It was a revelation to find your webpage, and I am glad to contribute my own recollections.

Almost as soon as I joined the school in Sept 1939, we were evacuated to Gloucester where we shared a school (I think it was the Crypt Grammar School) with the local students. The locals used the premises each morning, so we evacuees could get our schooling in the afternoons. This lasted for about seven months, during which more and more students trickled back to Birmingham. Finally, there were so few of us left they closed the program down and I found myself back in Claines Road with my parents - in time to experience the worst air raids on Birmingham.

The school had several brick and concrete air raid shelters sufficient to hold all the staff and students. Air raid drills were frequently staged, which were great fun - after all, they interrupted classes. Once or twice there were genuine air raids which chased us into the shelters, but that did not happen too often. Anyway, in 1941 I think, a bunch of us were evacuated again - this time to Loughborough, where we stayed for a school year.

Because a lot of American military personel were stationed in the B'ham area during the war, they had an active baseball league. One summer day, they sent a couple of teams to the school to play a demonstration game. They also brought along a sound truck to give a running commentary. To cut a long story short, a couple of boys were smuggled into the truck where they revealed 'facts' to the commentator about some of the teachers. I cannot remember what was said about who (in fun of course), but I know there were one or two red faces around when it was over!

Mr Reynolds, the Head at that time, had an effective system to deal with students who got into trouble. Although he caned their backsides, the canes were so light and thin they barely stung--and after each punishment, he would always snap the cane across his knee and toss it into the waste basket. So the next bad boy who was sent into his formidable presence was given a couple of pennies, which he had to spend in the local tuck shop to purchase another cane. Imagine the humiliation of having to purchase the instrument of your own punishment! I don't think there were many repeat offenders.

Nowadays, schools usually have elaborate ceremonies to honour their graduating students. When I received my School Certificate in 1944, I was told to stop by the shool office to pick up the certificate--and that was it!

Teachers I remember include Ms. Clarke, an Australian lady who taught french. It was by far my worst subject, yet somehow she got me through it. Then there was Mr Morley, whose subject was Math. There was 'wake your dozy self up' Cooling.  English teacher 'Plum' Thomas had an unerring aim with a piece of chalk (and a lot to do with my success as a published writer). Mr Hindle, who if I recollect taught biology, had a tin can full of nuts and bolts which he tossed on to a table near you if you were not paying attention. That made you jump! Mr Eccleston (physics) was a teacher everyone liked.

I remember some of the personalities who visited the school, including old boy Dr Roxbee Cox* who worked with Frank Whittle on the first jet engine. Another old boy (I think his name was Squadron Leader Scott) led the first RAF raid on Germany proper--the Kiel Canal. We had occasional visits from sections of the Birmingham Symphony, which had a lot to do with my current appreciation of classical music. I also remember school-sponsored visits to the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, where we saw everything from Ibsen to Shakespeare.

* Dr Roxbee Cox was to be later known as Lord King's Norton. He attended the school  when it first opened in 1912.

Submitted by E-Mail - December 1999