Brook Street Junior School, Wordsley

A Memory of Wordsley.

Although I lived in Collis St, Amblecote I went to Brook St, Junior School from 1951 until I went to Audnam Secondary in 1955. I remember it had an infants school attached and the little ones would have a sleep in the afternoon. Mr.Ballinger was our Head until he retired and Mr.Cartwright took over. The other Teachers were Miss Bowater, Mrs. McKlean and her son Alistair was in my class, then there was Mr.Yardley who we all loved and Miss.White who we called 'sally'. I never knew if it was her real name and if it was a nick name it should have been 'tarter'. But I used to enjoy her readings of 'Mowgli'. The toilets were outside and in the cloak rooms there were wash basins and metal cups for us to drink out of. Names of children I remember were Moore, Rich, Gentry, Hotchiss, Collings, Wood, Horton, Crabtree, Bridge, Pargeter, Murray, Price, I was there for the Coronation and we all lined up in Brettell Lane for a parade. There was a shop in Brook St where we used to get sherbert liquorice dips or cocoa powder in small cornet bags for 1p. At school they used to bring round Wagon Wheels for 3p. I never had these as Mom couldn't afford it and perhaps it saved me from not developing a sweet tooth. It was a 15 minute walk from my house and in Winter we loved making slides on the hills. You never see slides anymore. Why? Because the children are all taken to and fro by car. The 19C school was knocked down and I believe a housing association built on it.


Added 26 March 2016

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Comments & Feedback

I remember it quite well although I never went there. I attended Brook Primary when it was based at the old Audnam school. What brought my attention to this memory was the name Rich. This was a family of 8 and I am the son of one of the (Rich) twins, obviously with all the others being my aunt's and uncles.
John Rich was in my class at Brook Street.
I also went to the brook from 1957 to 1963. Find memories now but not at the time. From there to Audam where the brook is now . My name was Allport then. We had to walk from Corbett hospital to school 4 times a day . Children get lifts now but I think we had the good times. I have a photo I’ll have to attach it
I attended Brook Street Junior School from approx/roughly 1962/66 Mr Goodwin was the head.I think the classes were as follows 1A/B 2A/B 3A/ B 4A/B by some stroke of luck I remained in the A stream (only just) as I got easily distracted. I remember Mr Yardley(Yargo) he was sport mad and smoked a pipe,Mrs Mclaine,Mrs Moore,Miss Hemmings,Mrs Gobi.Classmates I remember,Rachel Moore,Pat Smith(whose mom ran a shop below Brettle Lane).Linda Blackburn,Jane Russell,Yvonne Longmore,Susan Wood,Kerry?Diane?Maureen Hingley to name a few girls.Geoffrey Rollason,Simon Snape,Peter Round,Phillip Green,Vincent?,Sean Patrick some of the boys.I remember the black coke was delivered by lorry to a fenced off part of the playground to heat the school.A memory I will never forget was the smell of the freshly polished wooden parquet floor and morning assembleys which the whole school attended.I was in the netball or rounders team I can't remember which,I also played skittle ball which I haven't heard /or seen of since.During this time my late mom and I went by coach to Holland for a week with teachers their children and other pupils with their mom's.We stayed at a hotel in Noordwick on sea visiting Amsterdam and Rotterdam and a tulip farm and tulip auction.It was a fabulous week and it cost something.like £26 and I had a whole £5 pocket money to spend on myself.Those days at Brook street were the best and most happiest of my life,I loved that school.Prior to this time I attended King William St and the new School drive infant school.Mrs Flossie Starkey was the head and Mrs Wass was a teacher. Michael Wass her son was in my class and was my best friend we spent a lot of time together.I would love to hear from anyone who remembers me and share more memories.
I lived in Swiss Drive from birth in 47 to about 53. At that time we were surrounded by fields. Father was on the railway and when Stourbridge Junction closed we moved to Didcot. I only went to Brook Street for a short time but still have a school photo of all the pupils. I am told that on the first day I went home at the first break, thinking that was the end of the day. I can remember walking down Brierley Hill Road and seeing women painting plates through an open window. I think the building is still there and is part of the Red House glass cone complex.
Next door was a Farm, now a residential home I believe, and I used to play there a lot.

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