This new page will be devoted to those short, sometime anecdotal tales, former teachers and pupils pass to me. I hope that you will also pass any information that you have so that it can be included. If I have one consistent moan at the moment, it is that, very little information is being received for publication on this site or in fact the newsletter.
Mentioned on this page are:
Joseph Procter: Mary Daniels: Rosaleen McKeown : The Macy Gravestone: Photographs of Mary Hodson: David Green: Collette Bayliss nee Kirwan: Bernadette Retief nee Priestley: Margaret Pett nee Hicks): Mary Noonan: Olga Waplington:
You will also discover many photographs which may be of interest.
Joseph Procter, who attended the school in the 1930's has mentioned that in 1933, the Choir Master was a Tom Fulford. He was also the lead singer. It would seem that he only had one eye. He was the Foreman of The Coppersmith section at Ansells Brewery. The initiation into the choir at that time, was being put into a large water butt
Joe also mentions that in the lower school playground, there used to be a manhole cover. Here the lads would play a game called "buttons". The objective being to try and get your button either in or nearest to the indent in the cover. The nearest one wining the other buttons. Years later this game would be played with marbles and called "holey."
Joe recalls that often he, and many others would be going around without buttons on their shirts, trousers or any other place they were supposed to have them. On one occasion, Joe coming from a very poor family, had had to attend school in girls shoes. Noticing these had some buttons on, Clem Craddock, his half brother, cut the buttons of Joe's shoes, leaving Joe to hobble around trying to keep the shoes on.
The odd job man at the Cemetery was a Jack Davies. In that position he had had to dig the grave for his own father.
Names remembered are Dennis and Peter Lacy. The Ellison Family. Terry Rooker. Burrows family.
Joe left St Joseph's in 1937 and went to the Sacred Heart. He left school in 1942.
Mary Daniels, who produces the Quarterly magazine at St Nicholas's, Boldmere, has supplied the following information.
In November 1992 It was decided to widen Thimblemill Lane to duel carriageway standard. In order to complete this work part of St Joseph's Cemetery would have had to be disturbed and a considerable number of graves disturbed. This of course caused concern amongst families who had loved ones buried in the cemetery. It will suffice to say the plan was not carried out. A copy of the Public Notice from the Local paper is below.
It was always understood that should the work have gone ahead, one of the graves that would have had to be moved, was that of the Grandparents of the founders of the famous Macy's Store in New York.
I have now had the opportunity of checking with Macy's New York and have been advised that this information does not appear to be correct. The New York Macy's have never used the letter "e" in their name. I have however left the photographs of the gravestone of the Macey family in this article, as it is somewhat of a focal point near to the Church House. I will try to discover further information about the Macey family, if at all possible.
My appreciation to Mr Ed Goldberg of Macy's, for the up to date information.
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Rosaleen McKeown
Remembers St Joseph's School;
"I have recently finished reading Where Once Buildings Stood, the book about St Joseph’s Church and School. For me it has brought back many memories about the school, which I really loved attending.
I came to Nechells as a young child from Belfast and started the school aged 6 years in 1945. I lived in Thimble Mill Lane opposite Pow’s The Coal Merchants, with my Gran and Grandad, Mr and Mrs McGrath. My first friends were the Parry twins, Ralph and Rita. They attended the nearby St Clements School.
I used to check the time on the clock on the Newton’s building, so that I would not be late for school. Oh how I loved those days!
Other friends were, Pat and John Wale, Valerie and Barbara Taylor, Christine Haddock and of course the Fennells, Eddie being my idol and Pat being my life long friend. Another long time friend has been Christine Haddock. I still speak to her on occasions.
I also remember another pal, Michael Freeth. There was also Mary Hall. I would particularly like to mention and thank Nancy Keogh for helping me with my work. Nancy lived in Pugh Road, Aston at this time. I remember too, Kathleen McEvilly, who always seemed such an happy person.
I used to go to church to hear John Sanders sing solo in the choir. I think a few of the girls were keen on him. I also remember being impressed by a young boy called Stephen, he and his sister seemed to have been there for only a matter of days, he impressed me so much, I named my first born after him!
The teachers I remember the most were Sr. Alfreda, Miss Martin, lovely Miss Scally, a great teacher. Miss Sidebottom, who had the cleanest fingernails and perfect lipstick I had ever seen. She had a frighteningly loud voice when she was angry, but I admired and respected her.
