Memories of ex QC Valerie Lloyd [nee Townsend] [1953 - 1958]
CHAPTER ONE
BECOMING A PUPIL OF QUEEN’S COLLEGE, RED HILL, STOURBRIDGE AND THE SCHOOL'S OFFICIAL OPENING
After my Parents had heard about the new independent school opening in Stourbridge; a visit was arranged to see Queen’s College. Subsequently a letter was received from the Principle and Owner, Mr Johnson Ball, advising my Father that I had been accepted as a pupil and that I was to attend on Monday 28th June 1954. Also enclosed were copies of the Prospectus and Conspectus. Although not in the letter, Mr Ball had informed my Parents that I was his 100th enrolment, a fact he spoke of at the official opening ceremony.
On the 28th June 1954, accompanied by my Mother, I remember entering the building via the front door, not the pupil’s entrance to begin my first day at my new school. This entrance was quite close to Mr Balls Office. Mr Ball welcomed me and I was taken to the class-room which overlooked Red Hill by Mrs Whitfield. This room later became the library. I believe I was the eldest of the pupils in that class. This was possibly due to the fact that at that time there were no older girls.
I remember feeling quite special because the teacher had me sit out at the front with her, especially when we did subjects I was not familiar with. The school I had just left certainly did not consider the pupils feelings in that way. My Parents duly received their invitation to the official opening of Queen’s College and along with all other parents came along for that special occasion.
Thursday July 8th 1954. Pupils did not have to assemble until 2 p.m. because lunches were not going to be supplied on that day. The students were all seated in the Music Room with the choir at the front. I was quite near the windows along the left hand wall. The Official Party which included Johnson Ball, George Gregg Esq. J.P. and Principal of Avencroft College, Bromsgrove and the Mayor or Stourbridge, Councillor W. P. Drew J.P. were all seated on a platform erected just outside the music room. The Parents and friends were seated on the lawn outside within a large Marquee. I cannot quite recall whether the whole of the windows were removed or just the lower sections but my memory was that they were open to the audience. I remember feeling very proud when during his speech Johnson Ball made mention to the fact that he had had his 100th enrolment prior to the official opening. I am so pleased that he had told my Parents that I was his 100th enrolment. The weather couldn’t have been better. The sun was shining and it was really warm. There was a lovely atmosphere everyone was excited. It really was a special day, one which I have always remembered. Our music Master Mr Reginald Smith had set to music an adaptation of the Poem ‘The Windmill’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This was the new schools song. We had been practicing for some long time and as the ceremony came to an end all the pupils stood and performed. I believe we did it justice and as young as I was I could not help feeling very proud, in fact I now realise it was a very moving moment.
After the opening ceremony the marquee was used to serve refreshments including ice-cream, cakes, tea and minerals.
It was during this tour, that we were approached by Miss Arnold a really nice teacher and although she was an elderly lady she was no ogre in fact she was always very encouraging and cared that we were happy as well as ensuring we worked well. She said I must introduce my Parents to her. She eased me through the correct wording and the order in which it must be done. I was nervous but my parents were impressed, and must have thought they had made the correct decision with regard to their choice of school. This may well have been her intention.
By the following term there had been more enrolments and I had girls of my own age around me. Three of those girls remain good friends to this day, meeting every few weeks, namely June Morgan, Sylvia Chance and Susan Parker. Susan Parker actually only stayed at Queens College until she was 13 as she sat the 13+examination and went to the Girls High School. However, the friendship with Sue was renewed when we all met many years later at a reunion held at the Perry Hall Hotel in Bromsgrove in 1991.
The years I spent at the school were happy ones and although at the time I did not appreciate fully the wonderful art work and displays of artefacts, I realise now that they had a subliminal effect on me and I look back on those surroundings with great fondness and gratitude. I do not recall any bullying or clickiness. I really do remember we were all very close and supportive.
I met my husband as did Sylvia at the school and we are still together, so we have a lot to be grateful for, not that Johnson Ball would see that outcome as necessarily what he had in mind.
I have many memories of occasions, incidents and the building itself at Red Hill, so the simplest way to impart these is to deal with them under their own headings.
CHAPTER TWO
THE ORIGINAL SCHOOL BUILDING ON RED HILL
THE BUILDING – The Mount and the Hollies, Red Hill
The official pupil’s entrance was from the garden, after following a quite narrow pathway from Red Hill and passing the Main House Entrance which was only used by visitors and Johnson Ball the student arrived at a door which was to the left of the large bow sash windows later to become the music room.
On entering the building, immediately on the left was a staircase leading down to the cellars and this area, by the September Term of 1954 was used by the boys as their cloakroom. Also on the left and rising above this entrance to the cellars was the staircase leading to the first floor. A door directly at the bottom of this staircase was the Dining Room and Kitchen where Mrs Hewitt the Cook held sway. To the right of this was a small store room which later was converted into a ‘Tuck Shop’. Later at the Tuck Shop end a section of the wall was knocked down so giving a ground floor access to the The Hollies. This became the Kindergarten and Infants half of the building. This area from the entrance door to the tuck shop now ran at 90 degrees towards the Main Entrance Hall.
On the right hand wall some four or five strides down was the entrance to what became the Music Room. Next to this and within the private entrance to the building was Johnson Ball’s study. Continuing along the back wall was a class room which overlooked the pathway entrance to the school and the cellar entrance to the boy’s cloakroom. In the right hand corner of the next wall at the bottom of the main staircase was another classroom which overlooked Red Hill.
The staircase rose on three sides to the first floor. On the second of these a door exited to the right and led to the first floor landing which was also accessed by the stairs from the pupils entrance hall as already described. Continuing up the third flight and at the top on the right was a classroom which overlooked the garden next to this tucked in an alcove was Johnson Ball’s private rooms. Later a shuffle of these rooms was carried out and the room on the right which overlooked the garden became Johnson Ball’s sitting room and the room just left of the alcove became a classroom; looking over the road and part of the garden. At the end of the landing was another classroom which became the library. Returning now to the other first floor landing, approached by the door off the main staircase and the staircase from the pupil’s entrance hall; this landing was the girl’s cloakroom area. Approaching this landing from the staircase from the pupils entrance, immediately on the left was a staircase leading to three attic rooms two of which had tiny windows overlooking the garden, the third had no windows. Only one of these was used as a classroom. These rooms did not come into use in the early days. Back on the landing and the girl’s cloakroom, at the bottom of the attic staircase was a room which was used as a staff room and next to that a toilet. When the Hollies was purchased and the buildings were made into one it was from this landing that the wall facing the staircase was taken out and an upstairs access gained into the new half of the building. I don’t recall that the area which was accessed, a room with a window which overlooked what became the infants and Kindergarten play area, ever being used as a classroom or as anything for that matter. It was exited via a door on the facing wall onto a landing. On this landing there were three classrooms to the left, there were other storage cupboards to the right and a flight of stairs which we were not allowed to use. A staircase led to the ground floor. Halfway down this staircase, actually off the stairs was a large toilet room. The toilet which was huge with a heavy- wooden seat, sat on a raised stepped area, the lower level was also a large area with a window overlooking the road. Because this was allocated to the girls; it was quite common for there to be five or six of us gathered there at break time. It’s amazing what you do when you are young! At the bottom of this staircase were the rooms used by the Kindergarten and Infants with access to their own garden at the back and an access and pathway onto Red Hill. I can vaguely recall a room to the right of the staircase, possibly one facing it and one to the left which overlooked the garden. A door which led into the garden was along- side. Although I went down to this part of the school, it wasn’t on a regular basis, so its layout is vague. There was of course the access into the main part of the school which came out by the Tuck Shop. The building even from its early days was filled with the most beautiful statues and Paintings, there were two Conspectuses printed for the ‘The Mount’. The first listed 76 items and the second 90 items. There were also many display cabinets containing so much of interest. The cabinets tended to be in the main entrance hall.
