Photos 1955 / 56 from Roger McGee

At the Reunion, Roger McGee brought in some photos and material that he rescued from the main hall at the school some time ago. I asked him to send me scans of the material. These are the photos I've received so far. They seem to be from around 1955 / 56 with headmaster Mr Morris featured on most of them. If any more arrive, I will add them to this post. The Brochures and magazine will be posted separately. Apologies to Roger - I got his name wrong originally. The URL still has the mistake in but I can't change that without redoing the whole post and some people have bookmarked it now.

Tom Merry winning the Cross country at the Memorial Park, Coventry.

The following are from the 1955 (ish) School  Brochure

Cycling Club

After Lights Out.

Puppetry.

Coventry Telegraph Feature on Wyre Farm Camp School

I think some of this information came from this site. It's part of a feature on Coventry's Lost schools and Colleges by Lucy Lynch. Thanks Lucy.

"Coventry Boarding School

In the 1930s government ministers were worried about working class children living in cramped accommodation in polluted industrial cities.

The National Camps Corporation recommended setting up a series of boarding schools around the country to give children a chance to live in the countryside.

But soon after war broke out and only a few were ever finished. Coventry got one which was Wyre Farm Camp School in Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire.

By the time it was finished the Second World War had started and the first pupils were evacuees from the bombing.

In 1957 Coventry City Council’s education bosses took charge and the camp became Coventry Boarding School. Many of the children were from military families whose parents were serving abroad.

Among the memories pupils have are swimming in an unheated outdoor pool, long cross country runs through the hills and long walks to church every Sunday.

For many it was their first time away from home. Some cried and some tried to run away but with few buses and no trains for miles they didn’t get very far.

Once a month there would be a visiting day when relatives would arrive in a fleet of buses from Coventry. And once a week pupils were allowed into the village to spend their pocket money on sweets and cakes.

The school closed in the early 1980s. Coventry City Council bosses were funding most of the places and said it was too expensive to run, citing a high staff to pupil ratio. It is now a outdoor activity centre."

The full article can be viewed here - http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-warwickshires-lost-schools-colleges-7550478

Thanks to Charles Joyce for sending the actual cutting from the Coventry Telegraph

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.

The Cricket Pavilion - Lower Field

Stephen Donald raised an interesting point when he said on one of his photos

"I wonder how many people on the blog remember the old cricket pavilion getting struck by lightning about 1960 I think. Bottom playing fields near where you used to come in off cross country."

Peter Weaver told us he didn't think it was there in in 1953 and Trev Teasdel and Ray Bothwell couldn't recall it being there after 1962, so perhaps it was demolished after lightening had hit it. We have no photo on here with it on, that I've noticed.

However Rosemary and Stan Webb remembered it as did Michael Billings who was there in the late 50's around the same time as Stephen Donald - here's what they said on the Facebook page -

Michael Billings Yes it was there when I left in 1958. It was half way down the bottom field between the Headmasters Cottage & the road. Was really only used during inter house cricket matches or when we were against the local school from Cleobury. The mower and the cricket pitch roller were kept at the side of the pavilion. The rest of the time it was locked but was pretty ramshackle."

Steve Webb Hmmm- cannot remember a lock on it. It was a very small building- maybe about 10 feet wide only. Made of logs. The space inside was room enough perhaps for 3 ordinary chairs. The entrance was in its centre, and each side of the entrance was a small "balcony" made purely of vertical logs so that when sitting in it, you could watch the cricket! I do not recall the lightning incident, but do recall that it was there in 1957 when we arrived and only lasted another 4 or 5 years before being removed. I never, ever saw it actually being used.

Rosemary Webb Rehill I remember playing inside it. Strangely enough I remember the weird woody smell...!

Steve Webb Yes- I too can recall the strange smell, which was probably creosote. I also recall that adjacent to it, towards the hedge, about 1957, was a small school garden which was no longer in use, (having been transferred onto the other field near to the hedge,) but still productive enough for Rosie and I to pull up, and eat, fresh carrots and soil, and pick and eat red currants.


Paul Nicholas Williamson The cricket pavilion, yes it has come to me, it was a black white wooden structure situated by the apple tree's opposite the dining hall, on odd occasions someone would park his car there when having one or two whiskeys too many. Looking at the photo it was situated to the left of the cricket square.

If anyone has a photo with the Cricket pavilion on, please send it a long / let us know or upload it to the school facebook page.

Sports Teams 1977 from Andy Winters

Andy Winters just loaded these to the other school Facebook page - City of Coventry School Page. There maybe more coming...