I attended St Alpheges at the age of five, from 67 to 72; I remember we all
had to go to church every Wednesday morning. When we had assembly in the
hall each day, one of the song we had to sing was All creatures great and
small , and without fail at every assembly their used to be a crow looking
through the top windows squawking as we sang. I remember we had to walk to
Malvern park to play football, and the annual sports day on the rectory's
lawn. After all these years I can only remember David Crane and Philip
Turner. But I do remember in the art class myself and another lad decided
not to use paper to paint on, but decided to flick paint at each other. With
both of us covered in paint, we ended up being sent to Mr Clark who gave
us both the "Slipper" on the back of the legs!! Fond memories but painful
at the time! And Peter, I to remember having to raise our caps to the
waiting drivers as we crossed the road. I moved away in 72 and even after
all these years, I still miss Solihull.
Andrew
Gordon
I must have been 7, perhaps 8, when I started St. Alphages, making the year
either 1959 or 1960. The only names of classmates I remember are Judith
Atkinson, Jennifer Hill and Gillian Burgess. I remember Miss Lawley's
knitting classes and we used pens with nibs and inkwells. Miss Lawley was
very kind. Her classroom had a great big, very hot fire place. The
cloakroom was outside the classroom and had sinks. Other teachers were Mrs.
Appleton and Miss Keane. Great memories of climbing the toilet walls,
dancing and skipping in the playground, sometimes allowed to play on the
rectory lawns. School dinners were awful. Every table had a "server" who
was the boss of the table and you had to eat the food whether you liked it
or not if he/she said so! Mrs. Fitter was still Headmistress. Yes, I
remember marching into assembly to The Dambusters and certainly remember
church every single Wednesday morning. They were happy days but there was
something that terrified me. Does anybody remember having to stand in front
of the whole school and read a piece from the Bible in Assembly. It was
scarey. Uniform was grey skirt, white shirt, black blazer and black beret.
Wish I could remember more classmates' names and I would love to get my
hands on some photos of me and whole class. Cedarhurst School was nextdoor
but seems it's joined up with St. Alph now. Is this right? Does anybody
remember Mark Ainsworth? He was 2 or 3 years older than me but a family
friend and went to St. Alph. I now live in Australia and have done so since
1976.
Suzanne Cutler
I was at St. Alphege for 1967, 68. Mr Clarke was the headmaster and also
coached the football team. I recall having to raise our cap to cars tha
stopped for us when we crossed the road in front of the school. My main
memory is of playing football in the playground with a tennis ball. We had
the best football team in Solihull for the final year. This little church
school beat everyone by 5 or 6 goals. Colin Short was in goal, Chris Bode,
Peter Jones, Peter Newman, Peter Cummins are some of the names I recall. I
remember Mr. Clarke not letting us celebrate the goals, so we would rack up
the score and calmly walk back to the centre circle after each goal. I now
live in Vancouver, Canada so have lost contact with everyone.
Peter Marsh
My grandmother was Mrs Thompson who taught at the school from the mid 1920s
til retirement about 1961 .Mrs Fitter was the Head at the time. Do any of
her former pupils have any idea where she is buried in Shirley as I cant
remember. Appreciate any memories of her
Caroline
Thompson
I went to Cedarhurst in
1959 until I went to St Alphege for a year in 1965. Our family came to
Australia in 1969. It would be fun talking about old times. Cheers - Roderic
Burns " Rectory Gardens, Solihull."
Roderic Burns
St Alphege School and Cedarhurst School
It would be nice to hear from anyone who was at either of these two schools from 1958-65.
Rosemary Morle |
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I was at St Alphege from 1955 to 1962. As I was young for the year I had to
do Miss Lawley's class twice and I was a bit troublesome the second time
around!! The teachers mentioned I can remember. Oh yes Miss Appleby and the
headphone hair, that I had forgotten!! Miss Thompson had a wicked way with a
wooden ruler on your knuckles and she was the one who taught us joined up
writing. Miss Huftom took a wood splinter out of my bum, I had been sliding
along those old drop down two-person desks!! I can't remember too many of
the children though. Martin Hay was my friend in Seven Stars Road, a short
walk from Silhill Hall Road where I lived. Maureen Turle/Terle? was my "girl
friend" and she lived above George Masons in the "new shops" along station
road opposite where St Martins was. There was another girl called Rosemary
something who died when I was in class 2 or 3 I think; bit of a shock to us
that any child could die. I remember the new hall being built, it took half
the playground away and oh! the lovely outside toilets infant boys and girls
and junior boys and girls!! Yes the walk to church on Wednesday and summer
fetes in the Rectory garden; I assume that it was the tennis court we used
and the bank made it a good temporary theatre.