CHAPTER THREE THE TEACHERS AND JOHNSON BALL’S SECRETARY
When I first joined the school in the summer term of 1954 the number of teachers was quite small.
Johnson Ball certainly taught certain classes but they tended to be with the older boys. I think one of his subjects was Latin, a subject which was dropped a few terms later. Johnson Ball was such a clever man academically but as a teacher I found he could not come to terms with the fact that a student did not understand his explanation and because he was quite fierce when in front of the class, pupils didn’t ask a question twice.
Miss H. L. Arnold was the one teacher, who had the greatest impression on me. She was quite old and as such you would assume she would be an authoritarian. This was not the case. She achieved her results by treating us with respect. She imparted many points of etiquette. She was truly old school. I don’t believe she returned for the September Term of 1954. The subjects she taught were Grammar, Composition and Literature, Mental arithmetic, Geography and Scripture, Nature Study, Games and P.T.
Miss E. J. Whitfield was my Class Teacher. Strangely, I do not remember that much about this lady, except to say that her attitude was always kind. The subjects she taught were Writing, Reading, Spelling and Dictation, Number, History and Handwork.
Miss Joan Dagley was quite young, very pleasant and very approachable. Her subjects were French and Art.
Mrs M. A. Mills taught us Speech Training. She was very precise but pleasant. This subject was part of the curriculum for the first two years. Later it became an extra subject and as such incurred an extra fee.
Mr Reginald J. Smith was the school’s music master he was also principal of his own college in Bromsgrove. In the first year his subject was singing and then the establishment of a choir. Later he introduced private violin lessons.
By the Christmas Term of 1954 a few other teachers had joined the school.
M.H.S., as it appears on my report for that term there is a teacher whose subjects were writing, composition and French. Unfortunately I can’t put a name to this person.
Mr J. B. Dan Reuter a middle- aged man who was quite pleasant. He was not tall and a little rounded. He taught all the Arithmetic subjects together with History and Scripture.
Mr P. Dann our class teacher, he taught us Algebra. He was a young man tall and slim. He and Miss Joan Dagley married while they were both at the school.
Ivor Shaw, a very good artist. His subject obviously was Art. We achieved quite a standard, I surprised myself with the drawing of a lion but I must admit Mr Shaw did help with the proportions of the beast.
Mrs E. James, taught Needlework and Physical Activity. A very pleasant lady not middle aged and not young. In 1955 she also taught Geography.
G.M.P. By the Summer Term of 1955 this person joined the teaching staff. Unfortunately I cannot recall the name. The subjects taught by this person were Writing, Spelling, Dictation and Literature
Mrs D. Prater (who later became Miss Fletcher) was also new this term. Her subject with my class was Composition.
Mr G. J. Stretch joined in the autumn term of 1955. His subjects were Writing, Arithmetic and Mathematics. He was a pleasant, youngish man, of slim build and average height.
Miss M. Bury joined the school in the autumn term of 1955 and her subjects were History, Geography, Scripture and French. She was an older lady. I remember taking pages and pages of notes for each of these subjects. Consequently, I was not enthusiastic or interested. After leaving school however, I learnt far more and love history and geography and French.
N.C. I cannot recall the name. This person taught my class Composition.
Mrs A. M. Howarth was now teaching us Grammar and Composition in the spring term of 1956.
Spring term of 1957 we had a new Games and P.T. teacher, I remember her well because it was with this young lady that we began to play Netball, Hockey and Tennis and in the Summer Term of 1957 we began swimming. The teachers name on my reports looks like P. Unit but I just cannot recall her name. After we had all purchased our hockey sticks, she would often borrow mine to play in matches at the weekend. The reason was, because mine was an Indian style, with a shorter hook .
Mr T. Edmunds joins the teaching staff In the Summer Term of 1957. Although during this term he does not take any of my classes he is the year’s class teacher. In later years I recall that he was a very good teacher of Mathematics, he took us all back to basics and then helped us prepare a book containing all the knowledge needed to pass the G.C.E. Examinations. My husband believes that it was Mr Edmunds who developed his enthusiasm for Maths which was so important to his career.
Mr Brian Farmer arrived at the school as the Boys Sports Master, but I am not sure which year. He played for Birmingham City Football Club. He used to coach the boys and take them for games.
Mrs Dickinson was certainly at the school in 1958 and was one of a number of teachers taking us for English.
Mrs Townsend became Johnson Balls Secretary. She joined the school fairly early on. She was relatively young and quite pretty. She was always very pleasant and if it was necessary to go to Mr Balls study it was much nicer if she was there. Mr Ball would always joke with her whenever I reported to the study, saying ‘oh here’s your name sake, come to see you.’ One or two of us showed an interest in secretarial work, and I vaguely remember Mrs Townsend giving us some shorthand to practice. Johnson Ball hinted that if we stayed on he might begin a secretarial course. Nothing further was heard about it. Mrs Townsend was still at the school when I left. I believe she lived somewhere around Colly Gate, just outside Halesowen.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE DAILY ROUTINE
For those pupils who travelled by bus the day began with the walk from the Vauxhall Road bus station across Church Road and up Red Hill. There was a small shop just after arriving in Red Hill which sold sweets and crisps etc. it was always the same, rows of hooks with pump bags hung on them.
On entering the building we went to our Cloak Room area and changed our shoes into our indoor ones. The girl’s area was on the first floor landing. In the very early days the cloakroom area for both the boys and girls was in the hallway directly after the entrance door. Later the boys Cloak Room was moved into the cellar. Wherever it was, it was always
At 9 a.m. everyone had to be in assembly which was held in the music room. Mr Ball took assembly and stood next to the grand piano behind his wooden lectern at the door end of the room. I cannot remember if Mr Smith was the pianist or whether one of the teachers played but we had hymns and Johnson Ball was always well prepared with readings from the bible plus his explanations. Also in assembly he would take the opportunity to chastise those who had been brought to his attention. He often made cryptic comments regarding our appearance or dress. He also used assembly to make announcements.
At 9.30 a.m. it was off to our classrooms until break time.
Each break or lesson change was signalled by a bell rung in the main hall, usually by a pupil.
At break time everyone gathered at the dining room entrance to take from the crates their little bottle of milk. If the weather was fine we went out into the drive area which was behind the garden, having first changed into out outdoor shoes. If not we tended to hover around our Cloak Room Area. The girls used to frequent the Infants play area and often spent time with Miss Howarth. By the second year of the school a Tuck Shop was opened and we were able to buy all manner of sweets and crisps but I’m not sure about drinks.
After break it was back to lessons until lunch time.
Lunch for those who stayed for school lunch was taken in the dining room, just off the pupil’s entrance hall. I think I recall four long tables with benches on each side. The kitchen was behind the dining room and this is where Mrs Hewitt prepared the meals. After eating lunch, again the drive was where we spent the remainder of the time or indoors if the weather was not suitable. In later years we went down the field at the bottom of Junction Road which was also where we played our sport.
By about 1957 part of the lunch break was often used, particularly by the girls, in order to walk to either the Swimming Baths or to Mary Stevens Park for tennis to ensure a full double lesson at either venue.
