Head of P.E. 1955 – 59
I wonder if anyone reading this started Moseley Modern as an 11 year-old in September 1955? about 200 new pupils did. That is when I, then Miss Day, joined the staff. We occupied beautifully bright form rooms with smart new furniture and naturally we took pride in our rooms. I remember the vases of fresh flowers and I had ‘flower monitors’! My form was 1D and we were in Room 7.
That September the building was not completely finished so disappointingly the whole school did not move in straightaway and for a while we were split between the new building and the old school at College Road.
At first we only had the block of 12 classrooms, one of which was used as a staff room, and the cloak rooms (coats were hung on pegs in those days!), the toilets, a couple of craft rooms and the dining room. The hall, gym, science block, staff rooms, offices and the head teacher’s room became ready for use during the first year and so eventually all the pupils from College Road moved up the hill to the new building and Moseley Modern School was established. the head, of course, was Miss Eileen Cohen. Mr Higgins and Miss Meggs, I believe, were deputies.
I can remember some of the pupils from those days, especially those who were in the netball and hockey teams. (I have some photos of them). I was at Moseley for 4 years in charge of girls P.E. My last form was 4Com. You were a lovely group. I have met two or three of you during the past 50 years. The last one was Barbara and we talked about our grandchildren!
Your ‘old’ teacher
Jean Lumb
NOTE
It is with sadness that we heard that Jean Lumb passed away on 5th July 2019 aged 91.
Jean was born in 1927 in East Anglia. She attended Norwich Teacher Training College, qualifying in 1948 before moving to her first job in Station Road School, Harborne, Birmingham. In 1954 she became a founder member on the staff of Moseley Modern School where she taught and was head of girls’ PE. In 1959 she gave up work to start a family. Her husband, Harold, died in 1969, leaving her a widow at the age of just 41. Shortly after his death she returned to teaching at Moseley teaching English, history, domestic science and needlecraft becoming part of the Design Technology department until her retirement in 1986.
Jean was a popular member of staff with both pupils and colleagues, always involved in activities such as sports days, fund raising events, taking groups of children to the school cottage in Wales and especially in the costume making and wardrobe for plays and musicals. She took a pride in her work and her costumes were always properly made so lasted for many years and were used again. She is well remembered for her determination to do things correctly, including her insistence on the use of correct English grammar. She had a great sense of humour and was always telling stories about the staff and children of Moseley School and her early teaching years.
A group of her peers regularly went to Cornwall in the summer break for a camping and cricketing holiday. Following her retirement she enjoyed over 30 full and active years of life – rambling, swimming, bird-watching and theatre-going. She became computer literate and started regular voluntary work, organising the rota on an Excel spreadsheet for a drop-in lunch club held at her church. She continued to do this until only a year ago. She also loved going on short cliff walks with her daughter who lives in Cornwall and, again, did this until shortly before her death.
Up until January 2019, Jean was very fit and well – driving and giving lifts to friends who were unable to drive. In the early part of 2019, Jean was diagnosed with myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow). She bore the illness courageously and without complaint despite being in considerable pain. She died peacefully on 5th July 2019 with her daughter, Rosemary and her son, Alastair at her side. She will be greatly missed by all her family, including her two grandsons, Thomas and Andrew who she adored.
Remembered by Rosemary, her daughter, and Angela Billingham.