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Uffculme Open Air School

Re: did any one go to uffculme open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings

In reply to a message from A,Sparks.I am a big fan of steve Gibbons .I first saw him in the 60's when they were the ugly's.and still see him time to time.Check me out on YouTube.<tony welby harmonica>and send to your contacts.Cheers.Tony.
 
Re: did any one go to uffculme open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings

Hi there, I am trying to find out which open air school my aunt, Shirley Roberts, went to. This would have been in the 40s and 50s I think. She lived with my grandma all her life as she had epilepsy and some learning disability. I remember my grandma, Ivy Roberts, told me she went to the local primary school originally but my grandma was told that she shouldn't be there and she went to an open air school. She said it had two sides open to the outside and they had to have a nap in the afternoon. Shirley and my grandma are both dead now sadly, and there are no other family members to ask. I would love to know which one she went to and if anyone remembers her. She was a lovely woman. She later went to 'the centre' in the 70s and 80s where they did piece work for a small (very) wage - putting washers on screws etc. this changed in the late 80s and 90s and they did more social things. Not sure where this was. They lived in Yardley Wood then and she used to get the bus towards Birmingham to get there.
 
Re: did any one go to uffculme open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings

Hi Jayne, I had an older brother Ray, born 1927, who was aways a sickly child and went to Uffculme Open Air School, which was i believe was between Kings Heath and Moseley.I remember him saying they had a sleep after lunch every day.At the time we also lived at Yardley Wood.Some years later he had an open heart operation at the QE, and had a heart attack in the Doctors waiting room and died in 1982.Cant really be of anymore use, sorry! Bernard
 
Re: did any one go to uffculme open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings

Hi Bernard, thanks so much for your reply. I am sorry to hear your brother died. It sounds like it might have been Uffculme. Funny you were in Yardley Wood too. Best wishes Jayne.
 
Re: did any one go to uffculme open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings

Jayne, Welcome to the forum, from your description it certainly sounds as if it could have been Uffculme School, it's very similar to other accounts I've heard of time spent there. There's a little information on my website about Uffculme School with a couple of pictures. https://www.bhamb14.co.uk/index_files/UFFCULME.htm , not sure about where "the centre" may have been.

Colin
 
Re: did any one go to uffculme open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings

I joined the ambulance service early in 1968,and one of the outpatient duties was conveying special needs children to and from the school which was at the back of the Uffculme Clinic.
 
Re: did any one go to uffculme open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings

205mal, Think if the unit was on the same site as Uffculme Clinic it would have been Charles Burns Clinic now demolished and rebuilt as Parkview Clinic which was for special needs kids, it was one of the hospitals/clinics I was involved with.
Uffculme School is next door to Uffculme Clinic.

Colin
 
Re: did any one go to uffculme open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings

Thanks for the reminder ,you are absolutely right
Malcolm
 
Came across this article and photo of Uffculme Open Air School which might be of interest. (This may have been posted before but can't tell as some pics were lost from this thread). Viv.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1364856586.359011.jpg
 
Re: did any one go to uffculme open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings

My son used to go to Uffculme school a few years ago so I do know a little about it but I have lately bought a book called 'A Breath of fresh air' by Francis Wilmot and Pauline Saul and I think it tells you all you might want to know. I think it is probably in the library if you don't want to buy it.Regards.
 
George Wheeler said:
Re: did any one go to uffcome open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings h

I am now 77 and was at Uffculme Open Air school towards the end of WW2. I was probably about ten years old. From what I remember of it there were four classrooms, a large open gym and the dining area, I think this was the same building that housed the medical centre and the showers, this was by the main entrance. there was also a sick bay that was located away from the main complex towards the playing field and the school gardens. I can't remember if or not it was boys only, The school at Hunters Hill was operating during this period, could that one have been for girls? I still remember the bitter tasting watercress served with some meals
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tony welby said:
Re: did any one go to uffcome open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings h

Dose anybody know of a late pupil of uffcome school with the name of Yvonne Joy,although it might have changed since such a long time ago.Mid 50s.
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Yes I attended Uffculme Open Air School from 1958 to 1964
 
BobS said:
Re: did any one go to uffculme open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings

My son used to go to Uffculme school a few years ago so I do know a little about it but I have lately bought a book called 'A Breath of fresh air' by Francis Wilmot and Pauline Saul and I think it tells you all you might want to know. I think it is probably in the library if you don't want to buy it.Regards.
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Yes was was there from 1958 to 1964 after that my parents migrated to Australia where I live today there were 5 class rooms Class 1 and Class two primary were the newer rooms with big sliding back concertina type windows Class 3 and Class 4 were "high school" and Class 5 was the today years 13 leaving honours in my day. (or it might have been numbered the other way around I definitely remember Class 3 and the teacher - she and I did not get along) School started at 8..30am with some students arriving early and were given Breakfast as their parents worked early if there parents were home at all. The school served a small carton of milk at break main course lunch with a desert (where I learn to hate Fish, lumpy rice and prunes for the rest of my life) and a glass of milk an apple and a biscuit just before home time and for a number of students that is the only food they would get - some came from very unhappy homes - I was lucky I had two parents who care for me.
 