Mr McDermott was a bully, Mr Burr a quiet man. Sr Marguerite was a saint, so lovely.
I used to go to Nechells Baths to watch the swimming galas. There I remember Brian Aston, Alan Burton, Alan Saunders and Terry Hayes. Of the girl swimmers, I remember Doreen Swalbe. She was a good swimmer.
One incident I can recall was when I was in Mr McDermott's class. I didn’t understand what I had to do, so when he looked at my book it made no sense. He started to bang my forehead on the desk with every word he spoke. When my Gran found out she soon made her way down to the school, all five foot two of her.
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It is probably fortunate for all concerned that she was intercepted by Sr. Marguerite who calmed her down with a cup of tea. They discovered that both their mothers had been born in the same town!
My first love at school was Tommy Donohoe (Teddy) he was from Southern Ireland. We used to go to confession together on a Saturday evening. Me , being as good whistler, would whistle all the way home. He would tell me it was a sin for a girl to whistle, so I would try not to. I have always kept him in my heart!
My cousins also attended St Joseph's. They were Tony, Sandra and later Pat Hayes. Sadly Sandra died aged 9 years. They lived in Weston Street. The photograph of Tony, above, was taken about the time he caught Polio.
When I was leaving school, I was offered a job at "Buttons" which was a factory in Aston. I have forgotten the road. (Buttons Ltd was in Portland Street and is actually mentioned in Story No 1 by Phyllis Arnold on the stories page. Editor). I think one of the other pupils at the school, Richard McArdle's family were in someway connected as a few from the school went to work there.
I sought out a job at the nearby Foundry Service (FOSECO) which I started within a week of leaving St Joseph's. I started work in the Printing Department taking the post round, stamping the envelopes and that type of work. I was later put in charge of the Stationery Department. This I loved.
I started work in ankle socks and a kilt. This, on reflection showed my innocence and naivety. I even worked on a Saturday mornings when there was very little to do. I had a second hand bike which I would use to travel backwards and forwards to work. The great distance of one mile.
St Joseph's was a good beginning in my life. Having come from Northern Ireland and being brought up by my Nan and Grandad, it was a secure environment outside of my home.
I would like to thank all who were involved in my life during my schooldays, which really were the happiest days of my life.
One I was sent recently
How did I get through such a rough time?
If you lived as a child in the 30’s40's, 50's, 60's or 70’s how did you survive? Looking back, it's hard to believe that we have lived as long as we have... As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Our baby cribs were covered with bright coloured lead-based paint. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. Horrors!!
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times we learned to solve the problem.
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. No cell phones. Unthinkable. We played football and cricket and sometimes the ball would really hurt. We got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame, but us. Remember accidents?
We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it.
We ate cakes, bread and butter, and drank pop but we were never overweight... we were always outside playing. We shared one bottle of pop with four friends, from one bottle and no one died from this.
We did not have Play-stations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, video games at all, 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, Personal Computers, Internet chat rooms ... we had friends. We went outside and found them. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rung the bell or just walked in and talked to them. Imagine such a thing. Without asking a parent! By ourselves! Out there, in the cold cruel world! Without a guardian. How did we do it?
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever.
Not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Some students weren't as smart as others so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade... Horrors. Tests were not adjusted for any reason.
Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. “No one to hide behind”. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that!
Our generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors ever. The past 60 years has been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.
And you're one of them.
Congratulations!
Just a few thoughts I would like to share with you. My thanks to Fred Collins, a retired Bank Executive friend from Canada, who brought them to my attention. Hope you see in them what I do. Richard Scott.
May be of interest!
I have recently been sent a couple of electricity cards that would have been in use in the city a good few years ago. Whilst they are not connected to the Nechells area, they relate to a Cotteridge address, they are the same that would have been in use.
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From David Green I have been contacted by David, who whilst he did not attend St Joseph's, has provided details of his mother's Winifred Mary Green nee McLean and her brothers and sisters who did.
John Henry b1921 Winifred b1923 Valentine B 1928
Sadly They are now all deceased.
Davis has supplied, from school records a list of childrens names.
David has also provided 2 wedding photographs one taken at St Joseph's the other being at St Edburgha's Church, Yardley, both involving members of his family.
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Collette Bayliss nee Kirwan
Has provided names of some of the teachers who were at St Joseph's Leigh Road, Washwood Heath.
The Headmaster's name, it was Mr Cassell.
Miss Boyle.Cookery and
year teacher.