Kerry
Schofield
I was Lynda Spray and lived in Solihull from 1954 until about 1961. Went to
st alpheges until failed 11 plus in 1960. Remember living next door to the
Feathers family any of you still out there? My first boy friend was Fred
Kelly. Friend Pamela Sinclair whose parents kept a pub. Would love to hear
from you.
Lynda Brown
Ah.. St Alphege.. how lucky we were to go there! Ros Follows has mentioned
much of what I remember and I can picture her well. I was Eileen Bragg. I
had a desk by that fire in Miss Lawleys class that I shared with Suzanne
Bridgewater. Luckily for me she had the hot seat! The "Roger" that Ros
mentions could well be Roger Newbold. We must all remember the "Apparatus"
in the playground and the outside toilets where you could "climb" the walls
mountaineering style forcing newcomers to walk underneath you in order to
get to the toilet.
The "Dambusters March" always reminds me of skipping out of assembly. Miss
Appleton's where you made crepe paper hats to wear when dancing at the fete.
Mrs Thompson's where you had to buy a block of table salt which was then
carved into an igloo and the stitching of a peg bag. The arrival of Ranah
Shuttleworth in Mrs Thompson's class...Ranah being the daughter of the
licensee of the Royal Oak pub on the high street. Sitting next to Ricki
Titcumb in Miss Keanes and trying to memorise the "Pied Piper Of Hamelin"..
sharing a book and he shut it before I had even the first verse in my head!
Miss Keane reading us "The Little Grey Men" by B.B. Watkins Pitchford a copy
of which I found in a bookshop and reading it transported me straight back
to 1956!Knitting mittens in Miss Rogers/Mrs Hofton's class.
Again.. memorising "Hiawatha" in Miss lawley's ( By the shores of Gitche
Gumee, By the shining Big-Sea-Water, Stood the wigwam of Nokomis, Daughter
of the Moon, Nokomis. Dark behind it rose the forest, Rose the black and
gloomy pine-trees, etc) still memorised 50 years on!
Knitting while the boys went to Mrs Fitter and learnt how to make invisible
ink from lemon juice (much better than knitting!) Reading "The Kon Tiki
Expedition" from Miss Lawley's class library. Playing marbles; skipping with
a long washing line; steps to London; the farmer wants a wife.. do you
remember "we all pat the dog?" etc etc etc. Too many memories really to
write down here but what a wonderful time and a great start to an Education;
probably why I ended up as a teacher. I only hope I was as good as those
that had taught me.
Eileen Mann
What a blast from the past! and a wonderful site...I went to St. Alphege
1954,I lived in Seven Stars Rd and used to walk up the hill,down Thornby Av,
Manor Rd, Warwick Rd and so on .That was quite a distance for a 7yr old and
not for doing nowadays. Sometimes a Mr.Hofton used to pick me up on route,
as he already had a car load for St.Alphege! Our road was mainly fields for
some years. We could just see the back gardens of the houses on Warwick Rd.
My teachers were Miss Brookes, Miss Appleton, Mrs Thompson (knuckles in
shoulder!) Miss Keane (using ink and pens and try after try ruling lines
without smudging.) Miss Hofton ( later Mrs Rogers) and Miss Lawley. Mrs
Fitter being the head. My father Phil Follows was treasurer on parents
committee, and so was involved with all the events. Wonderful garden fetes
in the Rector's lawns. On warm days we even had the odd lesson under a
magnificent 'tulip' tree, having walked through the fence-gate in the corner
of the playground. Icy days saw the huge ice-slides the boys created. Miss
Lawley's classroom was the hall at times. There also was a log burner in the
middle of the wall on the right, and if you ended up with a desk near to it
, it was a bit too hot! One occasion like that ,and we were all knitting
(craft lesson), I was so hot and sticky the stitches wouldn't budge on my
pins!!! My classmates were, Sally Orchard, Gillian Bennet, Elizabeth Dickens
Pamela Jude, Linda Spray, Stephen Gledhill, Eileen Bragg, Richard Langley,
Michael Shipley, Adrian Styles, Robin Andrews?, Andrew Payne and a
Roger...I'm sure there're a few more. I'm living in France now but grown up
family still live in Solihull. I have a daughter doing her BAC here this
year. I'm in touch with Pete Freeman who also went through St Alphege just
ahead of me. I would love to hear from anyone around that time. Keep the
good work up. It really is a tonic.