I don’t recall a break in the afternoon, just two different lessons. At 4.00 p.m. the day ended.
Unless you had been given detention, in which case the day lasted until 5.00 p.m.
CHAPTER FIVE
EVENTS 1954 – 1958
CAROL SERVICES
A choir was formed by Mr Smith quite soon after the school was opened. We had to have a singing test. If you did not make the grade you were classed as a “growler”. The “growlers” had to have extra singing at lunch times, I believe once a week. All the girls were trebles eventually the boys provided some bass voices. We sounded quite good. We practised varied songs and of course carols around Christmas Time. We were taught descants to some of these.
As Christmas approached it was decided that the school would have its own Carol Service. This took place for the first time in 1955 and was held at the Carnegie Hall in Stourbridge. Parents and friends were invited and service sheets were produced. The Choir sat on a raised platform facing their audience. The carols were sung by both the choir and the visitors, some of the verses were solo’s and the others were headed with who should be singing them. Five Lessons were read by Johnson Ball and members of the staff. The following year 1956 the service was held again. The content was exactly the same. I don’t recall us having a carol service in 1957.
THE HUNGARIAN RELIEF FUND – 1956 REQUESTED BY THE MAYOR OF STOURBRIDGE The Mayor of Stourbridge being conscious of the distress of the refugees fleeing Hungary, organised a relief fund. Schools amongst others were asked to help.
Queens College did not fail in this regard. Money was collected and a presentation to the Mayor was organised. The press were there and the whole school were gathered into the music room and the main entrance hall. The presentation took place in the doorway of the music room which had been removed. I was asked to make the presentation, a cheque to the Mayor. Miss Fletcher wrote the short speech which I had to learn. I think I must have been chosen because I had the loudest voice certainly not for the best behaved or the hardest worker. However, I remember the speech to this day
Mr Mayor
On behalf of the pupils of Queen’s College
I present you with this cheque
For the Hungarian Relief Fund
We wish you every success in
The remainder of your term of office
I was nervous, but rather proud. A piece did appear in the local paper (The County Express I believe) but this is one piece of memorabilia I do not have. It may have contained a photograph or it may have been just a few lines – I can’t recall. I think I remember reading it or it may have been that I remember the reporter asking me for my Father name for the article. I don’t recall how much we raised, but it would have been given in the publicity.
ELECUTION LESSONS – AND COMPETITION
In the early days, Elocution was part of the curriculum and Mrs M. A. Mills was our teacher.
We were entered into a speaking competition held in Stourbridge at the Carnegie Hall. I remember being part of a ‘group speaking’ piece. There were four of us. There were individual pieces and reading pieces. I cannot recall how well we did or did not do but I think the school did come away with some awards. Later elocution became an optional extra subject and was no longer part of the curriculum.
CHAPTER SIX
MEMORIES 1954 – 1958
SPORT
The uniform for the girls was a navy blue divided skirt and a white aertex shirt. They were not at all flattering especially when added to this were the black canvas boots we wore for hockey.
In the early days the girls had their games and PE in the driveway which was just beyond the garden. It was an unmade drive and here we played net ball. Later we used a field at the bottom of Junction Road on the right hand side. This road more or less faced the school. Here we played hockey and began our cross country runs which returned via Red Hill and back into school.
During the summer terms swimming was added, this meant we had to walk to the local swimming baths which were in the centre of Stourbridge. There were indoor and outdoor pools and depending on the weather we used both.
Another summer sport was Tennis again this involved a walk. Because of the distance we had to use part of our lunch hour to walk from Red Hill to Mary Stevens Park, where the courts had been booked. We had the occasional match against Elmfield. We were organised correctly and the etiquette was strictly followed. Captains were chosen and end of match speeches, either as winners or losers were duly made. I enjoyed being chosen as Captain as I always enjoyed ‘games’ and this has certainly continued throughout my life.
One incident which happened on the Hockey field was that while playing, a girl lifted her hockey stick too high and hit another girl on the forehead. The lump was the size of an egg but fortunately no long-term damage was done.
PUNISHMENT
As far as the girls were concerned, punishment was detention, or maybe a reprimand from Miss Fletcher. Members of staff particularly Mr Ball, if he saw a girl pupil not acting according to the rules, would make great play about reporting to Miss Fletcher. I was caught out one day. There were just a few of the older girls in the classroom. Having decided to leave to do other things, this meant to reach the door it was necessary to squeeze to the end of a continuous row of tables. I took the easier and quicker route to the front of the room, climbing over the tables. This was a big mistake, because I was by the window, which overlooked the pathway leading into the school. Who should be watching me from the pathway but Johnson Ball. He shouted such that I could hear him through the window. ‘Report immediately to Miss Fletcher ‘! I went that very minute, and gave a full explanation of why I had been sent, because if I hadn’t the punishment would have been even greater. I was given detention that evening.
Detention was not for the following day but had to be done that same day. As school finished at 4 p.m. and if a detention had been given, it was necessary to report to the room at the bottom of the main staircase, the one which overlooked Red Hill. On arrival you gave the reason to the staff member and sat down to carry out the task you had been given. Detention was for one hour. This meant you missed your bus. When you arrived home it was necessary to explain the late return but no sympathy was given, just ‘well you won’t do that again’ ‘will you’?
As for the boys – the cane was well used and really flayed, Mr Ball wielded this with great effect. So often you would see a boy bending over near his study and being whacked. On one occasion he caned a whole class, I don’t recall the reason.
One day during a class in the room at the bottom of the main staircase overlooking Red Hill, one of the girls knocked a marble bust off the fireplace-shelf which broke at the neck I believe. Unfortunately, the accident was because she was standing on the seat of the desk in order to get to the isle and needed to pass two or three other girls sitting on a continuous seat . We did all feel that it was a very unsafe place for such a valuable object. Punishment on this occasion was not only, a reprimand, but a letter was sent to her parents allegedly, requesting reimbursement for the item. Poor Girl.
THE DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN
This area was the domain of Mrs Hewitt. At morning break it was at the door of the dining room that we gathered to collect our small bottle of milk, drinking it while standing in the hallway and then replacing the bottle in the crate. Later of course the tuck shop was also available at break time, and this was overseen by a member of staff.
The dining room consisted of long tables with benches either side. Because of the small amount of space available to each pupil a member of staff insisted that we kept our elbows tucked in while using our knives and forks and we were shown how to achieve this.
Mrs Hewitt didn’t take kindly to the fact that not all of us liked her cheese pie or certain of her vegetables. We were giving our portion to who- ever, on our table, wanted a second slice. On this occasion she stormed out of the kitchen and told us we were behaving like little animals and should be ashamed of ourselves. This was followed by a lecture from Johnson Ball.
CRASHING CHIMNEYS
The older girls including myself used to visit the infants and kindergarten children over in the Hollies part of the building. Occasionally we used to pass our break playing with the children. Their outdoor area was quite a pleasant place, small but cosy and usually warm.
We had just returned to our own floor passing through the interconnecting room which overlooked their play area when we saw a chimney pass the window and crash onto the garden. Fortunately all the children had returned to their classrooms. How lucky everyone was!
