Frederick Bird School

Hi scrutiny, I left Freddies in 1958 and went to work at the BTH in Alma St. I was really glad to leave as I never liked school!

Hi Mayjan, I never disliked school, only "Shannon" the 1st yr teacher. Should have been sacked for his mistreatment of the kids (he liked children too much). You are 5yrs ahead of me, left in 1963, but you went to work where I lived, Alma St. was my playground. I lived in Lower Ford St. My dad worked at the BTH for most of his working life in Alma St. Small world, our paths must have crossed. For years I believed what my dad told me that BTH stood for, Bill, Tom and Harry's place, lol, was I gullible.

You're dead right about Shannon, scrutiny. If I had a pound for every time he smacked my bare bum when I ran out of the showers, I could have a week in Benidorm. He took me & some other lads from Freddies to Stratford once, in about 1962, in his Bedford van/minibus. i got in trouble for pinching sweets, etc, from Woolies. He used to live in Friars Road, just around the corner from where the job centre is now. Kids nowadays wouldn't put up with what we did from teachers back then. It's great to see the pic of the Freddies playground & woodwork & shower block. It brings back many memories. God bless all Freddies kids still around. Especially those abroad. Some are in Canada & Australia I believe. Cheers lads. Wherever you are.

Hello Doug, I have got to be careful how I phrase this, but, in approx 1999/2000 a Mr Sh---on, a retired school teacher who lived in Willoughby, near Rugby, got a 6yr sentence for his involvment in a child-porn ring. ?????? We had a very funny teacher who I hated with a passion. Shannon should have been sacked but in those days they were suppossed to be our betters. I could do with one of those now. to everyone.

Hi Mayjan. Do you remember the name of the female music teacher in the Juniors of Freddies? I used to fancy her rotten, even though I was ony nine or ten. She used to play the piano I think at assembly. I went to Freddies all my school life. I was probably in the Juniors till 1961, then in the Seniors till 1965, when I left to go to Henley College to be a chef. Big mistake that was. I wish though that I had been able to walk around Freddies one last time before they pulled it down. Just for old times sake.

Have racked my brains but can't think of the music teacher's name. The only names I can think of from the juniors are Mr Hartwell, Mr Williams, Mrs Bullock and Mr Lewis who was the Headmaster. I spent all of my school life at Freddies,1948-1958, failed my 11plus exam so that was it. My first job was at BTH in Lower Ford St on the assembly line. I left there to work in Sketchley Dry Cleaners in Earlsdon where I met my late husband Gary. I then worked at their branch in Far Gosford St, finally moving once again back to AEI Lower Ford St , previously BTH, working in the Stock Control Office. After that I gave up work for a few years whilst my children were small. I am now retired but do voluntary work. Where have the years gone!

Did you know the Blackwell family in King Edward Road whose daughters went to Frederick Birds?

Yes I remember Betty Blackwell. I think she may have had a sister, not sure. She did live in King Edward Road. I believe my sister Kathleen West was friendly with her at one time!

Betty is my mother (she died 9th Aug 2011) but she used to tell me about growing up around there. The baths and the school days. What a small world.

Very sorry to hear that your mum died recently Towerpower. I do remember her as being tall and slim when she lived in Hillfields. Must tell my sister about you. Have you any brothers and sisters and did your mum have a sister? Tricia who comes on the forum may remember her as she lived by me in Coronation Rd. Nice to hear from you. Hillfields was a great place to grow up in, shame it went downhill.

My mum had two sisters - Dorothy, 3 years older and Diana, 7 years younger. I have one sister. I remember going to King Edward Road when I was younger to visit my grandparents although I'm not that familiar with Hillfields, only with what I was told from my mum. Must have been happy times for her as she was always talking about it.

Can anyone tell me who the Frederick Bird was that the school was named for? I attended briefly in 1944 for about a year. After that I went to Stoke Heath junior school. I cannot find any reference to Frederick Bird the person on the internet.

Hi Argon, Frederick Bird was a chemist & druggist who had a shop in Spon St. There is almost next to nothing on the internet about him and Freddies school. I scoured the internet 2 yrs ago. In the foyer of the new school is a short history about Frederick Bird and his association with the old school. For such a prominent person to go unrecorded for his charity is a very poor show. THERE'S A CHALLENGE FOR YOU "ROB" I did have photos of the history but lost them when lightning hit the telephone line and blew my computer up. If Philip would like a walk round that way maybe he could take some pics of the history in the foyer, the people in there were very obliging. I wonder if anyone will take the hint Also, if you go to the "Memories of Frederick Birds School" on this forum there are a few photos.

Hello to all ex Freddies pupils. I have joined this fantastic site today and have been reading all the messages for the last three hours - my memories from the years 1961 thro to 1965 are flooding back. Teachers' names that are so familiar to me but no one else in my family know! I recall the sports I enjoyed at school with rugger and cricket being at the top of the tree. I remember that Mr. Douglas used to play cricket for Coventry & North Warwickshire and was apparently a mean offspinner, as well as a mean tech. drawing teacher. Names I remember tend to be related to the sports teams I was a member of, such as Keith Ager, Paul Martin, Raymond Clews, Billy Croft, Alan Rouse, Azad, Bruce Spencer, David & Dennis Dobson, David Wilson etc. etc. I was in Hales (BLUE) but remember Ford (RED), Wheatley (YELLOW) and Bond (GREEN) being the houses that came runners up in most of the sporting contests. Mr. Trotter the arts teacher, Mr. Harris for woodwork, Mr. Harrison for metalwork, Mr. Ireland for biology, and the deputy head's name escapes me, but he was short and had a small (Hitler like) moustache and taught science (Mr. Astle?), and Mr. Bannister who was our form tutor. I'm sorry for rambling but I have really enjoyed recalling my school days at Freddies and also looked up my days at John Gulson School before starting at senior school. If anyone remembers me or the time I was at Freddies please make contact!!

Hi Graham, I think the deputy head's name was Mr Clennet. Mr Bannister was the only teacher whom I know that could silence a class by slowly looking up from his desk, looking around the room and then looking back at his desk. He never caned anybody that I know of. He was good. I left in 1963. I enjoyed Freddies and have fond memories. You would have been in the second year. I looked after 1R as a prefect.