Canley (inc. Sir Henry Parkes School)

I'm looking for ANY information or photos of the Charters Hostel, Canley. Helping with a Family Tree and a friend's Aunt was a canteen assistant there, when she took ill and died in the Municipal General Hospital in 1943.

Can anyone tell me where the kangaroo that sat outside Sir Henry Parkes Primary School went to??

Hi Gilly, The kangaroo ("Joey") crumbled many years ago unfortunately. I was a pupil at Sir Henry Parkes in the 50's - and more recently a Governor at the school - before it was amalgamated with Alderman Harris and formed Charter Primary on a different site. If you look on Google maps now all you will see is a flattened building site! There was a plaque presented by NSW to the school to commemorate its 50th birthday in 2000, and that is now outside the "Sir Henry Parkes" library at the new school. May I ask if you have a connection with the school? Tony

Hi Tony, Many thanks for your prompt reply. My husband has wondered for many years what ever happened to the kangaroo. His name is Les Mumford, lived in Canley and was also at Sir Henry Parkes in the 50's. He was in Miss Penn's class (can't remember who the headmaster was at the time though.) He left in about 1958/9 and went to Woodlands. We came to Australia in 1972 and return to visit our families in Coventry as often as we can, the last time in Aug/Sept last year and hopefully again in 2012. Many thanks for your help and I must say what a fantastic site this is. Gilly.

Hi Gilly, what a small world! I was also in Miss Pens class - but from the dates you give I think I was a year or two behind Les. It's a crying shame what they have done to the site - did you see it when you were last over? We fought extremely hard to keep the school, and it's name! but lost out to the powers that be. At least the library in the new school is named after him. I cannot believe Coventry doesn't do more to remember the great man. (he does at least have a star in the walk of fame) Sir Henry Parkes Great-Great Grandson (Ian Thom) was over from Sydney a couple of weeks ago, staying at the Moat House Cottages in Moat House Lane - which was where Sir Henry was born. (this amazing house has been beautifully renovated and is now open as a B&B) I became friendly with Henrys decendants during our fight to keep the school open. I have fond memories of the school, and became a governor in 1997. I have dozens of photos of the school - both while it was in use and also when it had closed - which are really eary, seeing the place empty. I must put them up on my website one day. You can see a few other pics from the eighties on my site at www.fotomedia.co.uk/coventry - and yes, this is a fabulous web site, so much info, and all down to the sites owner Rob Orland - and all it's members of course Tony PS I also have some photos of the teachers (including Mr Bayliss, Mr Rea and Miss Penn) I'll try and get them scanned and put them up on web. Maybe you could ask Rob (via his Contact Me link on the left of this page) to pass on your personal email address to me and I'll let you know when they are ready

I don't have anything to add to this topic, but I had to quickly respond to you both to say how grateful and humbled I am by your kind words. Making this website is great fun and a real learning experience for me, and if it's turned out to be the great site that you say it is, then it's all because of the huge number of amazing people, like yourselves, who have contributed with such friendliness and enthusiasm. I'm constantly in awe of the number of people on here who have an astonishing depth of knowledge on a surprising range of subjects. As I've mentioned before, this is definitely the most rewarding hobby I could've ever imagined! Best wishes to all, Rob

Please put them up soon, I well remember Mr Bayliss, and Mr Rea, both legends, funny how these teachers never leave your life

I recall getting flattened by Mr Rea during a football game once. He was playing for the opposition and came hurtling down the wing towards me - and I, a skinny 8 or 9 year old, attempted to tackle him! He just picked me up and said "You alright son?" and carried on running! Where were the Health and Safety crowd when you needed them? I also recall Miss Penn, pacing up and down the class-lines of kids waiting to enter school and whacking any child she caught talking on the back of their legs with an old-fashioned cane!! Strange how all the kids she hit were boys (and wearing short trousers!) I'll try and get those pics done asap.

Gilly, here's your kangaroo!

.. and here's a 1950's photo of the teachers... Top Row (as we look): Mr Rea, Mr Meachin, Mr Bayliss & Headmaster (struggling to remember his name), and Miss Penn (front-left) - and I seem to recall the teacher sitting behind and to picture left of Miss Penn was Mrs Ainsley?? ... . but I'm sure you all knew that anyway!

Well as I started at Sir Henry Parkes junior school in 1969, although I was also in the infant school as well (1965 to 1969) it's hard to recognise them although Mr Bayliss does stand out. I seem to recall Mr Rea was still riding the same bike that he used during the blitz, and was damaged by fire from his shed which some vandals started. Does anyone know any more on this?

I was there a little before you, and left in 1961. Mr Rea's bike was in use daily for years - i have a full page pic from the Telegraph somewhere with an article on him! Ill try and dig it out but I must admit I havent seen it for a while. His bike was indeed damaged when some 'bright, young, upstanding citizens" of ours broke into his garden shed and set light to it The last photograph I have of Mr Rea was in 2000, when I saw him at the schools birthday celebrations. he passed away a few years ago. Going back to the photo posted above, which of those teachers were still there when you were?

Hi Tony, the only teachers I remember who were there when I was were Mr Rea, Mr Bayliss and Mr Meacham, Mr Clay was headmaster at the time. Happy days.

Hi Tony, Forgive me for not responding earlier, we have just returned home after 10 days cruising the South Pacific. Les and I were thrilled to see the photographs of the kangaroo and teachers of Sir Henry Parkes. Thank you so very much. Les will respond to you himself, no doubt with a few more questions and answers. I am more than happy for you to have my email address. Thank you again Gilly.

Hi Tony, I was so surprised and pleased when you took up this thread that my wife Gill started about my early education at Sir Henry Parkes Primary School. I just think it's so important if we can look back on our very early years of life in a positive way, as this lovely school has enabled me to. I would have been at the school from around 1953-1954 when Mr Maddison was the school Headmaster - so, we can add his name to your photo above. His manner was so perfect for the role as he peered over the top of his spectacles at you, and was so quietly spoken. I think Mr Bayliss was deputy head and he also had a similar quiet manner. On rare occasions all the school was told to go to the big hall to watch a film - always black and white and always a documentary, of course. I think Mr Bayliss was a camera enthusiast as he always operated the projector. One film we watched was about children living in sunny Australia, which turned out to be very ironic as Gilly and I were much later to emigrate together here. You will have to forgive me if time has warped my memory causing me to get my facts wrong but I would like to add snippets to this post as they come to mind and will hopefully jog some memories for others.