Genealogy Forum UK

I have recently come across a photograph that I believe has my father back row 2nd from left.

It looks like an old school photo and if I am right it is most likely the first year or two he was at Dudley GS 1940/42 ish or the last year of Junior School.

He lived in Old Hill and the name Corngreaves is in my mind -- was that the only boys primary or was there another possibility -- I know he transferred there at the end of the Infants as the Junior school atttached to his infants only took girls.

I would attach the file but it says it is too big -- Is MAlly around to work her magic for me?

I'm here MG

sent you a pm

mallosa wrote:I'm here MG

sent you a pm

Thanks Mally ---on its way to you

Barry Gladders (back row, 2nd from the left)

There you are MG, i could easily have posted it smaller but thought it best to be able to see clearly

mallosa wrote:There you are MG, i could easily have posted it smaller but thought it best to be able to see clearly

Thank you Mally that is great -- now to see if anyone can help.

Hi MG

There were two Corngreaves schools. One in Plant Street (still there) and one in Meredith St (knocked down, now site of new Sally Army carpark). I will ask my Mom if she can shed any light on which one, if any, was a boys only school.

There would also be Old Hill primary school, opposite Old Hill Church.

I believe that Temple Meadow in Wrights Lane used to be a grammar school - but don't quote me on that.

As they are all in uniform, is it likely to be a junior school???? Or more likely senior school??

Cid

There were quite a few Schools MG. will add to what Cid has listed, Reddall Hill, Lomey Town, Mace Street, Halesowen Road Junior and Senior School made from Corrugated Iron Sheets fixed to a timber frame, probably made by Noah Hingley, known locally as the Iron School or Tin College. Where abouts did your Father live in Old Hill

Linell.

Dad lived in High Street just between the Cross and the Tabernacle Church.

I know he and Mum went to an infant school the other side of the Cross on the right hand side as you went towards Cradley Heath -- and Mum implied that he then moved to a Junior school a bit closer to Cradley Heath.

One of the reasons I am so confused is that Mum became a teacher and worked in some of the schools down that way too -- although I used to try to pin her down she used "My School" to refer to any school that she had attended/worked in.

I don't know whether Dad actually moved to an all boys junior or just that the one he was at did not take boy Juniors

Just googled it and I think the Infants School they both attended is now a Citizens Advice Bureau on Reddall Hill Road --- Does that make it the Reddall hill one that Linell mentions?

cid wrote:Hi MG

As they are all in uniform, is it likely to be a junior school???? Or more likely senior school??

Cid

I was thinking that too but couldn't make my mind up:

As you say did State Junior Schools have uniforms in the late 1930's/early 1940's?
I understood from Dad that DGS was very particular about uniform and that they were supposed to wear their caps even on non school days -- in which case would they have accepted him without a tie at school?
Did teachers in State Schools wear a gown? or was the man at the front the Headmaster and he did?
Some of the boys are obviously in scout uniform -- was that because it was thinking day? (Dad was in the Boys Brigade) --
or were they evacuees? --at DGS and as any uniform was better than none were allowed to wear Scout Uniform? --
or at Junior School and allowed to wear Scouts uniform if they had grown out of their school uniform rather than buy a new one for less than a year?

So many possibilities!

moving this to misc in General discussion

do the badges on kids jackets
socks /ties give the idea of which schook uniform it was?

I think these boys would have attended a Senior School as the majority of them are in uniform. I doubt very much that it would have been a junior school.

If I remember correctly, In the late 1950s early 1960s the DGS boys uniform was grey trousers and socks, dark blue blazer, dark blue/black/white striped tie. They had to wear short trousers for the first 2 years at school. These boys don't appear to have the school badge on their coats, but I don't know when the badge was introduced. The teachers used to wear a cap and gown.

Dudley Archives hold some school records for Dudley Grammar School, try the web site www.blackcountryhistory.org There is a closure of 100 years for Admission Registers, Log Books due to data protection, but they do have some photographs. They also hold copies of the school magazine the "Dudleian"
Trevor Raybould has done a lot of work on the history of the DGS and a copy of his book is also held at Dudley Archives.

I know he and Mum went to an infant school the other side of the Cross on the right hand side as you went towards Cradley Heath -- and Mum implied that he then moved to a Junior school a bit closer to Cradley Heath.

Hi MG, the Infant School near the Cross was probably Trinity, the one going into Cradley Heath could have been Reddall Hill, but Meredith and Corngreaves were also down there. Don't think it was Corngreaves as my Uncle Arthur Twigg was Headmaster there, not the man in your picture. Think Arthur Twigg retired about 1950

The Boys Brigade was affiliated to the Methodist Church, so not likely to have been a Church of England School.

Linell.

linell wrote:I know he and Mum went to an infant school the other side of the Cross on the right hand side as you went towards Cradley Heath -- and Mum implied that he then moved to a Junior school a bit closer to Cradley Heath.

Hi MG, the Infant School near the Cross was probably Trinity, the one going into Cradley Heath could have been Reddall Hill, but Meredith and Corngreaves were also down there. Don't think it was Corngreaves as my Uncle Arthur Twigg was Headmaster there, not the man in your picture. Think Arthur Twigg retired about 1950

The Boys Brigade was affiliated to the Methodist Church, so not likely to have been a Church of England School.

Linell.

Dad (b 1929) so would have been at Junior School from approx 1936 - 1940 so if that overlaps with your Uncle Arthur then as you say it was either not Corngreaves or it was a class teacher -- would he have been likely to wear a gown for special occasions? -- or it was the Grammar School?

Perhaps Rob and MArk might have something useful to suggest on the subject --