The Leaning spire of Cleobury - Two Photos by Raymond Bothwell

Ludlow - Some New Photos from Raymond Bothwell

Mr Pip Pip (Chris Applebey) Room on the top left is where I proposed to my wife. I visit Ludlow often, but to my disappointment, De Grey's tea rooms were closed. Dan Snow, BBC historian, recently described their cream teas as the world's best, and Keira Knightley and Steven Fry were enthusiastic visitors. I think 90% of Ludlow girls at some time would have put on the black and white uniform and served there. A real loss to the town. I know it is still a foody-mecca with more Michelin starred restaurants than anywhere in the UK outside London, but this was an institution, rather than a more recent yuppy import. There is still a fairly decent tea room around the corner from there, almost opposite the Costa place. Small wooden floored rooms with narrow staircases and proper tea.

Stuart McDonald Thanks for posting, brings back memories. My old man used to take me for lunch there on visiting days which made a decent change from school food!

Rosemary Webb Rehill Love that place. I have a picture of it on a wall here in my family room. We spent the first night of our honey moon there. I remember the crooked floors and low ceilings. Very unique!

Peter Ingram-Tedd You remember things like crooked floors and low ceilings …. on the first night of your honeymoon? Blimey!

MrPip Pip (Chris Applebey) I remember the room well. (Mine not yours!) As the end room and with it leaning out over the street the floors were very uneven. The bed had to be chocked up on one side so that it was level. This meant that standing on one side of the bed it was knee height and on the other at hip height.

Chris Burrows We stayed at The Feathers for our 25th wedding anniversary. It was lovely. On De Greys, it was only yesterday whilst walking around Ludlow that we realised that it had closed - how sad!

Rosemary Webb Rehill Yes I'm so sad to read that! I always had coffee and a cream cake after going to the dentist. Loved De Greys!

if you go in the cafe in the castle this pair are there 

Classroom scene with Mr Langley c 1956 and the Bridge at Ron Hill.

Graham Clark added this to the City of Coventry School facebook page. After some discussion they arrived at the conclusion that it was teacher mr langley in the photo. Graham Clark is front, middle - Blount 37.

Graham Clark also added this recent photo of the bridge near Ron Hill -

This bridge was both part of the Cross Country run ( if you didn't have to go through the river!) and where "The Bridge has been rebuilt since our time there. There is now steps up to the bridge as you can see in the picture where as before it was just a style type fence with which I tripped on the top rung and broke my arm (.Had a devil of a job to get me to the car to go to Kidderminster Hospital. Bottom of Ron Hill" Says Graham.

NEW ADDITIONS - VISITING DAYS

A couple of photos of Graham and his parents on Visiting day 1958 on Clee Hill, feeding the sheep.

Graham Clark Used to look forward to parents visiting day. Here a pictures of me on Clee Hill feeding the sheep, Spring 1958. Think we had a old Austin 7 in those days.

Pic of an Austin 7

Paul Rees There was Visiting day (Viso as we called it) per half term if my memory serves me. About every 6 weeks. Coaches came from pool Meadow in Cov for those not driving over.

Sarah Williams I remember visiting days because sometimes Dad had to be on duty and also because we couldn't make such free use of the school grounds.

Rosemary Webb Rehill Yes it was always a Sunday. I liked them because we got cream cakes from Onions. I disliked them because the coaches parked in the driveway and people could see into the living room!! Lol

Sarah Williams Thats why I remember the coaches! Somehow I forgot the cream cakes. Were they ordered for the visitors?

Rosemary Webb Rehill Yes, it was always the same menu. Ham salad followed by cream cakes. I never liked the pink ham with the strip of fat.... Ick!!!!

Stephen Donald I only remember them once a term, but I never got visitors so that maybe the reason I don't remember them too well. I remember one visiting day where 2 teachers took me and another lad out for the day, I think it was Mr Lovatt and Mr Thomas. Another time was having a meal with Mr Webb and his family, maybe Rosemary will remember that. And of course as I mentioned in an earlier post, when I volunteered to let people throw sponges at my face.

Trev Teasdel Stephen's mention of "Sponges" reminded me that on one of the last Visos before I left in 67, the parents / Teachers association organised a fund raiser for the school via stalls on the playground during Viso. My parents were on the PTA and I remember we did a stall near the Assembly hall that day instead of going out and about.

