Taking the Hints

Hints School – note that in the original post, I suggested artistic license in the use of the church bell as the schoolhouse has no bell – how wrong I was. Clearly, they mirror each other so I wonder if Oldrid Scott, the architect who designed St. Bartholomew’s at Hints also designed the Schoolhouse. Image kindly supplied by Joe Headley.

Last week, I featured a film here that I was absolutely stunned by, and although well received, it’s been a real slow-burning success, being viewed much more later in the week as people discovered it.

‘The Poacher’s Apprentice’ is a remarkable piece of film, made in 1952 by Brownhills filmmaker Edgar Pritchard, who also made the 1934/5 Brownhills Carnival film and the short feature ‘Hope Springs Eternal’ – Edgar clearly had a real talent and seems to be a hitherto overlooked son of Brownhills.

Coming up, I have much more about Edgar and his life, a huge quantity due to remarkably diligent research by Peter ‘pedro’ Cutler, but also from David Evans, who’s been working closely with the source of the recent Pritchard related material, Margaret Thompson.

But, back to Hints for now. I know Hints, the tiny little village just off the A5 west of Tamworth where ‘The Poacher’s Apprentice’ was filmed. Many of the spots seen in the film are unchanged; so on Saturday I took a ride over there to photograph them and give a modern point of reference. Those church gates haven’t changed since the young lad came out of them 64 or so years ago.

Those photos are in the gallery at the bottom of this post.

Hints on modern 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey mapping. In the 80s and 90s it was very busy with the A5 going through it, but since the opening of the A5 bypass to the north, it has returned to being a sleepy hamlet.

Also in response to the film, I heard from old friend of the blog Joe Headley, who happens to have family connections to the village; he sent me the following wonderful message and photos.

Hi Bob,

I watched with great interest the old film on Hints by Edgar Pritchard and noted also Pedro’s comments about the history of Hints drying up somewhat and wondered if a few old photos of hints and its inhabitants would be of interest.

My mother grew up at Hints, went to school there, and lived there until her mid-teens which would be about 1930-ish. My gran and grandad lived behind the school house and gran used to serve afternoon teas etc., to visitors of the village. My grandparents later moved to keep the Haycock Inn at Little Hay. My great grandparents farmed at Mile Oak Farm which was purchased from Sir Robert Peel whose estate encompassed it at that time.

The Loader family inhabited the school house and I remember visiting as a young boy, the Missies Loader were then owners and I think I’m right in saying that the one sister taught at the school for some years.

My grand father Harry Slyfield was an amateur jockey and rode successfully both in the Midlands and the home counties. Whilst shooting at Bucks Head Farm in my teens I was introduced to a retired Colonel whose name sadly I cannot recall but he remembered my grandfather riding ‘The Squire’, the owner of the horse is not known to me but the colonel said they were a force to be reckoned with in Point to Points.

I will scan some old photos from 1916-1918 at Mile Oak Farm and Hints in I guess the 1920’s and if they are of interest please use them.

Best regards
Joe

Hints Hall (Original demolished after the Second World War) and again I guess late 1920’s early 1930’s.

My mother taken at Home Farm Hints 1929.

Hints School.

Grandfather aboard “the Squire” 29th March 1922 see back of photo. This was at the Meynell Hunt Point to Point.

Front L-R my aunty Peggy, the two Loader sisters Elsie and Maud, back row my dad Harry Headley, Bob Rix (Peggy’s husband they were builders in Sutton Coldfield), my gran and my grandfather Harry Slyfield ( jockey) taken behind the School House at Hints.

Hints Post Office. [Some readers may remember in the 80s (and probably beforehand) there was also a cafe here called ‘Rosa’s’ – It’s now a private house – Bob].

Great grandfather and grandmother with my aunty Peggy and uncle Clarence taken outside Mile Oak Farm I guess from the children about 1916.

Back of photo on board “The Squire”.

Threshing at Mile Oak Farm 1916-1918 The gent on the extreme right is my great grand father, the lady in white my great aunt Ethel also an accomplished horse woman winning at the White City Show Jumping, the lady in black my great grand mother and the little girl in white my aunty Peggy. The rest I’m afraid are unknown but obviously formed the threshing party on that day.

All images and captions in above gallery very kindly supplied by Joe Headley.

Thanks to everyone involved in this post: Peter, David, Joe, Margaret and all the readers who’ve contacted me. So much more to come – Edgar deserves recognition.

Comments welcome, as ever, or mail me – BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com.

It’s still alive with rabbits, and it’s easy to lose your foot down a warren.

I think this is the location of the kissing gate, but could be wrong.

This looks familiar…

The footpath around the ford features in one scene.

The ford has had tarmac laid through it, but it’s still flowing and muddy! It’s seasonal, and dries to a trickle in dry summers.

The Old School House is now a private dwelling – but most of the features remain.

When the young lad collects stones for his catapult, he’s doing it from the ford, which hasn’t changed much at all.

This is the Black Brook east of Home Farm. A true water meadow surrounds it.

The Churchyard is level with the coping stones on the wall. I think the shots with the ferret at the end were in the graveyard, before the hedge existed.

This is Rookery Wood, where I believe the ferreting scenes were filmed.

These gates and steps to the church haven’t changed at all.

There’s a steep path to the ford from the back of the church through the woods surrounding the grounds to Hints Hall. This is in the film I think.

I wonder if those gates are original?

The bridge to Home Farm has changed little.

Rookery Lane drops to the Ford. This is where the sign was being nailed up.

There are a couple of shots of the Black Brook; it’s hard to tell whether they were east or west of the ford.

This was quite a large school in the day.

The Black Brook Valley features heavily in the film.