Frederick Bird School

coventry49 its a small world I was born in vine street then moved to stockton road , which is next door to cambridge street when I was four and live there up until I was 23 when I first got married yes we was poor but you could leave all doors and windows open and not worry about it .

I had a look on the Old Maps website and found Freddies in the 60s https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/434365/280009/13/100765 The huts where my Ist year Juniors classroom was in 1964 are roughly perpendicular to Swan Lane (if Swan Lane ran straight, that is!) and north of the Infants school. North of the huts was a large lawn that ran all the way up to the dairy. On the east side of the lawn was another building that was part of the Seniors - my memory says it was painted a dull dark red. Behind all three schools was that massive playing field. The dairy and laundry formed its northern boundary, the school the western, Burlington Road the southern and the railway line/wholesale market the eastern. It was hugely exciting to wend our way through the Seniors territory to get to the field and even better when there was a train on the track.

I remember trying to count how many cars were on the trains that passed by the playing field and the Fyffes banana wagons parked up waiting to be unloaded I knew someone that worked at Fyffes who told me about the large spiders that they used to find amongst the banana's and wondered what would happen if any escaped out of those wagons.

I looked on the Britain from Above website and the 3 Freddies schools are clearly defined on one of the photos of the Ordnance Works. I think the date was 1930. A hut is quite visible too and the allotments next to the Junior School.

Hello primrose, I used to live at # 60 swan lane the train track used to go right behind our house . We moved there in 1955 , I remember hearing the steam trains leaving the rootes,Chrysler car factory on the Humber road after loading up with cars. It took for ever to gather speed before passing my house ,the train seemed like it was a mile long I used to watch it go by from my bedroom window.

hello dave I remember while I was at freddies secoundary modern the train track at the back of the playing feild when the steam train used to run through we all ran to see the train it was the height light of our day but when the track was disbanded we used to climb the fence and play on the track collecting and digging for bottles and playing truant now they were good times

I have been noticing on a few of the members posts, that a lot of people cannot remember the names of people they went to school with. I started thinking about who I could remember and to my amazement I managed to come up with this list, It covers the time I was at Freddies from 1960-1964. Have a look and see how many names you remember and add them to my list. Another interesting thing might be if can find out what happened to people on the list of former pupils. I am sure this will bring back memories of school days gone by. Arthur Lindon Ken Sidwell Greg Palmer Cyril Maidment Christine Lennox Phil West Paul Salisbury Keith Wing Brian Thompson Brian Rostron Pete Batters John Hewitt Kevin Hewitt Geoff Kendal Jimmy Gallaway Roger Barnes Paul Young Ronnie Ablewhite Jarnail Singh Joe Jaqiunta Tony Ireland Ken Davies Nigel Ellkington John Bazel Andy Williams Barry Aldrick Ron Whenam David Thompson Paul Hatt Rod Barber Doug Wesley John Dutton Graham Chambers Pete Valance Dave Shaw Keith Ball Paul Gasgione Sandra Gosling Bernard Law George Macbeth Mickey Brooks Cliff Barnes Roger Tunniclife Dave Sutherland Rob Batchelor Richard Daleman Jimmy Lenton David Alexander John Alexander Lavinia Williams June Exton Hazel Davies Jean Hunkins EvoneJames Kathy Allan Elaine Barfield Diane Jelly Tom Agar. Anne Whale Barry Olden Don Beamont Maureen Oughton Maureen Halford John Haynes

hello dave owens you mentioned all these names but you forgot to mention if they were from the juniors or infants the reason is I remember barry aldrick, who is a good friend and has been for many years, also dave shaw who lived 3 doors away from me and barry olden sorry I cant remember anyone else the only names I can remember are from the secondary modern 1968 to 1971 I left at the age of 14

Hello Paul, I went to all the schools at Freddie's, most of the names listed I knew in senior school. I used to live on King Edward Rd, Baz Aldricks dad used to cut my hair. Dave Shaw was a good friend of mine in senior school. Didn't Barry Olden have ginger hair?

hi Dave Owens, from your list I knew quite a few, I was there from 1961-1965. Sorry to say that Don Beaumont, Dave Shaw, John Dutton and Barry Olden are no longer with us. I was good friends with all of the above Dave Shaw was my best mate, Barry Olden I grew up with him John Duttton and Don Beaumont was mates after we left school because of our interest in motorcycles.

Did Barry Olden live in the corner house of Winchester Street and what was Spring Street?

mickw, yes he did.