Short
Click to expand...
I started at St Patricks in 1969... Miss Gittins was my teacher in Class 3 for just a few days before I was moved up to Miss Sherwood in Class 4 because I was such a clever boy... Lol.. It's a shame to see how that whole area is now when I go back there
 
Phil said:
bilsat,

just where was this St Patricks School, I lived in Balsall Heath, Highgate, Sparkbrook for a good part of my life and I have never heard it mentioned. St Albans School, Highgate Girls School, Chandos Rd School, I remember those but St Patricks is one that does not come to mind.

pmc1947
Click to expand...
Upper Highgate Street/Frank Street Junction... Old building still there... Right next to car park of Wilmecote Tower.. Some sort of medical centre now
 
hi, i went to st patricks when i was young in the 70s. the head teacher was Mr allbrook,it was a great little school ,i remember the playground had toilets up a little staircase and no roof on them,it now is a family clinic, opposite now is the wand medical centre which was originally in gooch street,i lived in highgate for over 10 years and know abit about the area.i was raised in ratcliffe tower ,wich was next to highgate park i also worked in the park not so long ago as a park groundsman.
 
Phil said:
bilsat,

just where was this St Patricks School, I lived in Balsall Heath, Highgate, Sparkbrook for a good part of my life and I have never heard it mentioned. St Albans School, Highgate Girls School, Chandos Rd School, I remember those but St Patricks is one that does not come to mind.

pmc1947
Click to expand...
Upper Highgate st junior and infant
 
John woodward said:
Upper Highgate st junior and infant
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St patrick's junior and infant school was on Frank street where now there is some sort of clinic ,but i do know that opposite this clinic is the wand medical centre(use to be in gooch street).The school i think was part of a church but that was demolished or destroyed(not sure).I attended this school in the early-mid 70s when i lived in Ratcliffe tower.I can remember that the head master was Mr (H)Albrooke.We used St Alban's church and the old swimming baths on the Moseley road.I then attended St Alban's after St Patricks.
 
Hi everyone just came across this site, it was so lovely to see all the familiar names , I went to st Patrick’s school 52/58 then went on to upper Highgate girls but only for a year has we then moved away from the area. My brother was Brian Allen who has been mentioned . We lived a few doors down from the school . Use to attend the church regular Brian was also an alter boy. I was in the brownies and the guide s.
 
biuenose00 said:
St patrick's junior and infant school was on Frank street where now there is some sort of clinic ,but i do know that opposite this clinic is the wand medical centre(use to be in gooch street).The school i think was part of a church but that was demolished or destroyed(not sure).I attended this school in the early-mid 70s when i lived in Ratcliffe tower.I can remember that the head master was Mr (H)Albrooke.We used St Alban's church and the old swimming baths on the Moseley road.I then attended St Alban's after St Patricks.
Click to expand...
I went to St Patrick's from 1948/49ish, left at 1955,I lived in Highgate Street,just up from the Turks Head Pub.
 
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