GIRLS UNIFORM I think it was probably 1956/7 when the older girls decided that to wear a Tunic with a sash was too young looking. Initially we all agreed that we would cut off our Tunics and turn them into pleated skirts or at least our Mothers would. Unbelievably we all did this – there were only about five of us – and we turned up at school on Monday morning still using our sash but now over skirts no longer Tunics. There was no chance of reversing the changes. Johnson Ball could have made our parents buy new Tunics but I think he realised that we had reached the age when Tunics were rather young for us and it was announced that by our year, a gored skirt would be added to the uniform.
NON SINGERS – THE GROWLERS (AS THEY WERE KNOWN)
Mr Smith the music master made every pupil have a singing test to see if they were suitable for the choir. Unfortunately, for those who struggled and could not hold a tune, they had to have singing practice in their lunch hour. I believe this was held once a week. Mr Smith was known by us as Tin Ribs.
ASSEMBLY
Each morning, before lessons began we had to go into the music room and Mr Ball held assembly. We had hymns and bible readings. Johnson Ball was well prepared with bible study lessons. He stood at the door end of the room behind his lectern next to the Grand Piano. He used a number of books from his collection and would always give a view from many religious view points, leaving us to make up our own minds.
During these assemblies, Johnson Ball would also take the opportunity to give someone a dressing down. One occasion which affected me and another of the girls was when my friends sisters, who were hairdressers had permed my hair. At the next assembly Johnson Ball made some facetious comments quite detrimental to my hair. I was embarrassed, but when my friend had returned home and told her sisters, then Johnson Ball must have wished he hadn’t said anything, because both my friends sisters and their Father came up to the school and told Johnson Ball in no uncertain terms that his comments were outrageous and they were prepared to take further advice. I can only assume he eat humble pie.
VISIT TO THE REFERENCE LIBRARY IN BIRMINGHAM
It was at least 1956/7. Johnson Ball sent four girls namely June Morgan, myself Valerie Townsend, Sylvia Chance and I think Barbara Sinclair to the Reference Library in Birmingham. We were told which bus to catch and where to get off. Our instructions were to ask for a certain lady who would give us books from which we had to copy everything we could find on a certain person (I have forgotten who) This we did returning by bus and so to school. We all received a reprimand and me more so for the handwriting we had used to present this information to Johnson Ball. I was going through a phase of sloping my letters backwards and I think each of us was experimenting in some way. This probably drove Mr Ball to the idea of everyone improving their handwriting.
Looking back us four girls really enjoyed the day but I am not sure our parents would have been happy with us going alone into the city.
HANDWRITING
Whatever the reason, Johnson Ball decided that the hand writing of his pupils was terrible. He did tell us so. For the whole of one term we did nothing but handwriting practice. Day after day as all subjects were put on hold.
This would possibly be the Winter Term of 1956 or Spring Term of 1957 because I have written in the Souvenir Programme of the visit of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visiting Stourbridge in April 1957 in my well -practiced hand. In fact I believe we all had one of these programmes and wrote in them in class. I must admit it was a great improvement on my previous efforts. I am not sure that you could warrant a whole term dedicated to handwriting but this was Mr Ball.
BOYS WILL BE BOYS
During one of our lessons with Mr Stretch, in the room next to the library, an incident occurred which could have been very serious. This particular boy (I won’t name him) was stood answering questions while Mr Stretch wrote on the blackboard. The boy sitting directly behind him held a sharpened pencil upright on his chair and as he sat down the pencil penetrated his bottom and shrieks of pain were heard. I don’t recall there being any lasting problems but who knows.
On another occasion and again with Mr Stretch one of the boys had put a match inside the stick of chalk. As the lesson progressed with more work being put on the blackboard, the match suddenly ignited. We all jumped let alone Mr Stretch. However, he took it very well and didn’t send anyone to Mr Ball.
During one of Johnson Balls lessons a boy who was sat at the front of the class, had what appeared to be Boils on the back of his neck. He kept fingering them making the rest of the class wince then suddenly he pealed them off making an awful noise. I don’t think Mr Ball ever found out what the commotion was about.
Johnson Ball asked one of the older boys to help with some of his art work. This was quite usual. On this occasion an instruction had been given but obviously not too clearly understood. When Mr Ball returned he discovered that one of the Hogarth Prints, a very valuable object had had its edges reduced. We were told that you could see steam coming out of his ears he did not know how to contain himself and he actually swore but only after telling the boy in question that he was about to do so.
THE GIRLS
The girls used to embarrass Mr Stretch with flattery, telling him how much they liked his tie or something similar. He really blushed – poor man.
In the early years the girls were quite fond of visiting the Infants half of the school. One of the favourite occupations was to ride the lovely large rocking horse which sat in the window of the room overlooking the Red Hill.
It was quite common for Johnson Ball to use the girls to dust and clean the statues and displays. If our parents had known I don’t think they would have been too pleased. I won’t say we enjoyed it but it usually meant we missed doing something we didn’t like.
We were used on a few occasions to look after one of the infant’s classes if a staff member failed to turn up. There were usually three of us at a time.
I don’t know how the boys treated each other but I can honestly say that there was never any unkindness or spitefulness amongst the girls.
In the latter years we would go down to the field in Junction Road and meet up with the boys. On one occasion a couple of the boys picked up two of the girls and carried them into a clear area in the centre of stinging nettles. There was no way they could have walked out, not with summer dresses on as they would have been stung quite badly. After much placating, the boys carried them out. We quite enjoyed the banter between us.
THE ROYAL VISIT OF 1957 – ARRANGED MEETING WITH MISS DAGLEY
When the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited Stourbridge as part of their tour, for whatever reason, we had not been able to see them. Later that week the tour continued into Birmingham and Miss Daley asked four or five of us older girls if we would like to get the bus into Birmingham and meet her, she would then take us to an ideal vantage point. Miss Dagley lived in the Birmingham Area so knew it well. She was true to her word and we had a clear view from the edge of the footpath of the royal couple, literally two yards from us. What struck me was that the Duke of Edinburgh was wearing makeup.
TALENTED MISS FLETCHER
During one of the English Lessons with Miss Fletcher she admitted to playing the Zither. Maybe one had been mentioned in whatever text we were studying. The whole class suggested that she brought in her Zither and played for us. This she did and played extremely well. None of us had ever seen a Zither let alone heard of one. It was however, the first and last time that we had the pleasure of music in our English lessons.
CHAPTER SEVEN
MEMORIES OF PRESCOT HOUSE – 1958
Although I did not make the move to Prescot House as a pupil, because I left school in the Summer of 1958, I did however, go many times to the new building during my last term. Usually the girls were asked to tidy up boxes or sort books.
We loved walking down the marble staircase and pretending we were dressed for the Ball. We scoured the grounds, down in the dell and around the out buildings. While in the house we found a cupboard on one landing with a skylight which opened onto the roof. It wasn’t locked. There were four of us on that occasion two girls and two boys. I won’t mention any names but I was one of the girls. Leaving the skylight we stepped out, none too easily onto a walkway which went all around the house. To our left was the pitch of the roof with the chimneys and immediately to the right was the slope of tiles down to the guttering and obviously the ground below. We were up there for ages. To my knowledge there wasn’t a member of staff in the building at the time and it was quite late in the afternoon. If ever anything had gone wrong I dread to think what would have happened.
My parents and I were invited to the History Exhibition held in 1959. My parents did not go but the girls agreed to meet up. I remember chatting to Miss Fletcher and I am fairly sure we spent most of the time in the grounds. It was a lovely evening.
I was torn because although I would have loved to have been a pupil at the Prescot House site, the great big world was calling and my eyes were set, like so many other young people of my age, on the next stage and being grown up.