Tim Naylor Yep Trev they did the same thing in the early 70 s, Mick Chopping did a spin the wheel stall, with good prizes....top prize...a bottle of Matteus rose wine...how things have changed....lol

Sarah Williams Someone used to get crockery seconds, whole but unglazed, from Stoke on Trent for a smash the plates stall.

Rosemary Webb Rehill Stephen I don't remember you coming to tea but I know it happened every now and again. My parents were very kind, loving people.

Stephen Donald They were lovely people as I remember, especially considering I was a cause of inconvenience when I ran away.

Lionel John Aubrey - At Wyre Farm Camp School 1946 - 49

A while ago we re-posted material from the BBC site The War Years in which Lionel John Aubrey gave an account of life at Wyre Farm Camp School between 1946 and 1949, with an interesting early itinerary showing the times and activities on a typical day. Much remained the same except lights out was much later and a few tweaks here and there. The site is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/70/a6764970.shtml

Recently Lynne Tiltman - Lionel's daughter got in contact with us and has joined us on Facebook. She has sent a couple of photos, one of which was on the BBC site and she possibly has a register too. Here is the photo and the school report that Lynne has sent -

Further material and links on this site on the War and Post war years.

1. Here is the post on this site http://wyrefarmed.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/war-years.html

And some other material on war and post war years at the school -

2. Another war years post from the BBC site http://wyrefarmed.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/wyre-farm-camp-school-during-war.html

3. Material in the Coventry Telegraph - http://wyrefarmed.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/a-wartime-from-home-evacuees-at-wyre.html Dennis Whiteley

4. Another article from the Coventry Telegraph http://wyrefarmed.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/how-jars-of-jam-helped-make-life-bit.html

5. Press cuttings from the War Years from the Pioneer Centre archives http://wyrefarmed.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/press-cuttings-from-war-years.html

6. Memories of the war years by Pat Bryan - former teacher whose parents taught at the school during the war - http://wyrefarmed.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/school-in-war-and-post-war-years.html

Comments from Facebook

Rick Medlock is a Coventry drummer who has played in many Coventry bands over the years and says -

Rick Medlock My dad was there during WW11.  Unfortunately my dad died when I was in my early twenties so unable to ask about his time there. I do remember him talking about the bombing raids on Coventry and Birmingham as you could see the sky lit up by the bombing from the school. He said some of the kids would run off back home after seeing that. He also talked about scrumping raids organised by one of the teachers. They would black up and do it like a military raid on a local farm. He believed it was organised with the knowledge of the farmer. Also some children found some incendiary bombs and hid them under there dormitory LOL That is as much information as I have unfortunately. I went there as a child for a school holiday.  From what I remember my dad telling me they got into big trouble over that. I assume they were dud otherwise they would have probably gone off.

James Lovatt - Music and R.E. Teacher - City of Coventry Boarding School

There has been much speculation about the much revered James Lovatt among former CCBS pupils on the Facebook site and a general idea that he retired to the Exeter district. The original M28 (ie the M28 before me - Trev Teasdel who started the school in 1962) sent an email to this site with a photo from the Exeter and District Organists association site. Here is the website that M28 sent - http://www.exeterorganists.net/

James Lovatt is 5th from the right with his wife Angela.
Exeter Cathedral, 15 January 2013 From left to right: Eileen Smith, John Nicklin, Roger and Frances Quartly, Jock Smith, Lorna Cowdry, David Oates, Audrey Williams, Peter Johnstone, Keith Wadlan, Matthew Clark, Sandra Wadlan, Mike Pagliero, Cor and Kaye van der Wijngaard, Adrian Pollitt (partly hidden), David Lee, Graeme and Helen Pryor, Andrew Millington, Geoffrey Archer, Mike Lowman,Graham Willson, Michael Andrews, David Davies, Angela Lovatt, Michael Graham,James Lovatt, Anne Pagliero, John Harris, Bob Millington, Diane Walker. The photograph was taken by Malcolm Walker (pictured right).

Other photos on the site that seem to be Mr Lovatt - 

James Lovatt - 3 from right with his wife.

James Lovatt - teacher on the right back in 1966.

James Lovatt was the Housemaster for Blunt and taught music and RE and mentored the Cross Country team - contributed to the varied activities of  the school in many other ways as many of you have remembered.

Comments from Facebook

Paul Nicholas Williamson That is Mr Lovatt, he was always a keen organist went to many churches with him whilst he played the organ. We used to go in his Alvis car which had running boards and then he had a white mini. He would take three or four of us out at a time.