Schools I attended
Mansel Infants and Mansel Juniors
The first school I went to was Mansel Infants followed by Mansel Juniors. The schools were not far from my home in Millbrook Southampton.
Below a Google map of the area showing the schools near The Saints Pub.
I remember Millbrook Towers, top of Mansel Park, being built and something about it being the tallest residential tower block at 25 floors. However, I don't recall if it was the tallest in Millbrook, or Southampton, or Hampshire, or even England. The sound of the external tower crane jib collapsing on to the vertical frame, was horrendously loud. would the rest come down with it? Fortunately it did not. The rest of the work was completed with the central core tower crane only. That crane had to be lifted out at the end with a very large and powerful helicopter which had to come down specially from Scotland.
I do recall some children at the schools, like the twins, but not any names, nor any of the teachers names.
The playground, the hard surface one, I also recall spending time in.
Just to be clear, even if I can remember peoples names, I will not be stating those names here out of respect for their privacy. They will know who they are without me stating their names to the world.
I will also include friends from my home area, from the school period. Mainly neighbours.
The schools were good as I recall. Including have a green playing field. It was not a long way from home and I walked to school, without accompaniment as far as I know. There were no main roads on the route, and roads were quieter and safer in those days.
This is the entrance I used. Not the Culver Close side. You can just see the school buildings through the trees at the end of the path. The little stone children nor the railings or road markings where there at the time.
When I was about eight years old my thumb was crushed in the hinge side of a metal and glass door, either at school or at the nearby church. That resulted in an ambulance trip to hospital for the tip to be sown back on with eight stitches. My fault, my hand should not have been in a place of danger.
There was a saving scheme at school with a competition to see who could save the most each week.
There is a catalogue entry for Mansel Road First/Middle School, Culver Close in the National Archives ref SC/BA 4/2/17 which has information and plans from Records of the City Architect held by the Southampton Archives Office. From the catalogue only, without going to Southampton to view the records, it seems that the schools may have been built in 1953, the year of my birth. The records continue to 1971.
Mansel Road in Millbrook was named after Owen Llewellyn Mansel who died aged 67 in 1931 having spent the last third of his life in Millbrook. He lived in the Manor House, a large house on the south side of Millbrook Road, almost directly opposite Holy Trinity Church. He was a chairman of the South Stoneham Rural District Council and was also a member of the local Board of Guardians.
From the Road name comes the school name, and the local park.
Follow the link to see photos of children playing in Mansel Park 1965. Young children enjoy the Holiday Playtime scheme organised at Mansell Park in Southampton back in April 1965. The children enjoyed such activities as football, walking with stilts, and sack races amongst the many activities organised to keep them active.
Under the heading "REMEMBER WHEN: Playtime in Mansel Park" Daily Echo 2018
Shirley Warren Secondary Modern School (Mixed)
Barton Peveril Grammar School - Sixth Form
