Although today it is known as St Francis Social Club, back in the day this building served quite a different purpose.

Back in May 2003 I met Mr Bill Naughton, who had contacted me via the Pelsall Times magazine with regards to St Francis Social Club on Mill Road, High Heath, Pelsall.

Bill was able to supply me with a fantastic array of first hand knowledge and memories of the building from when he was a child.

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Back in 2003, Bill told me:

Fr Haymers, Rector of St Patrick’s Church, Walsall celebrated the first mass in Shelfield in the autumn of 1890, in the upper room of the Four Crosses Pub, which is a short distance away from St Francis’.

Mr Peter Aspinal, owner of The Four Crosses, donated a plot of land in Mill Road for the construction of a Chapel School.

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A small Presbytery was erected on the same plot of land in 1894.

In 1896 the chancel and infants classroom were added to the Chapel School.

Priests travelled from Walsall to Pelsall up until 1906 when a resident priest was appointed.

The parish was 8 miles by 4 miles, taking in Pelsall, Rushall, Walsall Wood and Aldridge.

Between 1906 and 1924 several priests lived in Shelfield, but the extreme of the Parish and its extreme poverty forced many of them to retire due to failing health.

In 1924, The Franciscan Friars took over the parish.

Between 1961 and 1969 a new school was built in stages when the old school was vacated.  It became the parish centre.

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The early school was St Peters and St Pauls. Later it became St Francis School.

Although greatly changed over the years, there was still a lot of evidence inside and outside the building illustrating and confirming its use in the past.

The first place Bill showed me was the girl’s cloak room.  He described how in this room there were coat hooks all the way around.  The two original windows were still there.

On the opposite side of the building was the boy’s cloak room, which at that point in time was no longer there.

Back then segregation was an imperative part of school life.

On leaving the girls cloak room and entering the hall room to the immediate left is another room.

This room, the original chancel, was known as the baby room, this was where the very young children were taught.

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Both the original door, door frame and floorboards still remained.

In this room there was also evidence of the original chimney breast, which was then covered over.  Evidence of this could clearly be seen from the outside of the building.

Almost all of the original windows had also be preserved despite having been covered up in some way.  Evidence of those once spectacular windows could clearly be seen by the outlined they had created inside and outside of the building.

Bill was able to pinpoint them all to me.

In the main room, the stage was perhaps one of the most important and protected features of the building.

Due to its important role it was paramount that the alter was protected.

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Although I was not able to see it at that time, Bill told me that above the stage there was once a pull down divide to completely enclose the room when it was not in use.

The large and main room was also set to be divided, as in this building there were three classes which went up in age.

The baby room, as I have already mentioned was in the chancel.

The other two classrooms were divided in two by an elegant glass divide which stood about 8 feet tall.

Unfortunately, this divide did not exist when I visited back in 2003.

Bill told me that there were around 40 children in each of the two larger classes. 

In the school there were only three teachers in total.

Perhaps one of the most striking, yet almost understated attention to detail are the tiles attached to the tremendously high ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The outside of the building revealed yet more.

Bill was keen to show me where the old playground was, which today is used as a car park situated to the rear of St Francis’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He told me how as children, segregation continued into the playground, as the boys played on one half and the girls on the other.

And, to make sure they didn’t mix, tall railings made the divide.

Even after all those years, the hook to which these railings were attached were still intact in 2003.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evidence of the toilet area also still remained at that point with its wall still black.

Another bricked up gap further along once served as the gate to an allotment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The extravagant building which can be seen from the playground belonged to the priest.

Although only a small proportion of the building could be seen from the wall, it was enough to suggest what the building was like back in the day.

It was a delight to join Mr Bill Naughton back in 2003 as he took me on a journey back in time.

If after reading this article you would like to share your memories, please get in touch and tell me your story.