Stoke (Council) School (Briton Road & Annexe)

Good morning. Rob Orland answers this query. Topic: Stoke School (Briton Road & Annexe) Post 48 I think the school was, like you said, only called "Briton Road" school unofficially to identify it, but was Stoke Primary School in my days, although we knew it as either Stoke Infants or Stoke Junior School depending on which part we were in at the time. My dad also went there in the late 1940s, and then it was known as Stoke Council School.

Hi again David, Firstly, as Heathite has correctly related above, it is definitely Stoke "Council" School, and I've just altered the topic title to better inform future readers. I showed my dad your post last night, and he vaguely recalled a Miss Mold as a class teacher, although not for his own class. He doesn't recall your name, unfortunately, although to be honest I can only remember the name of one or two classmates from when I was 8 years old, and probably none from other classes, however memorable they might have seemed at the time! One thing that did surprise him, however, was that you'd have attended a school so far away from Kingfield Road!

Rob, Thank you for your interest in my school report of 68 years ago. As your father has rightly pointed out and as is the case with me, it is very unlikely any of us can remember much from school when we were that young. Your comment regarding me attending when the home address I quoted was so far away from this school. I am unsure of the timing/when but my parents did buy a house in Sewall Highway and that/maybe this is the address I went to Stoke Council Junior School. Would that make more sense?? I also have a report for an Eastbury School term ending July 1945 (I was only 4). One distinct memory I have is having to put our free school milk bottles on the radiator, to warm the milk before we drank it. For some reason this has stuck in my memory. I have always had a proud feeling of my place of birth and my early years. I have always maintained my British passport and am very proud as I research more about Coventry I become even more proud of being a Coventarian. It is amazing the history and brave of heart personality of a city that has been through over such a long time. The other thing I am proud of is that even after all these years people still say I have an English accent and this makes me feel good. One other memory perhaps of Sewall Highway was that a sort of tenement walking lane ran along the back boundary of this property and was also where we went to go to an air raid shelter when the sirens went off. Thanks for your interest and my mind is now turning cartwheels trying to put this part of my years into some sort of order. Anyway thanks and regards to your father. David Hodgetts

Hello David. This image shows that your mother visited Kingfield Road in June 1959 with your sister, does this ring true. It could help to clear up the address.

Heathite, Thanks for this info, my sister Louise was born in NZ, the 4th child that came along after the family moved from Coventry to Auckland NZ. I think that this return to Coventry by mother and her 4th child was to see her mother and father and sister. This shows that they lived in Kingfield Road but the street number 130 mystifies me as I am fairly sure her parents lived at 182 but mother's sister Doll also lived in Kingfield Road and this could have been where she was staying. I remember waving them goodbye from the wharf in Auckland as they sailed on the Castel Felice or the Fairsea passenger ships of an Italian shipping company. Thanks for the info, much appreciated and slowly filling in the gaps. Regards David Hodgetts

I was at Stoke School Briton Rd 1953 till 1959 then Caludon Castle 1959 to 1965 Anyone in same years please respond, anyone with old photos Adrian Hughes Coventry

Hi just a few more things come to mind. I caught a bus (boys in 2nd one) at the Devonshire Arms to go to Briton Road school it always was one of the oldest they could find in the depot. I recall being a milk monitor and in winter we had to find it under snow and ice. Anyone out there recall the years 1954 till 1961 at the school, Mrs Carters class 1961 was my final year till I went to Caludon Castle.

Did you see my photo? Post number 32. Anybody you recognise there??

I have a photo somewhere taken I believe in 1960 in the playground of Mrs Carter's class.

Thank you Flairybell for sharing your memories of Stoke infants - I went there in 1964 and can remember being in Miss Ellis' class and learning to write on a little chalk board. In the afternoons we could paint and play which I liked best. I remember too putting our chairs on our desks and singing the prayer at the end of the day. I can still recall the smell of the wood, as I would rest my head on the chair legs. When it came to the Junior School was anyone in the children's musical 'The Chef who ruled the world'? We performed it at the Butts theatre. I was not a particularly naughty child but I do remember getting the ruler across my hand from Mrs Carter! I made a bag to keep my P.E pumps in, and I still have it; green gingham and and my name embroidered in chain stitch. I keep my socks in it.

I was in Miss Cawley's class, though I think I got on okay with her. She used to take us to the swimming baths. Our class room was one of the 'Terrapin' prefab class rooms in the play ground. I do remember though having to knit slippers. It was a disaster! I had to keep undoing them so much that the wool went all furry. Anyway, my mum helped out and I now love knitting.

I was also at Stoke during this period. I left this school in August 1956, my last class was 4A run by Jack Woodward who I think shortly afterwards became head of Cheylesmore school. I remember all of the teachers you named, but I think Mr Knight was our History teacher. Joe Hurst I well remember as I was a member of the choir that won The Leamington Festival possibly in 1955/6. You can find a picture of the choir with Joe and Sid Bonham featured in a Coventry Evening Telegraph publication "Memories Of Coventry. ISBN 0 902464 264. I am in the front row six from the right. I have happy memories of Mr Mortimer, who also ran a geology club and took us on trips to Harbury quarry fossil hunting. You know, I don't think we realised how good school was until we left. Another favourite was Taff Watkins who I met on The Town Wall Tavern perhaps a couple of years before he passed away, I think in the last 10 years. I went up to him and said hello, and would you believe it he knew my name, incredible. Great memories.

Hi Crofty and welcome to our forum! I wonder if you'll recognise the teacher in this picture....? The photo was taken during the 1951-52 year, and front row, 3rd from the right, is my dad, Bill Orland. It was these kids' last year before Senior School, so you'd not have seen them around, but I have the feeling that the teacher might be named Mr. Gater, in which case he was still there when I started in 1970.

Adrian, we were in the same year at Caludon. I was in Segrave and then Clifford, leaving in 63. Sorry your name is not familiar after all this time but Caludon wasn't a great experience for me and I remember very few classmates. Do you remember anyone?