Canley (inc. Sir Henry Parkes School)

Hello & welcome to our forum, ianfromkent Thank you for your info there.

Anybody remember Mr Toogood? He had an old bus and delivered groceries around Tile Hill in the 1950's. He used to blow his horn and we would run out and see what he had on board before being shooed off the bus by our mums who wanted to shop with him. Some years later he had a mobile chip bus, ah the smell on a winters night!! When he dropped the chips into the hot fat the steam that came up filled the whole bus, you couldn't see 6 inches in front of you. I live in sunny Australia now, come back now and again Back in Nov 2013 for a few weeks, love to meet with anyone from the old days Tom

For the information of those who haven't seen the site recently, the building work is really coming on now and is quite extensive, the boundary fence being up by the bridge about 75 metres from the railway line. I was thinking it would be good if some of the roads were named after some of the old teachers and Headmasters, but I doubt the planners thought about that.

Just come across this about the kangaroo And this one as well

Hi Tom. I wonder if this is Jimmy Toogood you are referring to? If so I knew him well from the old days. I think he dabbled in a lot of things in those days.

Great find MR . The first photo includes Miss Penn (second from left) and Les Rea (third left). Anyone recognise the person standing extreme left? The colour photo in your second link shows the kangaroo in front of what used to be Miss Penn's classroom - my own final classroom before leaving Henry Parkes in '61. I don't ever remember a black railing in front of the kangaroo though.

Hi Norm, another person we both know, Jimmy Toogood had the car place in Red Lane, he used the Grange pub at lunch times, had some good laughs with him, he could tell a good story

Hi all, recently discovered that Mr Toogood lived at 159 Duggins Lane and where the 2 bungalows are now built was his allotment land.

Hi, we also did this double in 61 before I left and went to Woodlands. Still have my football medal that was made by Coventry Silvercraft. I will try and dig out the team photograph.

Here's a few photos of how the site looks now, taken this morning from Prior Deram Walk and the A45. The first is simply a map showing the layout of the final estate... Some previous photos I've taken of this site can be viewed in post #71 of this same topic.

Many thanks for updating us overseas Canley Kids, Tony, with the photos. Looking at the houses and new roads where our school used to be (wherever that is!) I still can't believe how it now looks. I suppose we still have the little shops and library nearby - that is before the greedy developer demolishes them in phase 2 and plonks a supermarket in its place for residents of the new estate. You don't have to be a forward thinker to work that one out. However, we still have your wonderful old photos of the school to remind us and some great ex-pupils on this forum to keep fond memories of our formative school days alive. Please keep us up to date with the progress (sic) with your lovely photos, Tony.

Mr Rea will be pleased to see the developer's plan includes preserving his soccer/rugby pitch up near the railway line "Come on, now, boys get in line!"

Sorry Les, thats pretty much gone as well If I remember correctly the goals were more or less in line with where the fence now stands. [Edit] In fact I was almost right! If you look closely at the above photo you can just make out what is left of one of the goalposts. The left post remains upright whilst the right post is laying in the ground. The crossbar appears to be missing altogether.

The one and only goal I scored for the school team was scored in that goal nearest the road.

Is this building still there or has it gone now