Phil. It's St Thomas's C of E school Granville Street. I was there from an infant school sandpit start day right through to 1967. The modern building was as viewed from the playground. The top floor was a roof garden of sorts with tyres used as planters. I think that there is a Birmingham newspaper article on it. This part of the school was only used a classrooms for seniors about to leave for secondary modern school and had the main assembly hall. The second floor was not used when I was there but the first floor was where my classroom was. When we had a trainee teacher we us to bunk off through the windows onto the balcony and play upstairs and on the roof leaving a frantic trainee not knowing what to do. I remember the handrail down to the ground floor, you could slide most of the way down but had to remember there were brass studs near the bottom. The gym / main hall was in this part of the school and overlooked Granville Street and the bombed out St Thomas' church opposite. There was a back alleyway school entrance called Chequers Walk that I used every day. Chequers Walk was on the west of the school running from the Holiday Street end down to Bath Row. The old senior school part of the building was on the left of your photo, it was closed off in the mid 1960s. We use to sneak in with my mates and play there some during lunchtimes. We actually found the school's fencing foils and masks and use to have pretend fights. Eventually the access doors off the playground were locked up. I remember the headmasters office at the end of an open balcony what I think was on the first floor. This was in the old part of the school overlooking the playground. I had to go there a few times for a canning. I can't remember if it was hands or backside for the worst offences. You could but Wagon Wheel biscuits in the playground below off the playground attendant for 3d (Old pence), I didn't always have any money to buy with though. That's about all I can remember from 55 years ago I am afraid other than the cause of the scare under my chin. It was created when the school bully impaled me on the school railings during "Playtime" me on the school railings during "Playtime".
I attended St Thomas’s and lived in Cregoe Street, it was in Edgbaston, our address was 9 Cregoe Street Edgbaston Bham 15, hope this helps
The rooftop playground was for girls, i think.
How wonderful! I went there from 1955 till 1961, I loved the school, our teacher was Miss Lester, we moved from Cregoe Street to Hall Green when the houses were due for demolition.
Not certain whether this information on the Birmingham images site answers the confusion the school was listed as on Bath Row, but in the picture you can clearly read Granville Street also as it took up that corner.
Hi Tina Did you know another Tina? Christina Pitt she also lived in Bishopsgate Street and was at St Thomas school about 1957 1959 also Brian Lawler he lived on the other side of the Broad Street. Happy memoirs were of playing the barges up at school dinner times the canal was a short walk from the back of the school. The bad ones was getting the cain on a Friday for being late, on for each time you was late it was guaranteed it would be a least 3 of his best
Hi Chris, I went there a little later than you. I think we started infant school aged 5 in those days so I was there 1965 until it closed in July1967, I started my Junior years in the newly built school in Cregoe St in the September 1967. Miss Lester was still at the school then and was my favourite teacher, lovely woman.
Not 100% sure, but I think it is the senior school addition to the St Thomas’ on Granville Street. It’s 70 years ago since I was a pupil there. From ‘47 to ‘ 52. The space underneath was for shelter, and there was a smaller shelter off to the left. Seem to remember it raided frequently over there LOL
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