Mr Yardley was a legend of our school
GEORGE Yardley was deputy head master of Brook Street Primary School during my time there (1962-68) and eventually head teacher for a short time.
I believe that this photograph was taken in July 1980 when he retired after 30 years at the school.
Mrs Gobey is also pictured, retiring after 28 years. Mr J.W. Goodwin was the head during my time, having started in 1953 and serving until 1971. He was replaced by Mr George Hodgson who was head master until 1979 when he was appointed as adviser to the Dudley Metroploitan Board Education Committee.
A year earlier George had been ordained as a deacon in the Church of England and would become a stalwart of Holy Trinity Church, Wordsley, where he baptised our
Emily,
daughter, 1984.
George Yardley, who had been presented with a silver table lighter in December 1975 to mark 25 years at the Brook, had one year in the head master’s chair, the academic year 1979-80, after George Hodgson’s departure. Another extraordinary servant to the school left the Brook on the same day that I did, July 19th 1968, but after 47 years there. Miss N. W. Bowater, known as Nellie, had joined in February 1921 and dedicated her whole career to the school. in June
Opened
The first school was opened on 21st August 1882 and situated in the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Brettell Lane, Amblecote, and was known as the Kingswinford, Brettell Lane Board School (Staffordshire) until November 10th 1884. Its first head master was
Mr B.F. Mason, who was to give over forty years of service.
At 3pm on this date H.W. Foley of Prestwood Hall opened the new school buildings on the corner of Brook Street and Camp Hill, the A491. It was first known as the Kingswinford and Wordsley Brook Street Council School but very soon the Brook Street Junior Mixed and Infants School.
Mr Mason recorded the opening in his head master’s log: “The schools are bounded on three sides by the main road leading from Wordsley towards Stourbridge, and by Brook Street and Sutton Street respectively, and are divided into two blocks, one of which is a mixed school and the other an infants’ school.
“Altogether accommodation is provided for 400 children. Of this number, the mixed school will accommodate 280 children and the infants 120. In the mixed school there are four classrooms, each having separate access for boys’ and girls’ porches, and each of the porches is provided with hat rooms and lavatories.
Creatures
“Entrance to the boys’ department is from Brook Street. The girls’ and infants’ departments are entered from Sutton Street. Accommodation for these very interesting omnivorous creatures ‘the babies’ has not been neglected, there being a room specially provided on the most approved principles for their wants.”
Mr Mason continued: “Mr J.H. Bate, contractor of Dudley, under the supervision of Mr Thos. Robinson, architect, of Stourbridge, has carried out the work in a satisfactory manner.
“The contract for the buildings, including the boundary walls was £2,000, but the total cost, including the site, hot water apparatus, gas service and fittings (supplied by Mr J. Saunders of Enville Street, Stourbridge), and furniture is £7. 5s. 0d. per head of the 400 children for whom the accommodation has been provided.”
Centenary
These details are included in an account of the school’s history on the occasion of its centenary (1882 – 1982) by none other than S. George Yardley.
In 1936 the current site of Brook Primary was opened as Audnam Secondary Modern School. In 1972 the secondary school moved to Buckpool – now the Wordsley School – and the Brook moved to the Audnam site, its present home.
But enough about buildings and history. George Yardley was a legend and our Year 6 teacher – I believe he was a paratrooper in the Far East in the Second World War. Above all he was our football and cricket coach, often dragging the television into our classroom to watch the test cricket or catch up on the racing results. In our Year 6 we had all-conquering football and cricket teams.
As a result of my poor showing in the previous match Mr Yardley dropped me for the cricket
final that was played at the old Quarry Bank Primary School, but asked me instead to score the match. Not the same I know but he still tried to
include me and I scored us to victory.
He probably signed this for everyone but I still have his treasured message in my autograph book from that last day at the Brook in July 1968: ‘May the road wind with you, and the wind be ever behind you. All the best in the future. S.G. Yardley.’