Mr Prior. Deputy head teacher.
Mr Peters. Geography teacher.
Miss Larkin. English and year teacher.
Mrs O'Neill. Music teacher.
Mrs Devlin. P.E. and games teacher.
Mr Gavin. Math's teacher
Miss Pontin for typing
and pitman shorthand
Miss Devlin also Art teacher
Who can you add?
The people Collette remember from are:- Ann Barr, Kathleen Beads,
Teresa Bias, Linda Morris . Angela Sutton, Margaret Cusack, Teresa Clynne,
Angela Crownin, Sarah Hartigan,Marie Murtagh.Other years Aaron Whitehouse Evelyn Mc Grane,
Ronnie Morris.
Collette attended St Joseph's from 1968 to 1970 and started there in the second year having been transferred from Dartmouth St School because it was shutting down.
Mr Pearson was the headmaster of Dartmouth St at the time of the transfer.
Collette has included many more names in her guest
book entry.
I am grateful to Michael Pett, who has contacted me and supplied a photograph of his aunt, Gladys Hicks, who attended St Joseph's during the 1920's. The picture appears of a girls class taken in the upper school. Gladys is in the third row, second from right.
Michael is in the process of obtaining more information from his mother, Margaret, who was Gladys's sister. Once that is received I will include the details on this page.
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Old Boys & Girls
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Bernadette Retief nee Priestley.
Reunion in Birmingham on Wednesday 18th Feb. 2004. Bernadette, now a Matron in a Maternity Hospital in South Africa had visited England with her husband, Ralph, to be present for the birth of her 3rd grandchild. Whilst here she had come to Birmingham to see other members of her family. She also took time to renew old friendships. She has been in constant touch with the reunion group over the last year, but this was her first opportunity to visit them.
John Tocker took the initiative and informed the local Evening paper who responded by covering the reunion and taking photographs.
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Margaret Pett nee Hicks) Born 18th April 1924
Here are my recollections, in no particular order, and, I’m afraid somewhat disjointed, of my time at St Joseph’s Girls School, Nechells from 1929 to 1938.
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I started at St Joseph’s Girl’s School at the tender age of 5 in 1929 and left in 1938, age 14. Although it was a Catholic school, I am not a catholic. We didn’t wear a school uniform and, because we were poor, our school books were provided for us. Times were hard in those days and it couldn’t have been easy for our parents. The school was built on a hill.
From what I recall, there was only one entrance into the school up some steps. There was a small hall with a classroom on either side. There may have been toilets straight ahead. These were the Upper School classrooms. Classroom ‘Upper’ on the left was partitioned with a curtain. Through the curtain there was a room and through that room was another door to another classroom (I think). There may well have been 4 classrooms on the upper level. There were some more classrooms lower down. I remember on one of the classroom walls a picture of a man with a little boy. The man was pointing out to sea. This is quite a common picture so the one on the classroom wall must have been a print.
The school day started at 9 am and finished at 3.30 or 4 pm. They gave us a small bottle of milk in the morning and we went home for lunch between 12.30 and 1 pm and had to be back to school at 2 o’clock. After my Dad died, when I was 7, my Mum had to go out to work so I used to go to my Aunt’s house (Amy Hill) at 62 Stuart Street for lunch. The chairs were attached to the desks, which could be folded up. Classes were arranged according to age and different subjects were taught in different classrooms. Every morning we had class prayers and once a week we had school assembly. I don’t remember us every having any homework.
I do remember, quite clearly, some of the teachers although the spelling of their names may be somewhat suspect. The nuns were all dressed in their habit. There were no male teachers at the school.
Sister Alfreda First teacher in infants. On my first day Sister Alfreda took me up the isle in the classroom and told me where to sit. She gave me a slate, a template of a cow and a piece of white chalk. During the day she would come around with a mop and clean the slates.
Sister Walberger Infant’s teacher.
Sister Margaret Head-mistress – taught history, geography and singing. I remember a song which began : ‘cherries ripe, cherries ripe’ and a poem Abu Ben Adam ?
Miss Mcguire She had a stick and used to wrap our knuckles with it. I must have done something wrong one day (I think I was about 8 years old) because I felt that stick across my knuckles – and I remember it hurting!! In her classroom I remember there being a glass case of stuffed squirrels.
Miss Livingston She was in the last class I was in (when I was 14) and taught drawing and maths.
Miss Dobin A thin dark haired lady.