Webmaster Comment:- Valerie has provided a huge amount of information and memorabilia for this site.
BECOMING A PUPIL OF QUEEN’S COLLEGE, RED HILL, STOURBRIDGE AND THE SCHOOL'S OFFICIAL OPENING
After my Parents had heard about the new independent school opening in Stourbridge; a visit was arranged to see Queen’s College. Subsequently a letter was received from the Principle and Owner, Mr Johnson Ball, advising my Father that I had been accepted as a pupil and that I was to attend on Monday 28th June 1954. Also enclosed were copies of the Prospectus and Conspectus. Although not in the letter, Mr Ball had informed my Parents that I was his 100th enrolment, a fact he spoke of at the official opening ceremony.
On the 28th June 1954, accompanied by my Mother, I remember entering the building via the front door, not the pupil’s entrance to begin my first day at my new school. This entrance was quite close to Mr Balls Office. Mr Ball welcomed me and I was taken to the class-room which overlooked Red Hill by Mrs Whitfield. This room later became the library. I believe I was the eldest of the pupils in that class. This was possibly due to the fact that at that time there were no older girls.
I remember feeling quite special because the teacher had me sit out at the front with her, especially when we did subjects I was not familiar with. The school I had just left certainly did not consider the pupils feelings in that way. My Parents duly received their invitation to the official opening of Queen’s College and along with all other parents came along for that special occasion.
Thursday July 8th 1954. Pupils did not have to assemble until 2 p.m. because lunches were not going to be supplied on that day. The students were all seated in the Music Room with the choir at the front. I was quite near the windows along the left hand wall. The Official Party which included Johnson Ball, George Gregg Esq. J.P. and Principal of Avencroft College, Bromsgrove and the Mayor or Stourbridge, Councillor W. P. Drew J.P. were all seated on a platform erected just outside the music room. The Parents and friends were seated on the lawn outside within a large Marquee. I cannot quite recall whether the whole of the windows were removed or just the lower sections but my memory was that they were open to the audience. I remember feeling very proud when during his speech Johnson Ball made mention to the fact that he had had his 100th enrolment prior to the official opening. I am so pleased that he had told my Parents that I was his 100th enrolment. The weather couldn’t have been better. The sun was shining and it was really warm. There was a lovely atmosphere everyone was excited. It really was a special day, one which I have always remembered. Our music Master Mr Reginald Smith had set to music an adaptation of the Poem ‘The Windmill’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This was the new schools song. We had been practicing for some long time and as the ceremony came to an end all the pupils stood and performed. I believe we did it justice and as young as I was I could not help feeling very proud, in fact I now realise it was a very moving moment.
After the opening ceremony the marquee was used to serve refreshments including ice-cream, cakes, tea and minerals.
It was during this tour, that we were approached by Miss Arnold a really nice teacher and although she was an elderly lady she was no ogre in fact she was always very encouraging and cared that we were happy as well as ensuring we worked well. She said I must introduce my Parents to her. She eased me through the correct wording and the order in which it must be done. I was nervous but my parents were impressed, and must have thought they had made the correct decision with regard to their choice of school. This may well have been her intention.
By the following term there had been more enrolments and I had girls of my own age around me. Three of those girls remain good friends to this day, meeting every few weeks, namely June Morgan, Sylvia Chance and Susan Parker. Susan Parker actually only stayed at Queens College until she was 13 as she sat the 13+examination and went to the Girls High School. However, the friendship with Sue was renewed when we all met many years later at a reunion held at the Perry Hall Hotel in Bromsgrove in 1991.
The years I spent at the school were happy ones and although at the time I did not appreciate fully the wonderful art work and displays of artefacts, I realise now that they had a subliminal effect on me and I look back on those surroundings with great fondness and gratitude. I do not recall any bullying or clickiness. I really do remember we were all very close and supportive.
I met my husband as did Sylvia at the school and we are still together, so we have a lot to be grateful for, not that Johnson Ball would see that outcome as necessarily what he had in mind.
I have many memories of occasions, incidents and the building itself at Red Hill, so the simplest way to impart these is to deal with them under their own headings.
CHAPTER TWO
THE ORIGINAL SCHOOL BUILDING ON RED HILL
THE BUILDING – The Mount and the Hollies, Red Hill
The official pupil’s entrance was from the garden, after following a quite narrow pathway from Red Hill and passing the Main House Entrance which was only used by visitors and Johnson Ball the student arrived at a door which was to the left of the large bow sash windows later to become the music room.
On entering the building, immediately on the left was a staircase leading down to the cellars and this area, by the September Term of 1954 was used by the boys as their cloakroom. Also on the left and rising above this entrance to the cellars was the staircase leading to the first floor. A door directly at the bottom of this staircase was the Dining Room and Kitchen where Mrs Hewitt the Cook held sway. To the right of this was a small store room which later was converted into a ‘Tuck Shop’. Later at the Tuck Shop end a section of the wall was knocked down so giving a ground floor access to the The Hollies. This became the Kindergarten and Infants half of the building. This area from the entrance door to the tuck shop now ran at 90 degrees towards the Main Entrance Hall.
On the right hand wall some four or five strides down was the entrance to what became the Music Room. Next to this and within the private entrance to the building was Johnson Ball’s study. Continuing along the back wall was a class room which overlooked the pathway entrance to the school and the cellar entrance to the boy’s cloakroom. In the right hand corner of the next wall at the bottom of the main staircase was another classroom which overlooked Red Hill.
The staircase rose on three sides to the first floor. On the second of these a door exited to the right and led to the first floor landing which was also accessed by the stairs from the pupils entrance hall as already described. Continuing up the third flight and at the top on the right was a classroom which overlooked the garden next to this tucked in an alcove was Johnson Ball’s private rooms. Later a shuffle of these rooms was carried out and the room on the right which overlooked the garden became Johnson Ball’s sitting room and the room just left of the alcove became a classroom; looking over the road and part of the garden. At the end of the landing was another classroom which became the library. Returning now to the other first floor landing, approached by the door off the main staircase and the staircase from the pupil’s entrance hall; this landing was the girl’s cloakroom area. Approaching this landing from the staircase from the pupils entrance, immediately on the left was a staircase leading to three attic rooms two of which had tiny windows overlooking the garden, the third had no windows. Only one of these was used as a classroom. These rooms did not come into use in the early days. Back on the landing and the girl’s cloakroom, at the bottom of the attic staircase was a room which was used as a staff room and next to that a toilet. When the Hollies was purchased and the buildings were made into one it was from this landing that the wall facing the staircase was taken out and an upstairs access gained into the new half of the building. I don’t recall that the area which was accessed, a room with a window which overlooked what became the infants and Kindergarten play area, ever being used as a classroom or as anything for that matter. It was exited via a door on the facing wall onto a landing. On this landing there were three classrooms to the left, there were other storage cupboards to the right and a flight of stairs which we were not allowed to use. A staircase led to the ground floor. Halfway down this staircase, actually off the stairs was a large toilet room. The toilet which was huge with a heavy- wooden seat, sat on a raised stepped area, the lower level was also a large area with a window overlooking the road. Because this was allocated to the girls; it was quite common for there to be five or six of us gathered there at break time. It’s amazing what you do when you are young! At the bottom of this staircase were the rooms used by the Kindergarten and Infants with access to their own garden at the back and an access and pathway onto Red Hill. I can vaguely recall a room to the right of the staircase, possibly one facing it and one to the left which overlooked the garden. A door which led into the garden was along- side. Although I went down to this part of the school, it wasn’t on a regular basis, so its layout is vague. There was of course the access into the main part of the school which came out by the Tuck Shop. The building even from its early days was filled with the most beautiful statues and Paintings, there were two Conspectuses printed for the ‘The Mount’. The first listed 76 items and the second 90 items. There were also many display cabinets containing so much of interest. The cabinets tended to be in the main entrance hall.