Ros
Peters (nee Follows)
I attended St Alphege's from 1950-54. Mrs Fitter was headmistress, and I
also remember Miss Appleton, with her 'earphone' hairstyle, Miss Appleby,
Mrs Thompson, and the fearsome Miss Wardley, - (she who destroyed any
enthusiasm I had for learning) I particularly remember the bottles of school
milk, delivered early and left to fester in the morning sun; and the school
dinners, with their lumpy potatoes, and lumpy custard, which I consistently
failed to eat, and was subsequently kept in for most of every lunch hour. Oh
dear. I also recall the Wednesday morning church services - one of which was
made particularly memorable by someone fainting. Alas even this failed to
instil into me the consequences of failing to pay attention to the sermon,
and I continued to day dream every Wednesday morning just as before. I later
went to St Margaret's, Olton, a lovely little school, of which I have far
happier memories; but why is it not listed here?
Hilary
Docker
Anyone with memories of St Alphege in the early '50's? I
was going through some treasures recently and came across a long forgotten
photograph of the school population taken on the grounds of the Rectory.
Putting names to the group was a little difficult but I remember Jeremy
Arkinstall who lived on Park Road and David Hirons, I will keep digging
through the grey matter to see if other names are remembered. Mrs Fitter was
Headmistress Miss Lawley was the 4th year teacher. Other teacher I remember
Miss Hofton, Mrs Wardle (not affectionately) Mrs Thompson (Granny). Oh the
joys of sitting in the classroom and gazing out at the gravestones. Also the
days we had the privilege of using the Rectory grounds for a special
activity and the fete. The Wednesday morning church service and playing tag
on the asphalt playground. Who else remembers those school dinners and Twigs
shop by the bus stop, across from the Chocolate Box and Youngs the Barber.
The years go by but the memories last for ever. Anyone else from the class
of 55 out there. After St Alphege I went to Lode Heath. I live in Canada now
and have done since 1969.
Trevor Jones
I don't remember Trevor Jones, but I do remember Rosemary Morle. I
started in 1957 and I believe my teachers were as follows... Mrs Dickens,
Mrs Appleton, Mrs Thomson, Miss Keane, Mrs Rogers ( nee Hufton) and Mrs
Lawley. Mrs Fitter was the head. I remember stacks of people by name in my
class. Who remembers the apparatus in the playground? Who remembers British
Bulldogs in playtime? Who remembers Rumple Stiltskin school fete - in the
rectory gardens in 1962? A few other names I remember- Jackie Nunn, who
later taught my 3 daughters at St Martin's, Angela Palmer, Diana Pitt, Jane&
Pat Herbert, Valerie Sperling, Rosemary Shepherd, Susan Bradley, Marylin
Underwood, Valda Johnson, Helen Brookes. John Shearing, Paul Reeves, Tony
Gilbert, Robert Evans, Richard Green, Richard Ross, Richard Tatlow, Michael
Hofton ( my cousin) Stephen Ewing, and a year older than me, Michael Wilson
from Seven Stars Road. Not forgetting Andrew Dickens- Mrs Dickens son. My
sister, Linda, was also there 6 yrs before!!!!! I also remember 1957-62
Alison King - Reynolds, Anne Boyce, Diane Lawley, Helen Newbold, Diane
Williams, and Wilma Dickie who I later met in Canada on rugby tour in about
1976 and that's it
Jimmy Hofton
Posted Thursday, May 29, 2008
Hi jimmy . your name I remember well and I think your crop of straight
blonde hair. Some of the names you mentioned Helen Newbold, Marylyn
Underwood plus all the teachers are etched on my mind forever . you just
reminded me of all the memories I had of the school . I was always
terrified of being mowed down by the gangs playing bulldogs and the
apparatus would never pass safety laws these days , but it never deterred
us. My sister Gabrielle Mallard and was probably more your age I'm from
1955.
Francesca Mallard
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