• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

St Thomas C Of E School Granville Street

Yes Miss Lester was lovely, I was very happy there. We moved when I was 10 and I went to Yardley Wood School for a year, but they seemed behind and I did the same lessons again, I passed the 11+ and Art exam and went then to Moseley School of Art and Craft. St.Thomas's was a really good school.
 
I went to St.Thomas’s from 1955-6 to 1961. I lived in Cregoe Street, my brother David and sister Pauline also went there. Cregoe Street opposite Granville Street on the crossroads was in Edgbaston, not Ladywood. My first teacher was Miss Lester. It was a wonderful school and i was extremely happy there. We left Cregoe Street when i was 10 in 1961 to live in Hall Green as the houses were all being demolished.
 
The school was demolished in 1967, after which it continued in Great Colmore Street. Those men look dangerously close to that falling debris!

The old school was very tall with an impressive set of windows, allowing lots of light into the classrooms. But I can imagine it being very cold in winter - unless the caretaker kept the boilers constantly topped up.

Screenshot_20260906_145738_Chrome.jpg


And the 1960s replacement in Great Colmore Street as it is today.
Screenshot_20260906_185500_Maps.jpg
 
Last edited:
I loved this school, I was there from 4 to 10 years old. It was a Church of England School, it taught us to be kind, respectful to others, I went on to Yardley Wood Secondary school,for 1 year, I had already done that year, that’s how advanced StThomas’s was. I then went on to Moseley School of Art and Craft. My brother David and my Sister Pauline also attended.
 
Some 1950s photos from the Library of Birmingham Archives.
Was your brother at the school too Chris ? See third photo below.
Screenshot_20260907_082623_Chrome.jpg
LOB caption:
Description:From the Pat Jones collection comes this typical school photograph. Pat can remember the following names:-
Back Row: 1st left is Beverley, 7th left is Linda Gaunt,8th left is Rita Frost, 9th left is Carol, 10th left's surname was Chatterley. Second Row: 1st left is Pat Rogers, 8th left is Lynn.

Pat also recalls that Linda Gaunt's parents were the resident caretakers at Birmingham Skin Hospital. Rita Frost lived in Bath Row and her family moved to the flats on Spring Road when they were built.
Screenshot_20260906_150418_Chrome.jpg

LOB caption for this Miss Dodds class photo: Several children have been named on this picture. (Front Row) Second left in glasses is Mike Davis, third left and centre is Jeff Wedgwood. (Second Row) First left in square patterned jumper is John Patton. (Third Row) Third left is Margaret Brown, seventh left towards the middle is Gillian Brown, extreme right standing next to Miss Dodds is Daisy Hale. (Back Row)ninth left in the tank top is John Hobley, eleventh left is Gillian Patton, thirteenth left and on the extreme right is Carol Young. Some of these are probably members of the "Old Scholars Association" under the auspices of Maurice Johnson!
Screenshot_20260906_150441_Chrome.jpg

LOB caption for this Miss Edwards class photo: Several of the children on this photograph have been identified. (Front Row)first left is Paul Smith, second left is Ronnie Cotterill, fourth left is John Abbot. (Second Row) second left is David Wakelam, fourth from the right is David Evans. (Third Row) third left with the glasses is Carol Palmer, fourth from the right with her eyes shut is Beverley Whitehead and second from the righ is Keith Cleeton. (Back Row) fourth from the left is John Morris, fifth from the left is John Harley and third from the right is Peter Clench. Who are the others and where are you all now?
 
Last edited:
Back
Top