CHAPTER THREE THE TEACHERS AND JOHNSON BALL’S SECRETARY
When I first joined the school in the summer term of 1954 the number of teachers was quite small.
Johnson Ball certainly taught certain classes but they tended to be with the older boys. I think one of his subjects was Latin, a subject which was dropped a few terms later. Johnson Ball was such a clever man academically but as a teacher I found he could not come to terms with the fact that a student did not understand his explanation and because he was quite fierce when in front of the class, pupils didn’t ask a question twice.
Miss H. L. Arnold was the one teacher, who had the greatest impression on me. She was quite old and as such you would assume she would be an authoritarian. This was not the case. She achieved her results by treating us with respect. She imparted many points of etiquette. She was truly old school. I don’t believe she returned for the September Term of 1954. The subjects she taught were Grammar, Composition and Literature, Mental arithmetic, Geography and Scripture, Nature Study, Games and P.T.
Miss E. J. Whitfield was my Class Teacher. Strangely, I do not remember that much about this lady, except to say that her attitude was always kind. The subjects she taught were Writing, Reading, Spelling and Dictation, Number, History and Handwork.
Miss Joan Dagley was quite young, very pleasant and very approachable. Her subjects were French and Art.
Mrs M. A. Mills taught us Speech Training. She was very precise but pleasant. This subject was part of the curriculum for the first two years. Later it became an extra subject and as such incurred an extra fee.
Mr Reginald J. Smith was the school’s music master he was also principal of his own college in Bromsgrove. In the first year his subject was singing and then the establishment of a choir. Later he introduced private violin lessons.
By the Christmas Term of 1954 a few other teachers had joined the school.
M.H.S., as it appears on my report for that term there is a teacher whose subjects were writing, composition and French. Unfortunately I can’t put a name to this person.
Mr J. B. Dan Reuter a middle- aged man who was quite pleasant. He was not tall and a little rounded. He taught all the Arithmetic subjects together with History and Scripture.
Mr P. Dann our class teacher, he taught us Algebra. He was a young man tall and slim. He and Miss Joan Dagley married while they were both at the school.
Ivor Shaw, a very good artist. His subject obviously was Art. We achieved quite a standard, I surprised myself with the drawing of a lion but I must admit Mr Shaw did help with the proportions of the beast.
Mrs E. James, taught Needlework and Physical Activity. A very pleasant lady not middle aged and not young. In 1955 she also taught Geography.
G.M.P. By the Summer Term of 1955 this person joined the teaching staff. Unfortunately I cannot recall the name. The subjects taught by this person were Writing, Spelling, Dictation and Literature
Mrs D. Prater (who later became Miss Fletcher) was also new this term. Her subject with my class was Composition.
Mr G. J. Stretch joined in the autumn term of 1955. His subjects were Writing, Arithmetic and Mathematics. He was a pleasant, youngish man, of slim build and average height.
Miss M. Bury joined the school in the autumn term of 1955 and her subjects were History, Geography, Scripture and French. She was an older lady. I remember taking pages and pages of notes for each of these subjects. Consequently, I was not enthusiastic or interested. After leaving school however, I learnt far more and love history and geography and French.
N.C. I cannot recall the name. This person taught my class Composition.
Mrs A. M. Howarth was now teaching us Grammar and Composition in the spring term of 1956.
Spring term of 1957 we had a new Games and P.T. teacher, I remember her well because it was with this young lady that we began to play Netball, Hockey and Tennis and in the Summer Term of 1957 we began swimming. The teachers name on my reports looks like P. Unit but I just cannot recall her name. After we had all purchased our hockey sticks, she would often borrow mine to play in matches at the weekend. The reason was, because mine was an Indian style, with a shorter hook .
Mr T. Edmunds joins the teaching staff In the Summer Term of 1957. Although during this term he does not take any of my classes he is the year’s class teacher. In later years I recall that he was a very good teacher of Mathematics, he took us all back to basics and then helped us prepare a book containing all the knowledge needed to pass the G.C.E. Examinations. My husband believes that it was Mr Edmunds who developed his enthusiasm for Maths which was so important to his career.
Mr Brian Farmer arrived at the school as the Boys Sports Master, but I am not sure which year. He played for Birmingham City Football Club. He used to coach the boys and take them for games.
Mrs Dickinson was certainly at the school in 1958 and was one of a number of teachers taking us for English.
Mrs Townsend became Johnson Balls Secretary. She joined the school fairly early on. She was relatively young and quite pretty. She was always very pleasant and if it was necessary to go to Mr Balls study it was much nicer if she was there. Mr Ball would always joke with her whenever I reported to the study, saying ‘oh here’s your name sake, come to see you.’ One or two of us showed an interest in secretarial work, and I vaguely remember Mrs Townsend giving us some shorthand to practice. Johnson Ball hinted that if we stayed on he might begin a secretarial course. Nothing further was heard about it. Mrs Townsend was still at the school when I left. I believe she lived somewhere around Colly Gate, just outside Halesowen.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE DAILY ROUTINE
For those pupils who travelled by bus the day began with the walk from the Vauxhall Road bus station across Church Road and up Red Hill. There was a small shop just after arriving in Red Hill which sold sweets and crisps etc. it was always the same, rows of hooks with pump bags hung on them.
On entering the building we went to our Cloak Room area and changed our shoes into our indoor ones. The girl’s area was on the first floor landing. In the very early days the cloakroom area for both the boys and girls was in the hallway directly after the entrance door. Later the boys Cloak Room was moved into the cellar. Wherever it was, it was always
At 9 a.m. everyone had to be in assembly which was held in the music room. Mr Ball took assembly and stood next to the grand piano behind his wooden lectern at the door end of the room. I cannot remember if Mr Smith was the pianist or whether one of the teachers played but we had hymns and Johnson Ball was always well prepared with readings from the bible plus his explanations. Also in assembly he would take the opportunity to chastise those who had been brought to his attention. He often made cryptic comments regarding our appearance or dress. He also used assembly to make announcements.
At 9.30 a.m. it was off to our classrooms until break time.
Each break or lesson change was signalled by a bell rung in the main hall, usually by a pupil.
At break time everyone gathered at the dining room entrance to take from the crates their little bottle of milk. If the weather was fine we went out into the drive area which was behind the garden, having first changed into out outdoor shoes. If not we tended to hover around our Cloak Room Area. The girls used to frequent the Infants play area and often spent time with Miss Howarth. By the second year of the school a Tuck Shop was opened and we were able to buy all manner of sweets and crisps but I’m not sure about drinks.
After break it was back to lessons until lunch time.
Lunch for those who stayed for school lunch was taken in the dining room, just off the pupil’s entrance hall. I think I recall four long tables with benches on each side. The kitchen was behind the dining room and this is where Mrs Hewitt prepared the meals. After eating lunch, again the drive was where we spent the remainder of the time or indoors if the weather was not suitable. In later years we went down the field at the bottom of Junction Road which was also where we played our sport.
By about 1957 part of the lunch break was often used, particularly by the girls, in order to walk to either the Swimming Baths or to Mary Stevens Park for tennis to ensure a full double lesson at either venue.
