A Grammar School Girl: Life and Education in Birmingham 1968-1975

A Grammar School Girl is the sequel to Grace Caroline Holte's The Girl from Guildford Street, which depicted an idyllic Sixties childhood in the working class Back to Backs of Aston and Lozells, at a time of radical political change when Birmingham was considered the Workshop of the World. The Seventies were a gloomier affair as much of the old city disappeared. Strikes, change and conflict were rife. The Birmingham Bombings marked the darkest day in the city's history. Yet there were happy times. In 1968, the author moved to the Newtown Estate, experiencing teenage trials and tribulations along with the delights of youth clubs and coffee bars. An education at King Edward's Grammar School for Girls, Handsworth, enabled her to attend University, a first for the family. Birmingham survived the troubled decade of the Seventies and emerged with her indomitable spirit intact. This is the story of one family during that era. It is Birmingham's story. It may also be your story.