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Vivienne14 said:
Re: did any one go to uffculme open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings

Uffculme open air school is now listed status. It's the earliest open air school in England and was very innovative at the time. A good plan of the school and a few photos are included in this link. Viv.

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk...m=Hootsuite&utm_campaign=Hootsuite+Conversion


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
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Yes I was there till 1964 have a lot of very clear memories of the school
 
BernardR said:
Re: did any one go to uffcome open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings h

Hi - Pomgolian had a Sister who went to Uffculme School and yes it is/was in Kings Heath. It gets few mentions on here so try a search.
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I attended Uffculme between 1958 and 1964 in the old building NOT the new section further down the Queens Bridge Road Moseley the High School opposite I think was opened around 1960 many still very clear memories of the school. It was a good school most students had Asthma I had Bronchitis - they were looked after well by the staff of the school different from standards of schools in the 1960's
 
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Phil said:
Re: did any one go to uffcome open air school, think it was either Moseley or Kings h

Hi Jule

I don't know a lot about the school only what my brother in law told me. He was a resident there for a short while in the 50's. He suffered with asthma and the school was for all types of breathing complaints.

It was an open air school in a real meaning of the word. All the windows were continually open and the beds were pushed outside during the day. Winter and summer, he said that he was never warm there in all the time he spent there.

PhilIt was windows open through the winter and heating were hot water pipes under the floor with open grating above to let the hot air out never sure but I think it was fuelled from the boiler in the main building basement as there was often coke (coal) outside in the staff carpark waiting to be put into the Shute to the basement an area students were never allowed in main building had the dining room and a dumb waiter serving area the headmasters office through a side door the main entrance and off one side was the showers the Nurses room and quiet area for students who were sick and a lady who sat at a sewing machine repairing school jerseys each were given a rough material but warm pullover to wear at school there was no uniform as such the staircase led to the kitchen where meals were prepared a room for the school secretary and a common room for the staff There was a wooded area one side the soccer pitch in the middle and gardens on the right and two ponds one with water and one dry by the tennis courts
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bIKERBOUY said:
Yes I was there from 1958 to 1964 after that my parents migrated to Australia where I live today there were 5 class rooms Class 1 and Class two primary were the newer rooms with big sliding back concertina type windows Class 3 and Class 4 were "high school" and Class 5 was the today years 13 leaving honours in my day. (or it might have been numbered the other way around. School started at 8..30am with some students arriving early and were given Breakfast as their parents worked early if there parents were home at all not much bullying in those days some students came from very unhappy backgrounds. The school served a small carton of milk at break main course lunch with a desert (where I learn to hate Fish, lumpy rice and prunes for the rest of my life) and a glass of milk an apple and a biscuit just before home time and for a number of students that is the only food they would get - some came from very unhappy homes - I was lucky I had two parents who care for me.
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bIKERBOUY said:
As I recall I believe there were 5 individual class rooms. A big kind of shed that acted as Gym, social games room and an area with camp beds for a afternoon rest after lunch. The main building housed the dining room, with a dumb waiter, serving area and the headmasters office through a side door and another side door to the main entrance and off one side was the showers the Nurses room and quiet area for students who were sick and a lady who sat at a sewing machine repairing school jerseys each were given a rough material but warm pullover to wear at school there was no uniform as such the staircase led to the kitchen where meals were prepared a room for the school secretary and a common room for the staff
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bIKERBOUY said:
Outside below the buildings was a wooded area on the left side the soccer pitch in the middle and gardens on the right and two ponds one with water and one dry next to the Netball courts. I think there was an area like a kind of "Allotment" for growing veggies students could plant and attend to. There was a huge Rhododendron Bush big enough to fit inside the bush itself I spent many an hour in there - It was a GOOD SCHOOL children were well looked after. What little education we got was basic and Parrot Fashion 12 x times tables every day - and now as an adult never regretted than kind of learning pity we did not do to up to to 30 times table!!
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We had a job there back inthe 60's, small bit of electric. Turned out a bit of a doddle we were working with a new foreman , who liked to tell of his exploits at dinner times which was officially 1-1.30 pm he'd keep chatting and we were going back to work at nrearly 3pm great stuff we finished at 4pm . Pity we were only there for a week
 
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