Edgewick School

As I approach 80 years of age, my mind goes back to when I started school at Briton Road in 1939 just before the outbreak of war in Sept. After about six months I left to go to Edgewick School in Foleshill as my dad was a tram conductor based at Foleshill Depot. I was wondering if there are any former pupils from this era who are still able to recall this period in time and remember the damage to the school in the November blitz. My memory isn't so good now but I can recall the names of two teachers, Miss Burton and Mrs Gawthorpe.

I am a teacher at Edgewick Primary and I am currently researching the history of the school for a topic that I shall be starting next term. Does anybody have any memories of the school, in particular the head teachers or old school building? I have currently managed to find the head teachers for up to 1952, however I seem to be struggling to get more recent information. Also, any fond memories of the school would be much appreciated as I'm sure this will appeal to the current pupils. Linda

Hi Linda & welcome to our forum. Let's hope that our members come up with your requests, or if not, you may have to give us a detention, or even worse, for us to have to write lines.

Hello Linda. I worked for a demolition company, and can remember knocking down the old school in the late 60s (not sure of the date) there was a bit of an issue with the playground, we were not allowed to cross it with our vehicles as they wanted it to stay which made the job difficult to say the least. Sorry no photos though

Hello Linda. I have a class photo of my mother and other pupils taken about 1908 (class 7) showing the old type of desks and the painted brick walls. I also attended Edgewick school 1940-1946. What I remember most was how cold it was in winter as there was only a coal fire at the front of the class and we had to take it in turns to get warm. I also recall the bombing of the infants part and having to share the juniors dept. I remember two headteachers, Mr. Newbury who retired about 1943 and Mr. Wills who replaced him. I hope this information will be of use to you.

Keith Robinson was the head in 1967 and one of the long-term teachers there at that time was Marj Forde. I did a couple of weeks of unqualified teaching there in the Autumn of 1967 before going to training college.

Linda If you can gain access to the school log books, you should glean an immense amount of information from those. If they are not on the school premises, they may have been lodged in the archives currently held at The Herbert in the local history section.

Hello Linda I left Edgewick in 1971 and Mr Robinson was still the head teacher. Teachers that I remember were Mrs Butcher, Mrs Owen and Mr Baynham.

Hello. I came upon this site whilst revisiting my childhood days in Foleshill. I can connect with the comments made by DENCOL much earlier and I think he/she was a pupil at Edgwick School, possibly a couple of years earlier than myself when considering age mentioned. We lived in Churchill Avenue, obviously not popular with the bombers as we had an incendiary bomb through our roof which fortunately was put out quickly so caused very little damage. However, on more than one occasion, large craters had to be repaired in our road, their target more likely the Riley car works at the top of the road or Alfred Herbert Machine Tools across the other side of Foleshill Road at the bottom. I began school as a youngster, moved up to first year juniors in a classroom which sloped down to the front, so clear vision for everyone and I think the lovely teacher's name was Miss Holmes. Next step up was the rather stern Miss Humphries(?) and finally top class and Head Teacher Miss Courts with Mr. Wills as Headmaster. I think that's about right. I am well into the 80s now. I also remember cold winter classrooms with Miss Courts and her lovely welcoming fire and the crate full of small milk bottles nearby to defrost those that didn't like ice on their milk. I remember one snowy morning following a workman clearing the pathway to school and the playground being a bit dodgy sliding on snow and ice as it had quite a slope down to the classrooms. Only for the brave! I sang in the school Nativity play at Christmas which led to a school friend taking me to see the Vicar at St Paul's Church which held services and also a youth club in the functions room behind the church which had suffered bomb damage. This meeting led to me becoming a chorister and footballer in the Choirboys' League. The choir later invited to join in concerts in Holy Trinity, Coventry and Warwick. Hope this jogs a few more memories of yesteryear and many happy, if sometimes hard, times.

Hi & welcome, stpauls. Pull up a chair & have cuppa. Thank you for your most interesting post.