Stoke Heathens

Hello Slash1. I was also a member, 1956/57. My class teacher at Stoke Heath School, Mr Knight, recommended that I join as two girls in the class - Diane Gilway (the younger sister) and Linda Oughton - were already members and that the choir would benefit with the addition of my soprano voice. I recall that the weekly practice gatherings were at the Town Hall and that we gave one concert that year for families and friends. I discontinued when I attended secondary school the following year. Post copied from topic Coventry School of Music on 6th Jun 2016 8:06 am

I remember Mr Knight, a lovely man and a good teacher. he took us to Lyng Hall swimming pool. He set a competition, the first few ready and dressed would get a lift back to Stoke Heath in his car. He lived in St. Paul's Road. We went there once, I can't remember why. Fond memories of him, but not of Miss Frost who was a dragon.

Not sure if that is the Diane Gilway that I am talking about, she was born in 1945 and would have been at senior school by then. My time would have been 1953/4/5

No doubt in my mind. Diane and I were in the same classes at Stoke Heath Junior School until we left in 1957 at which time her elder sister Marilyn was attending Lyng Hall. They were close neighbours living at the north end of Dennis Road. Are you certain about dates? In the original post you say 55/56 which doesn't correspond with the above.

My recollection would be (it was a long time ago) that, for whatever reason, the three of us were encouraged to go to join The Coventry School of Music Choir. Marilyn and myself would have been in Mrs Moore's class. I would have to assume that it would have been in our last year at Stoke Heath, which would have been in 1954 when we would have been 10. I remember going to their house to meet up with them both, I do not have a recollection of only Marilyn going. From there we went to catch the number 1 bus to where it was. I doubt that we would have been allowed that journey before that time, and we only ever went on our own. According to records that I can find, a Diane Gilway was born between Oct-Dec 1945. Am not sure what school year that would have put her in. I think that I finished when I went to Caludon, but can't be 100% sure of that. Where did you live? Did you go to Caludon? Did you have any friends in Sewall Highway?

You might be forgetting that the school year in UK commences in September and finishes the following July. Diane was born in the last quarter of 1945 and I was born about six months later in 1946. Simple. I knew only one person in Sewall Highway - at infants' school - and that was John Dewsbury and his family moved shortly after. A group of us, including John and Diane, represented Stoke Heath School at the Coronation Dancing in 1953. The boys I knew in Watersmeet Road where I lived and who attended Caludon Castle - I didn't - were Les Turall, Dave Bullock and Ernie Beasley; all about two years older than me.

John Dewsbury was in "our gang" as you might say, lived just up Sewall Highway, but across the road from me. Presumably was a couple of school years behind me. Used to play football with us, all the time. Did time at Caludon, I left in 1959, so probably wouldn't have known much after that. Les Turrall lived opposite the Co-op, 2 houses from the end I think, next to or nearby Keith Pitt. They were both at Stoke Heath and Caludon with me I think. Did you know Keith Bent? Lived near the bend in Dennis Road heading towards the Co-op?

Leslie A Dewsbery, not the same spelling but probably the father. Sewall Highway, 1955 directory.

Same spelling this time, 1960 Cov directory.

That's an esoteric message Heathite. I presumed the Dewsburys had moved on as John no longer attended Stoke Heath School that I recall.

Keith lived with his grandma, Mrs Young, two doors from the end of the terrace and Les lived at the other end. I knew the Bents but we weren't close. We appear to be drifting off topic [Coventry School of Music]. Perhaps a new one should be started; Stoke Heathens? Edited by Midland Red, 6th Jun 2016 8:13 am (New thread started as suggested!)

I also lived in Sewall Highway and went to Stoke Heath infant and junior school. My last year in the junior school was 1958/59 and I was in Mr Knight's class. he was a brilliant teacher. I also remember going to Stratford Street Annex in year 2 and Mrs Mayell was the teacher there. During my time Mr Chadbourne was the headmaster. I moved on to Caludon Castle in 1959 and stayed there until 1964. Classmates included, John Morley, Mick Freeman, Geoff Styles, Elaine Ball, Julie Haynes, Elaine Taylor, Sue Dicken. Alan Payne, Ken Bromfield, Ken Hayles, Geoff Barwick, Sue Truslove, Avril Wainwright, Pam Stanley, Penny Stanley? Dave Holtom, Margaret Potts,

I first attended the nursery at Stoke Heath. As I watched Mum disappearing through the doorway that first morning I thought I had been abandoned but was soon reassured that school could be fun. After a few weeks I progressed to the infants where my teachers were Miss Frost, who was the absolute personification of her name, Miss Weeks (I think I experienced my first crush with her!) and Mrs. Godfrey whose poetry lessons I really hated. During junior school my teachers were Miss Jones, Mrs. Mayell - at the Stratford Street annexe where the heating in winter was provided by a coke fired pot-bellied stove - Mr. Dixon and Mr. Knight. They were all good teachers but Mr. Knight was perhaps outstanding though his discipline was severe, perhaps brutal by today's standards. We were more likely to be punished for not performing well than for misbehaving. When we practised our handwriting - laboured over using crude pens with nibs and watery ink made from a powder - he always inspected our work and if our letters did not have straight backs we received a rap on the knuckles with a wooden ruler which could be extremely painful. If we were caned by another teacher for some misdemeanor we were also caned by Mr. Knight for letting the side down. Double jeopardy and did our ten year old selves imagine that this was the kind of justice we could expect in later life? He coached us in preparation for the eleven-plus - he did seem to care about our futures - especially in the important subject of Comprehension and he was well rewarded by the class of 1956/57 as at least twelve children - that I remember - were awarded scholarships; seven to Bablake, two to KH VIII, two to Stoke Park and one to Barr's Hill. A wonderful performance for a suburban school in a working-class area which must have made Mr. Knight very proud.

Regarding Stoke Heath School, I did a little research about Mr. Camwell who was caretaker whilst I was there and found some information about him and a picture of his family. On another thread (Caludon) Mr. Camwell is referred to but he should really be here. Here's an image of Mr Camwell's family. There were ten children. Mr Camwell had two younger (and three older) brothers, I think I can identify him from memory and deduction. But would anyone else care to try and identify him? His father is Thomas W. Camwell, and his mother Jane. This is from a public tree on Ancestry. Incidentally, I also found that two more of his brothers served in the war, which is probably obvious from the photo, but I did find their records.