CAN it really be forty years since Sammy’s closed? Hard to believe, but the last pupils of Worcester’s Samuel Southall Secondary Modern are now in their fifties.

This much missed school stood on “the windy heights of Merriman’s Hill” – a description coined by its last headmaster Mike Powell - and was built in 1930s to serve the estates of Tolladine, Brickfields and Fairbairn Avenue (later Warndon was added) and cater for youngsters displaced when city centre development of the time brought the closure of schools at St Peter’s, St Martin’s, Hounds Lane and St Paul’s.

Sammy’s, as it became universally known, opened its doors on January 4, 1936, and headmaster Bernard Brotherton sent out a rousing message to the flock pointing out the school motto was “Upright and Thorough” and if they had any complaints “don’t grouse but meet them with a smile”.

Initially there were separate boys and girls departments, which didn’t amalgamate until 1965.

Things were very different then. For a start Sammy’s had its own team of Morris Dancers, its own School Road Safety Song (words supplied by the headmaster) and you needed a cycle permit to ride to school.

The headmaster issued the permits and application for one had to be made on an Application for a Cycle Permit form, which must be signed by a parent. There was a warning that only proficient cyclists would be allowed to ride to school and permission would be withdrawn from boys “who are known to cycle dangerously eg riding with both hands off the handlebars or hanging on to vehicles”.

The school initially had accommodation for 720 boys and girls and cost £30,000 to build, By 1938 it had formed its own School Orchestra which played at the Distribution of Prizes in December, letting rip with Schubert’s Waltz in G.

However progress in other directions was more stunted and in his letter to parents that year Mr Brotherton urged: “There is still some reluctance to make full use of the showers in the gymnasium, and I should like to point out the Medical Officer has assured me that in most cases nothing but good can come from regular use of water after exercise.”

He also asked parents to send a towel with their offspring. In fact Sammy’s had some very decent sports teams which enjoyed considerable success in cricket, football, hockey and boxing.

But come the 1970s and Worcestershire began moving towards the comprehensive style of education. As such the secondary schools were to be restyled and despite a hard fought and concerted campaign Samuel Southall disappeared, merging with Perdiswell Secondary and eventually emerging as Bishop Perowne High School, now Bishop Perowne CE College. 

Sammy’s school bell rang for the last time at the end of the summer term in 1983 and all that was left were the memories.