andycott

Still down this morning!

I'm also on section D 1972- on the back row, next to the tallest lad there with glasses - I'm on his right looking at the picture, with the pudding basin haircut! I was in the Lower 6th at the time. What class were you in in 1972 Veritas?

Thanks for that link, you put a lot of work into that - very interesting, I've just spent an hour looking through it.

Just spotted this and I remember the Bulls Head, Foolow as a group of friends all toured the old Derbyshire pubs in the late 70's - did they have some fishing nets suspended from the ceiling or is my memory playing tricks? There was also another great pub up the back streets at Bradwell - The Bowling Green. I have fond memories of Theakston's Old Peculiar on tap!

Hi, just seen your post.. re the boys using the sports field, I was one of those! I went to De La Salle college 66-73 and we were bussed once a week to Beauchief for Sports (as there was only one football field at De La Salle). I was also in the cross country team and we were based at Beauchief for training runs from there at weekends. We got changed & showered in the 'dungeons' as we used to call them. I think we used your outdoor volleyball courts as well as football and rugby fields and our annual sports day was held there. We knew there was a school 'upstairs' but didn't know anything about it. Thanks for stirring some precious memories....

Those memories sound very much like mine, I was at DLS from 66-73 and have to say, always enjoyed my time at school. The French teacher was Brother Peter and he really helped me and gave me confidence to do languages at A Level, so I respect him for that. I also had Mr Hespe for Spanish A level and Brother Gabriel for French oral work on tape machines. He also ran the cross country team, which I was in and seemed to enjoy watching us shower at Beauchief!

I'd agree with LongCol re Bowie in '73- I remember the queue for tickets at 0630 went round and on Leopold Street, but luckily I spied a mate who let me in further up the queue! I also had Spanish oral exam that morning as well! Also, Alex Harvey was brilliant with his crowd control using a hand-held spotlight. The most boring stage performance was Roxy Music around the same time, but the music was good. The loudest was Motorhead and also Gong in '76 approx.

I lived at 75 Ravenscroft Road, Stradbroke until 1964 when we moved back to Walkley where my grandparents were. I remember Stradbroke very well and we knew Mr & Mrs Wright next door, Mr Machin, Glenholme |Drive (a brickie who kept canaries) and his kids Eric and Valerie. Also knew a Mr Timms Glenholme Road who had a motorbike and sidecar! The 'wreck' was across the road to play in from our house and the woods were great places to play as well ! I broke my arm falling off a rope swing.

Wow that was a list TWhits! It certainly brought back some childhood memories and I noticed one of my old teachers from St Josephs- Miss Pierrus at 325. She taught J2.

You are obviously quite a lot older than me, but my mum walked me to St Joseph's school along South Road every day - that would be 1964-66 - and I remember it full of shops too. The main one I remember was Gierschicks or something like that; a German baker who made Battenberg which we used to buy. also at the end on the right opposite Walkley library was a grocer who used to slice ham on a machine and bag flour up. I also remember a furniture shop near Gierschicks.

I went to De la Salle college and one of the teachers was a Mr Palfreyman around 1966-70. He might have taught Economics.

I was a pupil at St Joseph's Handsworth in the early 1960s and someone told us about a tunnel under the garage/car sales place next door, which was derelict at the time. Me and a mate climbed inside and found the tunnel leading out from the cellars. It was brick lined but full of cobwebs and dark and scary for an 8 year old! (If my mum had known (RIP)). We took torches back but only went in a few feet.

That took me back, as did TorontoTony as we went to the same school. I remember getting a Coventry Eagle Flight deluxe for passing the 11-plus. It was too big for me and dad screwed wooden blocks onto the pedals so that I could ride it! However I went everywhere on that, including cycling to Norfolk! Andrews stationery shop was very popular and our uniform and name tags were from Walshs. Silverstones was a place I used to buy from after getting married. I was in the Scouts and The Scout Shop on Trippet Lane was the main supplier of uniforms, woggles et al. Happy days.