I don’t recall a break in the afternoon, just two different lessons. At 4.00 p.m. the day ended.
Unless you had been given detention, in which case the day lasted until 5.00 p.m.
CHAPTER FIVE
EVENTS 1954 – 1958
CAROL SERVICES
A choir was formed by Mr Smith quite soon after the school was opened. We had to have a singing test. If you did not make the grade you were classed as a “growler”. The “growlers” had to have extra singing at lunch times, I believe once a week. All the girls were trebles eventually the boys provided some bass voices. We sounded quite good. We practised varied songs and of course carols around Christmas Time. We were taught descants to some of these.
As Christmas approached it was decided that the school would have its own Carol Service. This took place for the first time in 1955 and was held at the Carnegie Hall in Stourbridge. Parents and friends were invited and service sheets were produced. The Choir sat on a raised platform facing their audience. The carols were sung by both the choir and the visitors, some of the verses were solo’s and the others were headed with who should be singing them. Five Lessons were read by Johnson Ball and members of the staff. The following year 1956 the service was held again. The content was exactly the same. I don’t recall us having a carol service in 1957.
THE HUNGARIAN RELIEF FUND – 1956 REQUESTED BY THE MAYOR OF STOURBRIDGE The Mayor of Stourbridge being conscious of the distress of the refugees fleeing Hungary, organised a relief fund. Schools amongst others were asked to help.
Queens College did not fail in this regard. Money was collected and a presentation to the Mayor was organised. The press were there and the whole school were gathered into the music room and the main entrance hall. The presentation took place in the doorway of the music room which had been removed. I was asked to make the presentation, a cheque to the Mayor. Miss Fletcher wrote the short speech which I had to learn. I think I must have been chosen because I had the loudest voice certainly not for the best behaved or the hardest worker. However, I remember the speech to this day
Mr Mayor
On behalf of the pupils of Queen’s College
I present you with this cheque
For the Hungarian Relief Fund
We wish you every success in
The remainder of your term of office
I was nervous, but rather proud. A piece did appear in the local paper (The County Express I believe) but this is one piece of memorabilia I do not have. It may have contained a photograph or it may have been just a few lines – I can’t recall. I think I remember reading it or it may have been that I remember the reporter asking me for my Father name for the article. I don’t recall how much we raised, but it would have been given in the publicity.
ELECUTION LESSONS – AND COMPETITION
In the early days, Elocution was part of the curriculum and Mrs M. A. Mills was our teacher.
We were entered into a speaking competition held in Stourbridge at the Carnegie Hall. I remember being part of a ‘group speaking’ piece. There were four of us. There were individual pieces and reading pieces. I cannot recall how well we did or did not do but I think the school did come away with some awards. Later elocution became an optional extra subject and was no longer part of the curriculum.
CHAPTER SIX
MEMORIES 1954 – 1958
SPORT
The uniform for the girls was a navy blue divided skirt and a white aertex shirt. They were not at all flattering especially when added to this were the black canvas boots we wore for hockey.
In the early days the girls had their games and PE in the driveway which was just beyond the garden. It was an unmade drive and here we played net ball. Later we used a field at the bottom of Junction Road on the right hand side. This road more or less faced the school. Here we played hockey and began our cross country runs which returned via Red Hill and back into school.
During the summer terms swimming was added, this meant we had to walk to the local swimming baths which were in the centre of Stourbridge. There were indoor and outdoor pools and depending on the weather we used both.
Another summer sport was Tennis again this involved a walk. Because of the distance we had to use part of our lunch hour to walk from Red Hill to Mary Stevens Park, where the courts had been booked. We had the occasional match against Elmfield. We were organised correctly and the etiquette was strictly followed. Captains were chosen and end of match speeches, either as winners or losers were duly made. I enjoyed being chosen as Captain as I always enjoyed ‘games’ and this has certainly continued throughout my life.
One incident which happened on the Hockey field was that while playing, a girl lifted her hockey stick too high and hit another girl on the forehead. The lump was the size of an egg but fortunately no long-term damage was done.
PUNISHMENT
As far as the girls were concerned, punishment was detention, or maybe a reprimand from Miss Fletcher. Members of staff particularly Mr Ball, if he saw a girl pupil not acting according to the rules, would make great play about reporting to Miss Fletcher. I was caught out one day. There were just a few of the older girls in the classroom. Having decided to leave to do other things, this meant to reach the door it was necessary to squeeze to the end of a continuous row of tables. I took the easier and quicker route to the front of the room, climbing over the tables. This was a big mistake, because I was by the window, which overlooked the pathway leading into the school. Who should be watching me from the pathway but Johnson Ball. He shouted such that I could hear him through the window. ‘Report immediately to Miss Fletcher ‘! I went that very minute, and gave a full explanation of why I had been sent, because if I hadn’t the punishment would have been even greater. I was given detention that evening.
Detention was not for the following day but had to be done that same day. As school finished at 4 p.m. and if a detention had been given, it was necessary to report to the room at the bottom of the main staircase, the one which overlooked Red Hill. On arrival you gave the reason to the staff member and sat down to carry out the task you had been given. Detention was for one hour. This meant you missed your bus. When you arrived home it was necessary to explain the late return but no sympathy was given, just ‘well you won’t do that again’ ‘will you’?
As for the boys – the cane was well used and really flayed, Mr Ball wielded this with great effect. So often you would see a boy bending over near his study and being whacked. On one occasion he caned a whole class, I don’t recall the reason.
One day during a class in the room at the bottom of the main staircase overlooking Red Hill, one of the girls knocked a marble bust off the fireplace-shelf which broke at the neck I believe. Unfortunately, the accident was because she was standing on the seat of the desk in order to get to the isle and needed to pass two or three other girls sitting on a continuous seat . We did all feel that it was a very unsafe place for such a valuable object. Punishment on this occasion was not only, a reprimand, but a letter was sent to her parents allegedly, requesting reimbursement for the item. Poor Girl.
THE DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN
This area was the domain of Mrs Hewitt. At morning break it was at the door of the dining room that we gathered to collect our small bottle of milk, drinking it while standing in the hallway and then replacing the bottle in the crate. Later of course the tuck shop was also available at break time, and this was overseen by a member of staff.
The dining room consisted of long tables with benches either side. Because of the small amount of space available to each pupil a member of staff insisted that we kept our elbows tucked in while using our knives and forks and we were shown how to achieve this.
Mrs Hewitt didn’t take kindly to the fact that not all of us liked her cheese pie or certain of her vegetables. We were giving our portion to who- ever, on our table, wanted a second slice. On this occasion she stormed out of the kitchen and told us we were behaving like little animals and should be ashamed of ourselves. This was followed by a lecture from Johnson Ball.
CRASHING CHIMNEYS
The older girls including myself used to visit the infants and kindergarten children over in the Hollies part of the building. Occasionally we used to pass our break playing with the children. Their outdoor area was quite a pleasant place, small but cosy and usually warm.
We had just returned to our own floor passing through the interconnecting room which overlooked their play area when we saw a chimney pass the window and crash onto the garden. Fortunately all the children had returned to their classrooms. How lucky everyone was!
GIRLS UNIFORM I think it was probably 1956/7 when the older girls decided that to wear a Tunic with a sash was too young looking. Initially we all agreed that we would cut off our Tunics and turn them into pleated skirts or at least our Mothers would. Unbelievably we all did this – there were only about five of us – and we turned up at school on Monday morning still using our sash but now over skirts no longer Tunics. There was no chance of reversing the changes. Johnson Ball could have made our parents buy new Tunics but I think he realised that we had reached the age when Tunics were rather young for us and it was announced that by our year, a gored skirt would be added to the uniform.
