John Stapleton Martin bought The Firs in 1903 for £4400. The property had previously been known as Norton Villa. At that point The Firs was ' 20 acres, 1 rood and 4 perches or thereabouts'. It included the field between here and 'Highlands' , the field behind The Firs farmed by Ian and the field running down to High Park..
The Firs was surrounded by land to the north owned by Mr Robert Berkeley, presumably of Spetchley Park, and to the west by Lady Henry Somerset. The drive opposite running down to Woodhall, the farm to the south had a lodge at the entrance so we were in pretty posh company!
Mr John Martin took out a mortgage for £500 charged against the property in 1904. It looks as though he set up a trust for his wife in 1910 so that she could enjoy the property for her lifetime.
In 1949 Dagmar Jenkins, the wife of Henry Jenkins sold The Firs to 'The Mayor and Aldermen and Citizens of the County of the City of Worcester' for the sum of £6700. By that time the property only included land as we now know it plus the field on the north side, only '4 acres and 14 perches'. It was presumably at this time that it became a school.
My partner Jim remembers The Firs as it was. He delivered newspapers there as a lad!
Jim delivered papers there around 1965 . It was a boys home. Jim lived in Whittington police House and his dad was the beat bobby who was often called to sort out the boys!
