aston Reunions

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Heartlands Local History Society.

"Keeping The Old End alive"
Tel: 0121 628 0350 for more details
heartlands.history@blueyonder.co.uk
http://www.heartlandshistory.com

 

 


History of the Burlington Street & Upper Thomas Street Reunion by Sylvia Sayers

In 1978 Burlington Street School celebrated its century, and Minnie Wassall nee Bown an ex neighbour from copeley Street was working at the school and suggested to Mr. Burgess the then headmaster that it would be a nice idea to invite past pupils to see a pageant the pupils were enacting highlighting events over the 100 years of the school's history taken from the log books.

a Warm Welcome From Sylvia Sayers

a piece was published in the Evening Mail asking ex pupils to ring and book a place, apparently it was so successful it ran over a couple of nights. The Lord Mayor of Birmingham attended, he was no other than George canning who lived in Barton Street as a child and attended Burlington Street. It was a great night and everyone who went thoroughly enjoyed it.

When the school was closing down the staff again organised an evening for ex pupils this was the 7th July 1980, after our tea and biscuits some of the guests retired to the Bartons arms for something a little stronger and arranged to meet the following year, same place, same date. Thus the REUNION was born.

From then until the year 2000 it was held at the Bartons arms, there was no committee, nothing formal, we just turned up. Numbers varied but people were getting uncomfortable leaving their cars, and the women didn't like coming to what was such a different aston to the one we had grown up in and roamed about so freely and safely.

Then about May 2000 Bobby Houghton rang me to say the Bartons had closed down, we were rather panic struck as to where we could find a venue at such short notice. I said I would try and find somewhere but we needed somewhere in aston preferably, all the places I tried were either very expensive or hadn't got the date free. Then my sister suggested The aston Hotel, and we struck lucky, but we had to charge £1.00 a head for the first time. However, the response was so good I had enough money to pay for the year 200l out of the "takings".

This year 2002 Mrs. Brennan the landlady didn't make a charge and we had the biggest crowd for a long time, so large that although I have made a provisional booking for 7th July 2003 we may have to find somewhere bigger. Ken Partridge has made enquiries at his club in Perry Barr and we can have a room for 300 free of charge and there is plenty of car parking space.

Bob Houghton

I intend to go and view the facilities and will ask a couple of other ex pupils to come with me for their opinions as it is quite a responsibility to please everyone, I do it willing because I would hate it to fold, especially as everyone enjoys it so much.

I forgot to mention that the reason ex Upper Thomas Street pupils combine with us, is that most of the boys from Burlington Street went to Thomas Street at 11 years of age, word got round to their old schoolmates and it just grew from there.

Rod Birch, asked me if I got worried in the run-up to each ReUnion, the answer is No, I love to hear from old astonites, whether I know them or not, the trouble is everyone wants to talk about the "old days" and my phone gets red hot. also I never know how many people will turn up and the only thing that worries me is if it will be a flop. Thankfully, that hasn't happened in the three years since I got so involved.


Burlington Street and Upper Thomas Street School Reunion 2004

Hi & thanks to everyone who turned up at The Barn on the 7th, we had a good turn out and it covered the costs, and from the comments people preferred this venue. We had a lot of new faces from UTS but where were all the girls from Burlington Street? Fewer than usual turned up. We have a choice of the the ballroom where we were last night or the cabaret Room on the ground floor, at this stage I have booked the ballroom again, but if you have a preference let me know.