There was a teacher who came to the school once a week to teach Domestic Science. This lady, whose name I can’t recall, came to school riding a ‘sit up & beg’ bicycle. Sadly, she was knocked off her bike & killed.
Some of the girls that I recall :
Edith Hartland
Massey Aston (Maisie)
Gwen Pruit She got me into trouble - lived near Aston Station and my Dad went made when he knew I had crossed the road.
Gladys Hicks – my sister (7 years older then me) who I sometimes walked to school with.
When school started or at playtime, a bell was rung. I think we took it in turns to be bell monitor.
The boy’s school was on the other side of the cemetery. I think all us girls trotted down to the boy’s school for cookery and laundry lessons, with a teacher. Having said that, I am not 100% sure about it being taught at the boys school, it may well have been to another school - it was over 60 years ago! What I do remember is that we all walked in lines of two with our baskets of cooking ingredients – eggs, flour, butter and sugar and fruit. I remember us making tasty little currant cakes.
In Laundry, part of the domestic science lesson, they taught us how to starch collars.
We reached the school playground by going out of the front door and down some steps. We used to play ball and skipping.
For P.E. lessons, similar to today, were in different houses identified by different colour arm bands. We also wore a blouse, skirt and pumps.
On Friday afternoons, weather permitting, a double-decker bus would call for us and Miss Livingston, the games teacher, and take us down to the playing fields in Kingsbury Road to play netball and rounders. I was good at netball and always the position of shooter. We all enjoyed PE very much.
In the Junior School, on our return from the playing fields, we would sit quietly and read to ourselves (from a book brought from home) until the end of school. Occasionally we went to the swimming baths in Nechells Park Road – the teacher wasn’t a nun, but I can’t remember her name. To this day I can’t swim.
I still have a few of my school books. In those days, of course, we used £.s.d; I must have been very dim because in my maths book there are a lot of crosses next to the sums. We used one exercise book for geography and history. One end was for geography; the book was then turned upside down and the other end was used for history.
We would go to the little shop across the road from the school (the shop was owned by two sisters whose names escape me) and buy a halfpenny worth of Pig Nuts. These had to be soaked in water; they would swell up and would taste delicious and sweet.
I remember a glass case outside the Church with a statue of Jesus, after he was crucified, lying in the arms of a lady – not sure who she was? I think about this statue often and wonder what happened to it.
My friend and I would sometimes go to the cemetery and take flowers off a grave which had lots and put them on the graves without flowers.
I have chosen to present this story as I received it. Ed.
Can you add to the memories?
Mary Noonan remembers
I have received this email from Mary and thought it might be of interest to many of you.
I have only briefly looked at your website (which my sister - Catherine O'Flynn had emailed to me), and will spend longer looking at it when I have more time, but the memories it has evoked has driven me to drop you this short note.
I joined St Joseph's in the Sept before I was 5 in 1963.The headmistress when I was there was Miss Lamb. I went into Mrs. Sammons class. I then - I think - had Miss Ball but I could be mistaken. I had Miss Ball at some stage in the infants and I remember to this day her mantra "can't is an idle word, and idle people use it"! However, by far my favourite infant teacher was Miss Martin who was a delight. At the age of 7 I thought she was the prettiest, cleverest and kindest person I had ever met.
Other teachers I remember from my time there are Miss Scally, Miss Bonham, Miss McCulloch (another great teacher who however put me off The Hobbit to this day by trying to get me to read it when I was 8!) Mr. Bushell did music, Miss Bradley was Junior 1. There was a needlework teacher with whom we made felt and blanket stitch teddies and purses.
There was a glamorous young Irish teacher Miss Corr. There was also a Miss O'Byrne (Joan) with whom my mother became great friends and for whom my sister was bridesmaid when she married Don Heathfield in about 1968? A teacher I did not have but who was legendary was Mrs. Smyth. I was never there when Mr. Whittle was head either, although he will know our family.
My family had moved to Nechells in July 1963 as my father had taken over what had been Mr. Jordan's newsagents on Nechells Park Road - just by the bus stop opposite the hair dressers and the Jewel Box jewellers. We lived above the shop and from my second floor bedroom window I would look at the comings and goings in the shops opposite. As well as the hairdressers and the jewellers, there were the barbers and also bookies.
My father was called Donal O'Flynn and he ran the shop until his death in 1986. There were 5 kids when we moved in Emer, Oongah, me, Frances and Nicholas. In 1970, my younger sister Catherine was born.
