Woodhouse Grammar School 1951-1958

[DeWasteney 3]

I am wondering if any of these former pupils are still "in the land of the living", almost all with be around 83/84 now, although I am aware that a few have passed away in the last few years -

 

Fred Whinfrey, Phillip Booth, Lewis Neath, Brian Elsey, Jeff Woodward, David Wainscoat, Derek Eyley, Tony Rippon, Trevor Lowe, Peter Taylor, David Alton, Danny Randall, Brian Higgins, David Caborn, Raymond Jarvis, John Saynor, Michael Cheadle, Michael Burgess, Tony Caville, or Cable, Jean Hitchen, Sandra Fenton, Norma Poudrill, Rosemary Green, Paul Mellows, Kenny Longden, Tony Steel, Lynne Wells, Sandra Dolman, Jaqueline ??, Roger Gathercole, Joan Horner, Hazel Lumb, Ann Ruthven, and many more who I can visualize, but not recollect their names 

 

Best Wishes - Victor Hutchinson - Living in Malaysia since the start of 2007  - www.cfhsaeqa.com.my

[Alextopman 1,435]

5 hours ago, DeWasteney said:

I am wondering if any of these former pupils are still "in the land of the living", almost all with be around 83/84 now, although I am aware that a few have passed away in the last few years -

 

Fred Whinfrey, Phillip Booth, Lewis Neath, Brian Elsey, Jeff Woodward, David Wainscoat, Derek Eyley, Tony Rippon, Trevor Lowe, Peter Taylor, David Alton, Danny Randall, Brian Higgins, David Caborn, Raymond Jarvis, John Saynor, Michael Cheadle, Michael Burgess, Tony Caville, or Cable, Jean Hitchen, Sandra Fenton, Norma Poudrill, Rosemary Green, Paul Mellows, Kenny Longden, Tony Steel, Lynne Wells, Sandra Dolman, Jaqueline ??, Roger Gathercole, Joan Horner, Hazel Lumb, Ann Ruthven, and many more who I can visualize, but not recollect their names 

 

Best Wishes - Victor Hutchinson - Living in Malaysia since the start of 2007  - www.cfhsaeqa.com.my

A lot of my relatives went there, Stentons, Eastons, Fidlers, Bathams.

[DeWasteney 3]

I remember a Margaret ??? Fidler and the name Batham rings a bell - possibly a Barry Batham ????

[Alextopman 1,435]

7 minutes ago, DeWasteney said:

I remember a Margaret ??? Fidler and the name Batham rings a bell - possibly a Barry Batham ????

Margaret passed away recently.

[DeWasteney 3]

RIP Margaret - was she married to Gerald Biggin after his divorce. ??

[Alextopman 1,435]

1 hour ago, DeWasteney said:

RIP Margaret - was she married to Gerald Biggin after his divorce. ??

Yes.

 

[DeWasteney 3]

I remember that she lived, originally, near the top of the hill gong down from Woodhouse to Intake, I think the lane was the original road to the colliery.

 

She met Gerald when they both worked at Tungsten Carbide Developments at the old colliery site

 

I knew Gerald, he lived with his wife across from the bottom of Handsworth Grange Road

 

Regards - Victor

[Alextopman 1,435]

5 minutes ago, DeWasteney said:

I remember that she lived, originally, near the top of the hill gong down from Woodhouse to Intake, I think the lane was the original road to the colliery.

 

She met Gerald when they both worked at Tungsten Carbide Developments at the old colliery site

 

I knew Gerald, he lived with his wife across from the bottom of Handsworth Grange Road

 

Regards - Victor

Coisley road, 

Gerald passed away a few years ago.

[DeWasteney 3]

Correct, off the top of  Coisley Hill, on the left. I think, then, there was a small garage on the other side of the road

 

I am thinking back to 1963/4

 

My late father lived on Sheffield Road until abut age 14, (1931) then moved to Market Place

 

My wife and I left Swallownest in October 1969, for Driffield, near Bridlington, and in January 2007 moved to our present home in Wangsa Baiduri, Subang Jaya, State of Selangor, Malaysia - hot and sunny 365 days a year, and low cost (petrol is equal to UK Pounds 1-50 gallon)

 

Regards - Victor - (9-13am and already 92 degrees)

 

 

[Ethella 14]

I'm sorry to say that Hazel Lumb passed away this summer 😔

[bobtaylormilne 0]

Hi, 

I went to Woodhouse Grammar from 1961 to 1964 which is on the tail end of the period discussed here.  My name then was Bob Clements. I recognise a lot of the teacher's names mentioned here, but seem to remember being caned by a male head - I held the dubious record for the  number of canings as my time there wasn't too enjoyable and involved a lot of schoolyard altercations! The school went comprehensive in 1964 I think, and changed it's name to Aston-Woodhouse High. I remember 'the pit' to the lefthand side of the entrance to the building where new pupils had to suffer when bullied by older pupils. Also remember Malcolm who was very tall and well built and towered over us. It was a very 'white' school with only one male black pupil in our class and a very good French teacher (who was actually French, perhaps on a temporary basis) who left after becoming pregnant, believed to be via the PE teacher as there was a spy hole halfway down to the stairs to the gym where some of us would hide. Every school day a coach would pick us up from Parson's Cross to travel across to the school - the last part of the route just before going up the hill to the school was where trains crossed the road on the raised bridge, a fair few of us using train spotting books to note which train it was. I remember the Flying Scotsman was one. A lot more memories of friends, but most such as detention and being shouted at for not wearing a cap when walking in and out of the school gates are not worth recounting! 

Sorry, I got the dates mixed up, this post doesn't relate to the correct period. Apologies.Bob

[classicfan 15]

Bob, do you remember Pete Pethick who also travelled from Parson Cross? He was a very good runner and we were in the same class. I was part of the contingent who came over from Swallownest Secondary for a couple of years before going back to Aston Comp. I think the Malcolm you refer to was Lips combe, not sure of the spelling,  and I vaguely remember the French teacher.