Shire Oak Grammar class of 1964: image held at Pelsall Local History Centre where a full size version can be inspected.
I’ve just had a wonderful enquiry from ex-Shelfield resident Moira McCormick, who’s after some help tracing members of a lost band from Shire Oak Grammar School, and also memories of Sheffield Youth Club and Walsall Wood.
This is a wonderfully detailed enquiry, and I hope readers can help. Moira wrote:
Hi Bob
As usual at this time of year I go for a sentimental journey down Memory Lane and came across your blog. I grew up in Shelfield in the 1950s and sixties and worked at Walsall Wood Library for a while before going to Teacher Training College after which I lived in Jersey until relatively recently.
I always feel sad when my internet searches fail to locate any of the places I used to go to and any of the people I knew. I am really keen to catch up with any of the people who went to Shelfield Youth Club and Shire Oak Grammar School around 1964-67. I can’t remember the names of many of the people I knew then, but I do remember a pop group formed by guys from Walsall Wood. They were Ian Gwilliam whose mum managed the group, the other members being Lawrence (known as Boz) Barry the drummer and Brian, who all went to Shire Oak. I’m quite curious to see on part of your blog that Shire Oak School opening day was in 1967, but my classmates from St Francis School Primary in Shelfield were among the first year’s intake for Shire Oak in September 1961, not 67. I went to the Catholic Convent Grammar in Wolverhampton, hence not knowing the names of many of the people who went to the Youth Club as well as I would if I had gone to school with them. I remember Patsy Butler by name, David Kirk and that is about all.
If you have any info about any of the guys in that pop group or any of the Shelfield Youth Club members I would be really grateful. I look back on my days spent in the West Midlands with great happiness and would be so happy to meet again some of the people I knew at that time.
Thanks a lot
Moira McCormick
The confusion over the opening day pamphlet is because Shire Oak School was originally just the Grammar School; in the mid-60s the Secondary Modern was built, and opened in 67 – which is what the opening day program was for. The two schools co-existed in the same grounds until being merged as a comprehensive in the 1970s. To this day you can still see two distinct schools on the same site, although they’re the same institution now. I think it’s still divided at the east and west building or something like that.
Shire Oak today, as shown by Apple Maps. The ‘new’ Secondary Modern was on the left here, the Grammar to the right. You can actually see the difference in construction styles between the two.
Thanks for a wonderful enquiry Moira – that should get heads scratching! If you can help, please comment here or mail me: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com.
In the mean time, do you recognise anyone in the film made by Brownhills Camera Club in the early 1960s? The school is Sheffield Comprehensive…
You can find out more about this film here.
