As promised here's a photo of the old school. The Oratory athletics team about 1954.

The teachers are Miss Croake and Mr J. Boggan. This should stir a few memories especially the beautiful ceramic pictures of the stations of the cross.

I'll leave out what names I remember so that viewers can test their memories.

I'm sure the team has maintained its training. For myself I'm lucky enough to be able to swim in the sea every day down here in Cornwall.

Kind Regards to all past Oratory Pupils who may remember my 

family, the D'Silvas.

Harry D'Silva

Here is a photo of the pupils who passed their 11 plus at the Oratory in 1954 and left all their old mates, to go to various Grammar Schools, the following September.

Back row left to right----- David Hunt, Ian Griffiths, Chris Mackay,   me Harry D'Silva.

Front row---  Bernard Welch, Stephen Webb, Margaret O'Brien? , ? Poole and ??.

I stayed at school  until I was sixty one years old, since I enjoyed it so much and retired as Headteacher a few years ago here in Cornwall.

I have very clear memories of the old Oratory school, its teachers and pupils. It was a privilege to have been there.

This photo was taken in the Oratory Junior school yard in 1953. I am on the back row 5th from the left.

Others in this photo are:

Tony Sargent - 2nd left back row

Robert Hannah - 5th right back row

Terry Malins - 2nd right back row   

Harry da Silva - 1st right back row

David Hunt - 1st right middle row

Pat Howell - 2nd right middle row

Maureen Boyle - 3rd right middle row

Pat Caveney - 7th right middle row

Valerie Halpin - 3rd right front row

Mick Walsh - 1st left front row

Yours faithfully

Alan Hicks

With reference to the 1953 school photograph sent in by my old friend Alan Hicks, I’m pretty sure that the girl third right ,front row, isn't Valerie Halpin but is in fact Maureen Faulding.

I thought then that Maureen was the fastest and most elegant runner I  had ever seen.

After more than forty years in both Primary and Secondary Education,  I still think so.

There wasn't a girl or boy who could get near her.

I've no doubt that had she wanted to, she could have made it to international level later.

I am in the process of getting a couple of Oratory school photos ready to forward to you, circa 1954.

Hello

My Dad and I came across this site when on a trip to Birmingham and we realised that there was a website dedicated to Ladywood, so we have just been having a look at the website and Dad has been re-living lots of memories.

Dad lived at 6 back of  101 Monument Rd after he was born Loveday Street Maternity Hospital in 1927.  His parents were Cyril George Booth, born in Burbery Street in Lozells and Mary Elizabeth Withers, born in Beech Street, and he had a sister called Elsie and a brother called Arthur. Dad went to the Oratory boys school in Oliver Road and can remember Father Charles and Father Joseph and also Sisters Margaret and  Joseph. There was also a Miss Bradley. 

We have enclosed a photo of The Oratory Choir in 1935. Dad is the last one on the right of the front row, 2 away from him is his brother Arthur and the 4th lad from the left on the front row is John Wood.  The 4th person on the 2nd row is Mr Collins, who was the organist and next to him is Father Robert who was the choirmaster.  3rd in on the 3rd row was Jack Lewis. Dad can't recall the names of any of the others in the photo, perhaps somebody can help.

Nan moved to 144 Wiggin Street in 1949 after she remarried Henry Austin Rutter, who was a signalman on the railway at Monument Rd box, He came from  Freeth St.  I can recall that Mrs Spriggs lived next door at 143 Wiggin St and the Stewartsons lived at 145 Wiggin Street. 

At the back of the house was the bomb site that has been mentioned previously in Marroway St.  Fred Hadley used to repair the cars on the end of Marroway Street and Dad can also remember going for faggots and peas from the shop in Northbrook Street.

Thank you for allowing us to re-live a few memories and we will be looking in the photo boxes for more photo's to send you.

Yours

Frank Booth and

Helen Bird

Coronation Day at the Oratory School

Some of the names we have are ???Girling, Betty Brayshaw, Stanley Blackford, David Curran

Christopher Brayshaw,??? Patterson; Jacqueline Brayshaw

Back row : Me (Margaret Aston (nee Thomas); Rose Boucher; Pat McKay; Pat Baker; Alice Findley

Front Row: Doreen Kingscott (nee Nation); Margaret ???; Mary Crowe

Many thanks to Margaret Aston for this photograph of the 1954-55 Netball Team

This photo was taken in approximately 1958 in the Woodwork shop at the Oratory School

Many thanks to Tony Walsh for this photograph

The Oratory Cricket Team, 1938

The two people marked with "x" are Joe Knight and Frank Knight

Photograph courtesy of Lilian Mawson