Mr. W. H. Reynolds, O.B.E.,  M.C.,  B.Sc.,   A.R.C.S.,  F.Inst.P.

Headmaster  1934 - 1956

JOHN B. JARVIS (1941 - 1948)

I came to King's Norton in September 1941, as World War Two was just entering its third year. I well remember my first day. I think it was the first time I had travelled by bus on my own and I proudly boarded the bus at Hole Lane. I had to walk there from South Road, although there were nearer stops; Hole Lane was the stage and the fare was only a halfpenny from there. I was wearing my new uniform which had taken most of the available clothing ration coupons.

On alighting from the bus I made my way through the school gates and was promptly pulled up by Riley, a prefect, who pointed out that the centre gates were not to be used by the boys and that I must go back and enter through the correct gate.  New boys (new bugs) were ragged unmercifully during the first few days,  the previous year's new boys usually being the most vicious.  There was a fence of iron railings between the playing fields and the playground and, the gate in this fence, could be opened back to form a sort of cage into which new boys were herded like sheep and punched and slapped by their elders. New boys were often made to carry the satchels of older boys. Fortunately, the novelty soon wore off and after about a week the new intake was regarded as part of the school.

I joined the school in form 2A. For some reason which I have never understood we had no first forms that year. The following year there were first forms but not second forms!  Possibly there was some method in this, but I never worked it out.   Our form-master was Mr. Rogers, who taught Art. I think this was a temporary appointment while the permanent Art master, Mr. Welburn, was in the forces.  Mr. Rogers later organised the Army Cadet Force Unit, which I joined when I was older.   The Air training Corps Unit was run by Mr. Reynolds, the Headmaster.

I was allocated to Greves House.  At that time new boys were put into the same house as other members of their family who had been at the school.  All sporting and most other activities were arranged in the form of Inter-House competitions.   As Games didn't interest me very much, I never represented my house and the only time l represented the school in anything other than Sports Day was in a Chess match at Solihull, where I left my queen en prise and lost easily. The highlight of the year on the sporting side was Sports Day.  Every boy was expected to enter for at least one event and I well remember marvelling at those stalwarts who ran four times round the perimeter of the field to complete the mile.

One of the innovations during the war was the Pig Club, organised by Mr. 'Piggy' Hindle.  Boys could buy a share for half a crown and this entitled the shareholders to buy some of the meat when the pigs were killed.  As meat was strictly rationed this was a valuable benefit.  However, as it entailed going to the school at weekends to clean out and feed the pigs,  which were kept in a pigsty on the playing fields near the pavilion,  it was not too popular with the shareholders, most of whom only joined because their mothers insisted on it to get the meat. The pigfood was often boiled by Mr. Hindle in the Biology Lab and could be smelled throughout the school. 'Piggy' Hindle was quite a character.  Most of the lower school were terrified of him, but he was a man whose teaching was no nine to four job. In addition to running the Pig Club, he organised the farming camps and helped with an Army Cadet Unit.

Farming Camps were great fun. Most often they were held at Offchurch, near Leamington Spa, and we were able to earn the princely sum of 9d per hour doing various jobs on the farm. In those war years it was the only holiday away from home that most boys got and all enjoyed it. I can well recall persuading one of the masters, 'Sniffer'   Ellis I think, that I could swim so that I could go with the other boys swimming in the stream not far from the camp. In fact, I had only the week before managed about three strokes.

School swimming took place at Stirchley Baths, and sometimes at Northfield, but always only in the Summer Term. I had almost given up hope of ever learning to swim when our swimming lessons were taken by Max Madders of Birmingham University during one of those many times during the war when we were without a Sports Master. Max Madders had an entirely new approach to teaching swimming. He made us kneel in the shallow end and run on our knees. It certainly worked for me and I have been a keen swimmer ever since.
'Sniffer'  Ellis was the Geography Master.  He also ran the School Stamp Club, which had displays of stamps in glass showcases at the top of the stairs. I think there were butterflies on display too. Mr. Ellis use to sell stamps to raise money towards sending food and clothing parcels to Old Boys in the forces. Contact with such Old Boys also occupied a great deal of the time of  'Pop'  Wright, the Second Master, so much so that often he didn't turn up for lessons until they were nearly over. Not that we minded!

Mr Wright

Other masters I remember included Mr. Wheeler,  who taught English and was very interested in naval battles. If we could get him talking about a battle, such as the Battle of Jutland, he would draw diagrams on the blackboard showing positions of ships,  and we could keep him going until the lesson was over. He was also the only master who gave me an A. I must have learnt something from him, because I still wince whenever I hear a split infinitive.

Then there was  'Sam'  Ecclestone.  How wonderful it was to meet him again at the Open Day,  nearly thirty-nine years since I last saw him. He was another who used to terrify the smaller boys with his shout of  'Wretched
fellow!'  but one we learned to respect as we moved up the school. I remember that he used to tell us that he only joined the AA to get the salute of the 'patrolmen', and I have often wondered what he thought when they stopped saluting.

'Ned' Cooling, the French Master, I shall always remember for his   'Wake your dozy self up!'  He was a keen athlete, and was responsible for the excellent way in which the School Sports Day was organised.

'Percy' Pickering, when I was in lower school, and Mr. Hargreaves later, instilled in many of us an interest in Science. 'Hagger' Hargreaves in particular was so keen on his subject that it was infectious. He had been a University Blue at Cricket and always distinguished himself in the annual Staff vs Boys match.

Space permits only a brief mention of unofficial playground activities.   In Winter there was always a long and fast slide from under the Hall windows to the Gymnasium. Most seasons there was 'Polly on the Mopstick', a kind of vaulting game by the entrance of the dining room. One would often hear a shout of 'Fight!' and everyone would dash out onto the playground or playing fields to watch the fighting until Staff or prefects broke it up.

I hope you will forgive my rambling. Long-winded reminiscences are a sign of impending old age I think. I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I have enjoyed recalling them.

Taken from "The Eagle" 1987 Special Anniversary Edition.