Originally situated in Whetstone Lane, Birkenhead, it was later relocated to premises on Tollemache Road, Claughton until its closure and subsequent demolition in the 1990s. Wilfred Owen, the World War I poet attended the school at its original location.[5] A residential road has been named after him on the Tollemache Road site.
is that the place?
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Yeah,I went to Birkenhead Institute aka BI.Had some great times (when I was in).I was a couple of years above Ducko when he was there.so no funnies about the age you lot.lol.
Good to hear you went there too, and it was brilliant. I set up a site for anyone who wants to remember it pre-1993, when the school closed down. If you know anyone who is interested, please pass on the info on the site.
I went to the B.I. in 1960 until 1967.It was when it was in Whetstone Lane, and it was a great building. Sadly it was pulled down in the 1970s, and the school closed in 1993 after it moved to Tollemache Road.
should anyone be interested in the history of the B.I. The school was founded in 1888, and opened in 1889, and closed its doors finally in 1994 after over 100 years.
Think I was amongst some of the last years to finish there... 1981 ish to 1988.... hated it at the time... but now and again,I remember the good things.. which takes all of a couple of seconds, before the fact that it was shithole comes back to me.
naah seriously...good times and bad...had some right laughs, and got into some right scrapes.
I left the BI in, ahem, 1958. It gave me a great education even though I didn't stay for my GCSE's. What I learned there stood me in good stead, even up until now. Pity it looks like the thread has died out, like some of my old school oppo's.
hi all i went to this school in 1980 till 1984 .thought it was brilliant not for the lessons and stuff but it was the last place where i got to be with all me mates at once .got some great memories and made some good mates there .if any one has any photos of this place would love to see them
Funny thing is, on the wall in the Assembly Hall they had "If" by Rudyard Kipling. Can't remember seeing any Owen stuff around but they used to remind us that he went there.
hi all i went to this school in 1980 till 1984 .thought it was brilliant not for the lessons and stuff but it was the last place where i got to be with all me mates at once .got some great memories and made some good mates there .if any one has any photos of this place would love to see them
would also love to see some of the old tollemache rd school,cant believe there's non around ,only pic of the early years when it was in whetstone lane ,
I also went to BI in my youth. I was sad to hear that Lenny Malcolm who I am sure many old boys will remember pasted away last year. I can use his, for want of a better expression, catchphase of "I`m sorry but if this happens again there will be trouble" to this every day. He was known as being a very strict man but a fair one.
I was there 54/58 and I remember Lenny, like the man said, hard but fair. Not many schoolies there took any stick. I still value the education I got there even though I didn't complete it, like a prat.
I also went to BI in my youth. I was sad to hear that Lenny Malcolm who I am sure many old boys will remember pasted away last year. I can use his, for want of a better expression, catchphase of "I`m sorry but if this happens again there will be trouble" to this every day. He was known as being a very strict man but a fair one.
I had physics lessons with lenny ,definatly old school teacher and being honest, so long as you took an interest in him and the subject all was ok , like the saying goes today take the p*ss and watch out ...sad to here hes gone RIP
Len Malcolm was an xcellent teacher at the BI, and sad that he is no longer with us. For anyone interested, please see my BI history web site, and more about the BI teachers, at:-
same years as me then Mac Any of these names ring a bell Colin (Willy) Williamson Alan (Tutty)Tutill Mark (Macca) Branscome Glen (Winker) Watson Billy Dodd
Thanks for posting this pic, Ian, it brought back a lot of memories.
It was known as Grange Secondary Modern School for Boys or "Tolley" (short for Tollemache Road) when I went there. I left in 1969, at the ripe old age of 15.
New website up and running concerning Old boys of school Whetstone Lane then Tollemache and the Old Instonians You can also register for updates of Old Boys newsletter dinners etc
The old boys had a "Last Post" sounded at the ex B I playing field at Ingleborough Rd. today, to Honour the memory of the ex pupils that fell in the First World War. The last visit before the new houses are built on the site, Belway Homes were vey good to us, they opened up the Pavilion/Changing rooms and supplied Coffee/Tea and pastries, which was appreciated, I hadn't been in there since 1959, ah well, another landmark and memory gone. ( For the benefit of those who don't know the history, the Playing Field was a registered War Memorial site with covenants forbidding its change of use, but as we all know "Money Talks")
Gutted-didn't know about it. Would have loved to have attended. Many a shower in there after the match. Fond memories of the "tea ladies" (pupils mothers)who could make a pint of milk make enough tea for 2 rugby teams ref and linesman. Forgotten the old groundsmans name--was it Jack?
Sad to see another open space lost to the housebuilder. Just hope they honour the agreement for the memorial at Hamilton Square.
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