City of Coventry Boarding School

Thursday, September 20, 2012

More Sports Photos 1

Peter Dawson has contributed these from Coventry archives.

Assorted Photos from the Archives

Peter Dawson contributed these from Coventry archives.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Mr Martin - Headmaster 1942 - 52

Thanks to Peter Dawson, who via the Coventry archives, has come up with a photo the school's second head master - Mr Martin - in between Mr Donaldson 1940 - 42 and Mr Morris 1953 - 1960.

We now have a photo of all the headmasters (to the best of my knowledge).
If anyone has any memories of Mr Bert Martin - please share on the comments here or on the facebook page.

Here's the photo.

The Boarder Issue 1 - School magazine 1957 - 58

Thanks to Michael Billings for sending the first of 4 yearly editions of The Boarder. This is issue No 1 published end of summer term 1958 to cover the 1957 - 58 academic year. We already have the last of the 4 editions for 1960 - 61. They have proved a great time-casual, giving us an insight into the many activities and events during the relevant school year. 1957 was an important year in the history of the school and so it is good to have this copy. Mr Morris, headmaster, oversaw the transition of the school from Wyre Farm Camp School to city of Coventry Boarding school. The dorms (with Coventry names like Earlsdon) changed into 'Houses' that are familiar to later pupils like Dudley, Mortimer and Blount. GCE's were introduced, Mr Thorne joined the school, Mr Place left temporarily to study metal work at Loughborough College, the Coventry Coat of Arms changed to reflect the Phoenix and this involved changing the coat of arms on the school entrance sign and much more as you'll find if you read the magazine on PDF file here.

Cleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors Light Railway

Michael Billings sent this pamphlet from 1963 about the Cleobury - Ditton Priors line. The line was still operating to an extent in 1962 - 3 when I started but closed shortly after. Tales ensued about a ghost train - The Cleobury Flyer - but in the late 50's when Michael was there - the engine was a reality!

Here are some photos. The pamphlet can be read by following the link given. It looks at the (1) Conception and Construction of the line in the quiet Shropshire of the Rea Valley / (2) Inspection and Opening / (3) Locomotives and Rolling Stock / (4) Independent Operation / (5) The Abdon Clee Stone Quarries / (6) The Great Western and the Admiralty / (7) Along the Line Today / (8) Bibliography.

" The quiet Rea Valley of southern Shropshire changed little during the 19thC. Essentially rural, its lack of proper communications caused it to remain virtually unknown to the rest of the world. Roads and railways grew up to surround the region at a distance but nothing of any great importance penetrated up the valley. It was not that local rail development was never advocated: such schemes as the Ludlow, Bridgenorth and Wolverhampton Railway would have cut right across the district, but they were all too un-founded to last. However, as in many other places, the Light Railways Act of 1896 turned what seemed an unlikely dream into a feasible proposition. By the turn of the century a number of local landowners and inhabitants were seriously considering the possibility of promoting a line from the Great Western Railway at Cleobury Mortimer up the valley, with a view to exploiting their not inconsiderable interests there. Chief amongst them was Lord Boyne, for the most important factor in the construction of the railway was to be the opening up of the extensive deposits of Dhu Stone on his estates." (Enter Clee Hill quarries..)