Thought I'd quickly look at the forum in a quiet moment and Notre Dame aroused my interest. My cousin Margaret Ryalls went to ND I'd guess from 1963-70 and I went to De La Salle from 1966-73. Yes it was on Scott Road and now but a memory.

That made me smile:) When did you go to Notre Dame? You might know my cousin Margaret Ryalls who started around 1963 I think.

Hi again Tony, you mention Oakwood and I always thought that was Notre Dame girl's school at Fulwood, where my cousin went. (after Notre Dame moved from Cavendish Street, off Glossop Road). Re the debate, I came originally from a council estate and had just moved to our first mortgaged house near St Joseph's Junior, Walkley, then took the 11 plus. I don't remember any pressure to pass. I feel, as in my case, that Grammar Schools can take bright children from any background and encourage them to learn and question the subjects and established knowledge alongside their similar peers. However it is down to the individual- I was always more keen to play than do revision and suffered as a result. But I developed a lifelong thirst for knowledge and learning and if modern Grammar schools can do the same, we can perhaps raise standards to catch up with China et al.

I remember ringing girlfriends from the phone box at the bottom of the road in the 1970s; why no phone in the home in the 1970s I hear you ask, but this will make you smile. My dad worked for the GPO as a telephone engineer and refused to have a phone as his boss once came round to our house for an emergency call out on CHRISTMAS DAY! Ever since then he vowed never to have a phone and those that did were contacted first! When he died in 1981 the first thing my mum did, was install a phone, which she'd wanted for years. RIP both.

Yes I remember the Barrel at Bretton; also popular pubs with us for a Friday or Saturday night 1974-80 were: The old Bulls Head at Foolow a tiny pub with fishing nets hanging from the ceiling I think. I cycled past there a week or so ago and it's more or less derelict. Marquis of Granby as someone else has mentioned; now a pile of stones and dirt. In Bradwell- old part, up the hill- The old Bowling Green, where we used to sup Theakstons Old Peculiar. Great memories it was the thing to do at the time.

It's Andy from the De la Salle/St Jo's threads and alas, the Wapentake is no more! I went there in '73-74 and met my wife there (still with her and still rockin!) It became a nightclub or something not long after and has been empty for a while. The whole block, consisting of Grosvenor House and the shops underneath is very run-down and is currently being demolished as part of a re-development of the centre, although there hasn't been much publicity around this lately.

Yes Michael was definitely her brother, as she often spoke about him, but I haven't met him myself. Re photos,my mum died in 2009 and I found in her photo box a First Holy Communion photo of me outside the Church- a little blonde & innocent 7 year old! Couldn't find any class photos. I often go past St J's as it's just up the road from where I work- it's still the same, but the big C of E school opposite was flattened a few years ago.

Well the teachers were still the same when I was there! Miss Riley was the nicest one of all, Miss Higgins took J4 and I left before that. As you were 10 years before me, you might know Teresa Staniland, our secretary who retired a couple of years ago. She ws 10 years older than me and went to St. Jo's and later to Notre Dame.

Hi Tony that's a coincidence as my mother converted from anglo catholicism to catholicism, upon marrying my father. Also by coincidence, I started at St J's Handsworth infants and junior up to the age of 9 and left in March 1964 when mum and dad moved to Walkley. Then went to St J's Walkley until going to De La Salle in 1966. The old friends I had at Handsworth I met again at De La Salle: David Battams, Geoffrey Oldfield, Jimmy Phelan. Also a further coincidence, I started a new job here in Handsworth 2005 and found the secretary had gone to St J's handsworth 10 years before me and knew the teachers! Hope you're enjoying it in Toronto!

From my own perspective, Catholic St Joseph's school, Catholic De La Salle never gave me any feeling of separation whatsoever. Probably because most of my friends outside school were Church of England.

I went to De la Salle as well, in 1966.

Hi Andy59 is that Andrew O'Dea? This is Andy Cotton whom you name above and if that's you, you went to Rowlinson Tech after St Joes. I remember all the above as well as Catherine Madin, Paul Madin, Graham Madin. I was also in St J's scouts with some of them. Kathleen Connors was a second cousin of mine.