NON SINGERS – THE GROWLERS (AS THEY WERE KNOWN)
Mr Smith the music master made every pupil have a singing test to see if they were suitable for the choir. Unfortunately, for those who struggled and could not hold a tune, they had to have singing practice in their lunch hour. I believe this was held once a week. Mr Smith was known by us as Tin Ribs.
ASSEMBLY
Each morning, before lessons began we had to go into the music room and Mr Ball held assembly. We had hymns and bible readings. Johnson Ball was well prepared with bible study lessons. He stood at the door end of the room behind his lectern next to the Grand Piano. He used a number of books from his collection and would always give a view from many religious view points, leaving us to make up our own minds.
During these assemblies, Johnson Ball would also take the opportunity to give someone a dressing down. One occasion which affected me and another of the girls was when my friends sisters, who were hairdressers had permed my hair. At the next assembly Johnson Ball made some facetious comments quite detrimental to my hair. I was embarrassed, but when my friend had returned home and told her sisters, then Johnson Ball must have wished he hadn’t said anything, because both my friends sisters and their Father came up to the school and told Johnson Ball in no uncertain terms that his comments were outrageous and they were prepared to take further advice. I can only assume he eat humble pie.
VISIT TO THE REFERENCE LIBRARY IN BIRMINGHAM
It was at least 1956/7. Johnson Ball sent four girls namely June Morgan, myself Valerie Townsend, Sylvia Chance and I think Barbara Sinclair to the Reference Library in Birmingham. We were told which bus to catch and where to get off. Our instructions were to ask for a certain lady who would give us books from which we had to copy everything we could find on a certain person (I have forgotten who) This we did returning by bus and so to school. We all received a reprimand and me more so for the handwriting we had used to present this information to Johnson Ball. I was going through a phase of sloping my letters backwards and I think each of us was experimenting in some way. This probably drove Mr Ball to the idea of everyone improving their handwriting.
Looking back us four girls really enjoyed the day but I am not sure our parents would have been happy with us going alone into the city.
HANDWRITING
Whatever the reason, Johnson Ball decided that the hand writing of his pupils was terrible. He did tell us so. For the whole of one term we did nothing but handwriting practice. Day after day as all subjects were put on hold.
This would possibly be the Winter Term of 1956 or Spring Term of 1957 because I have written in the Souvenir Programme of the visit of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visiting Stourbridge in April 1957 in my well -practiced hand. In fact I believe we all had one of these programmes and wrote in them in class. I must admit it was a great improvement on my previous efforts. I am not sure that you could warrant a whole term dedicated to handwriting but this was Mr Ball.
BOYS WILL BE BOYS
During one of our lessons with Mr Stretch, in the room next to the library, an incident occurred which could have been very serious. This particular boy (I won’t name him) was stood answering questions while Mr Stretch wrote on the blackboard. The boy sitting directly behind him held a sharpened pencil upright on his chair and as he sat down the pencil penetrated his bottom and shrieks of pain were heard. I don’t recall there being any lasting problems but who knows.
On another occasion and again with Mr Stretch one of the boys had put a match inside the stick of chalk. As the lesson progressed with more work being put on the blackboard, the match suddenly ignited. We all jumped let alone Mr Stretch. However, he took it very well and didn’t send anyone to Mr Ball.
During one of Johnson Balls lessons a boy who was sat at the front of the class, had what appeared to be Boils on the back of his neck. He kept fingering them making the rest of the class wince then suddenly he pealed them off making an awful noise. I don’t think Mr Ball ever found out what the commotion was about.
Johnson Ball asked one of the older boys to help with some of his art work. This was quite usual. On this occasion an instruction had been given but obviously not too clearly understood. When Mr Ball returned he discovered that one of the Hogarth Prints, a very valuable object had had its edges reduced. We were told that you could see steam coming out of his ears he did not know how to contain himself and he actually swore but only after telling the boy in question that he was about to do so.
THE GIRLS
The girls used to embarrass Mr Stretch with flattery, telling him how much they liked his tie or something similar. He really blushed – poor man.
In the early years the girls were quite fond of visiting the Infants half of the school. One of the favourite occupations was to ride the lovely large rocking horse which sat in the window of the room overlooking the Red Hill.
It was quite common for Johnson Ball to use the girls to dust and clean the statues and displays. If our parents had known I don’t think they would have been too pleased. I won’t say we enjoyed it but it usually meant we missed doing something we didn’t like.
We were used on a few occasions to look after one of the infant’s classes if a staff member failed to turn up. There were usually three of us at a time.
I don’t know how the boys treated each other but I can honestly say that there was never any unkindness or spitefulness amongst the girls.
In the latter years we would go down to the field in Junction Road and meet up with the boys. On one occasion a couple of the boys picked up two of the girls and carried them into a clear area in the centre of stinging nettles. There was no way they could have walked out, not with summer dresses on as they would have been stung quite badly. After much placating, the boys carried them out. We quite enjoyed the banter between us.
THE ROYAL VISIT OF 1957 – ARRANGED MEETING WITH MISS DAGLEY
When the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited Stourbridge as part of their tour, for whatever reason, we had not been able to see them. Later that week the tour continued into Birmingham and Miss Daley asked four or five of us older girls if we would like to get the bus into Birmingham and meet her, she would then take us to an ideal vantage point. Miss Dagley lived in the Birmingham Area so knew it well. She was true to her word and we had a clear view from the edge of the footpath of the royal couple, literally two yards from us. What struck me was that the Duke of Edinburgh was wearing makeup.
TALENTED MISS FLETCHER
During one of the English Lessons with Miss Fletcher she admitted to playing the Zither. Maybe one had been mentioned in whatever text we were studying. The whole class suggested that she brought in her Zither and played for us. This she did and played extremely well. None of us had ever seen a Zither let alone heard of one. It was however, the first and last time that we had the pleasure of music in our English lessons.
CHAPTER SEVEN
MEMORIES OF PRESCOT HOUSE – 1958
Although I did not make the move to Prescot House as a pupil, because I left school in the Summer of 1958, I did however, go many times to the new building during my last term. Usually the girls were asked to tidy up boxes or sort books.
We loved walking down the marble staircase and pretending we were dressed for the Ball. We scoured the grounds, down in the dell and around the out buildings. While in the house we found a cupboard on one landing with a skylight which opened onto the roof. It wasn’t locked. There were four of us on that occasion two girls and two boys. I won’t mention any names but I was one of the girls. Leaving the skylight we stepped out, none too easily onto a walkway which went all around the house. To our left was the pitch of the roof with the chimneys and immediately to the right was the slope of tiles down to the guttering and obviously the ground below. We were up there for ages. To my knowledge there wasn’t a member of staff in the building at the time and it was quite late in the afternoon. If ever anything had gone wrong I dread to think what would have happened.
My parents and I were invited to the History Exhibition held in 1959. My parents did not go but the girls agreed to meet up. I remember chatting to Miss Fletcher and I am fairly sure we spent most of the time in the grounds. It was a lovely evening.
I was torn because although I would have loved to have been a pupil at the Prescot House site, the great big world was calling and my eyes were set, like so many other young people of my age, on the next stage and being grown up.
Webmaster Comment:- Valerie has provided a huge amount of information and memorabilia for this site.