It’s not often I do this, but these are special circumstances that I think merit it. I’ve had a request from the young David Evans to re-run some photos from a post I created in 2011. David has requested this as new reader and commenter Roger Mosedale has joined us in the last few days, and David feels that he may be able to help with the school photos here.
It’s a pleasure to re-run them and also to welcome Roger who’s already shed some wonderful light on the Friezland Lane Working Men’s Club history. Hello Roger, and thanks. Feel free to join in!
Please note I won’t make a habit of recycling like this, but these are wonderful photos and I don’t think they received enough scrutiny at the time so please, if you can contribute to the background, or name faces, please do.
Either comment here, or BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Cheers.
Walsall Wood Cycling Proficiency awards 1953 – photo courtesy of David Evans.
Hi Bob
A rare photo of pupils from Walsall Wood Primary School being presented with their certificates… in 1953! It is reassuring and encouraging to see that this scheme, or its modern equivalent, is being used locally
[That’s correct, it’s called Bikeability and is a fantastic thing indeed. Note the kids are clutching pennants which you attached to your bike to show your skill. – Bob]
Some readers may be able to identify their grandparents in the photo.
Best wishes
David Evans
Walsall Wood Primary School violinists of 1953 – photo courtesy of David Evans.
Hi Bob,
Readers may be interested to see this group of musicians in the making and may be able to name some of the group… perhaps their grandparents!
Note that the building in the background, the original primary school building, has a brick buttress..a sign of the area’s susceptibility to subsidence.
It was a good school and pupils from here went on to enter most of the professions and most of the trades , locally, nationally and internationally, taking their skills and interests in the arts and sports with them.
best wishes
David Evans
Walsall Wood Ebenezer Churh Choir 1932 – photo courtesy of David Evans.
Hi Bob
Please excuse the quality of this photo which is from a photocopy of a photo which appeared in a newspaper some years ago.
Caz mentioned a Mr Bampton, organist at the time, and his “full-blast” rendition of Handel’s Hallelujah which gave the poor old organ “bellows operative” an interesting time!
This is the choir, with Mr Bill Bampton sitting in the middle of the front row.
I hope some readers will recognise members of this joyful group. The building in the background is still there and is used as the Church.
best wishes
David Evans
Walsall Wood footballers of 1955 – photo courtesy of David Evans.
Hi Bob
I was pleased to see Trevor’s photo of the aspiring footballers and would like to add this photo which dates back to the squad of 1955 and hope that the team members and/or their children and grandchildren may find this interesting. The pre-fabs in the background have long-since gone and the building , adjacent to Oak Park is now a Youth Centre, I believe. Was the teacher a Mr Shingler?
best wishes
David Evans
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The football photograph of the Walsall Wood Junior school team: The teacher is Mr Shingler and one of the players … front row third left is I think, Gary Nicholls from Freizland Lane. Roger Mosedale.
The primary school violinists with Miss Tan: That’s amazing! I think that is me third row down, far left, many thanks, just great! Roger Mosedale
Looking again at the cycle proficiency certificate presentation…I percieve the student receiving the award to be Peter Gunn from Walsall Wood who went on to private school in his early teens.
Another story connected with the club billiard room: One lunchtime, on a beautiful summers day a strange thing happened, the committee noticed that the billiard balls had disappeared, yes…every one, after some discussion and perusal of the pockets and room, someone remembered seeing my little sister Susan near the front door around that time of day. Mr Corfield called at our cottage, number 28 Friezland Lane on the off chance that my sister may have seen the culprit making off with the billiard balls… on being quizzed about this by my mom and dad, my little sister sheepishly kept looking into her dolls pram which she and her friends had been pushing around the lane. On checking the dolls pram and lifting the lid of a little compartment in the base… there they where… the complete set! I assure you this was all innocently done and no punishment administered! It all ended with a laugh and a joke and the spoils returned… all on a peaceful sunny day in the school holidays… yep just one of many, many tales in a wonderful closely nit community. Roger
Hello from the far south, Whangarei in the north of New Zealand
My brother John drew my attention to the photograph of the violinists at the Brownhills Road school.
I am in that photograph, at the left in the back row.
I think the tallest in the back row is Derek Blakemore, and the girl on the left in the third row is Elaine Beresford.
I cannot remember other names.
Miss Tan, the teacher on the right, was, I believe, the lead violinist in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Perhaps this will stimulate some others to remember other names, or correct me, of course.
Cheers
George Blanchard
Good morning George!
the fiddlers photo..
front row from the left; John Jones, Gary Nicholls, X Tom Ethelstone X Roger Mosedale?/(Moseley), Davies
second row left, Me(!), Susan Vale?…….
back row right, Glynn Evans
best wishes
David