My mother Ellen was just that when we first moved to Nechells, a full time mother. However, she had trained as a teacher at Newbold Revell after attending St Paul's Grammar School and had taught at St Chad's secondary school before having a family.
With slum clearance in the mid-sixties, our customers dwindled away and Mom was asked, by I think Fr Timmins, if she would do some part time hours at the school, so she began working 10-12 helping with remedial reading. At that time I was in the juniors and my brother Nicholas and sister Frances were in the infants. At lunch time I would walk from the junior building down to the church (where with my friends at break, we would huddle in one of the corners because it must have been the wall outside the boiler and it was always warm). I would wait there for Nicholas and Frances to walk up and join me. Frances always dutifully did so, but Nicholas at 5 or 6 would get to the top of the hill, and then run down again several times before I managed to get him to walk with us up the path to the little door and out onto Long Acre. We would then walk towards the little staff door and wait for Mom. We would all then walk up railway terrace, past the White Hart pub and right on Nechells Park Road to the shop, and so home. The we would walk back again after lunch.
By the time Catherine was born, my mom was working full time at St Josephs. Between 5 teenagers, a baby, a full time job and the shop life took its toll. I have two children and no longer work and cannot imagine how she coped for as long as she did.
My Dad died in 1986, and then in 1993 Mom died also having moved to Erdington after Dad had died - I guess she had stopped coping by then. Two of my sisters and I live in Solihull. Catherine lives in Spain. Nicholas lives in Tunbridge Wells and Oonagh in Muswell Hill.
We're all graduates and have good careers and nice lives. Except Catherine, we all have children of our own whose lives couldn't be more different from those of the St Josephs alumni. When I tell my children of how we lived and how little we had, they cannot believe it, and yet we were one of the luckier families. However, I am grateful for the years we spent there and very interested in your site.
Kind regards,
Mary Noonan
Olga Waplington
The following is a pen picture I requested from Olga.
" After
leaving school, I worked at Fort Dunlop, who sent me to Kingsbury Day
Continuation School for Girls on Kingsbury Road. I did English, Maths,
Shorthand, Typing and PE classes there. I attended for 3 years and then
became a fully qualified Shorthand Typist. I lived in Erdington at this
time. I then met my husband, David, who also lived in Erdington and we married
and moved to Lichfield where we had two sons. We now have 3 grandchildren, who
are growing rapidly.
I have, for the last 5 years - since retirement - lived in Llanfair, Nr.
Harlech, in North West Wales. Before that I worked at Lichfield District
council for 27 years where I worked as Secretary to the Director and Deputy
Director of Planning and then moved up as Office Manager, managing the whole of
the Planning Department. During my time at Lichfield District Council I went
to College (part of Wolverhampton University) and gained an HND in Business and
finance, and actually attended my very own cap and gown ceremony at Birmingham
town Hall. So, we've all done well considering our humble beginnings for most
of us.
It was such a pleasure to attend the Class lunch at Four oaks, being back
in Birmingham made me more aware of my roots and how I must never forget them".
I think that the achievements Olga made after leaving school are excellent and provide an indication to the skills and abilities many of St Joseph's pupils exhibited in later parts of their life.
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Dee (rgt.) and Helen Fitzgerald attending a meeting at The Heartlands Historical Society in Birmingham on Wednesday 26th January 2005. They attended St Joseph's School in the late 50's early 60's.
Their late sister Carmel, is shown in the school swimming team photograph earlier on this page and also in the photograph below.
This photo came about after they volunteered to act as the welcome party to people visiting meeting. Not bad as this was their first visit!
The below photograph shows l-r
Helen, Dee, Carmel and Nuala Fitzgerald.
My thanks to Dee for this photograph.
We are continuing to have considerable satisfaction by being able to provide photographs to former pupils, with photographs of their family, which they were not aware existed.
So if you have any photographs, contact me.
You may be helping someone!
Since t
Miss Agnes Sidebottom
1923-2007
It is with great regret that I have to inform you that she passed away on Thursday 26th July 2007.
After a Church Service in Kidderminster, she was taken to Stourbridge Crematorium.
If you would like to remind yourself about her life please see her story
on the Pupils and Teachers page. Story 7
n photograph, with left to right, David Hands, Annie McShane, Richard Scott, Miss Sidebottom, Frances Johnson and John Tocker. Taken at the July reunion in 2005
