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Personal Recollections
We came to Hints in April 1941 and my mother took me along to the school. We had to go back later at 9.30 because of the bombing. I was at the school to 1946. There were 2 teachers, Miss Andrews and Miss Smith. Miss Smith retired and she was replaced by Miss Burgess who came from Whittington. When she retired she was replaced by Mr. Dyott who was there when the school closed.. The school bell was taken down and put into a shed from where it was stolen. Most of the pupils were from the village but there were also evacuees who came from Kent. 2 families sent 18-19 children between them to the school. To celebrate the Coronation there were games in the field and a television in the school which everyone was invited to watch.
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Hints CP 1947 ; Miss Ethel Smith - Teacher - her last year before being succeeded by Miss Burgess. Top Row - Robert Gibson; Norma Gibson; Joyce Clarke; Barbara Clark; John Harris;??????????; Second Row - ??????? ; Sidney Harris; Heather Gibson; Betty Pierce ; Gerald Salt; Derek Gibson; Greta Gibson; William Newbold; ?????????. Front Row - Wendy Clayton; Bill Wynn; Thelma Gibson; Stanley Riley; Frances Riley (source:Bill and Jenny Wynn, South Africa) More School Photographs Please click the links below for more photographs; these will open as PDF files. 1946 and 1949
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Hints School closed in 1966. The governors at the time (although they were named 'managers') included Roy's father and also Jean Collins who was parish secretary. Pupils were transferred to the school in Weeford. The school was then converted into two retired persons’ dwellings and the tarmacked quod of the school was sold to the Loader sisters who owned the School House. This presumably was part of an agreement when some of their front garden was acquired by Lichfield Council who laid the service road and and also built the three bungalows as further retired persons’ dwellings on what was the playground. In the early 1970's Maud and Elsie Loader were still living in the School House but when one passed away the remaining sister moved into one of the 3 new bungalows. Incidentally the sisters' father was a butler at the old Hints Hall. Note: also see enquiry received in January 2026 here Information Requested |
In March 2025 we were contacted by Paul Smith who was a pupil from 1949 to July 1956. He recalls a Gerald Salt who was at the school and believes his mother used to share the cleaning of the school with Betty Harris's mother. | |