'The Kind Grant' KES Camp Hill Boys Fives Courts

Fives History at King Edward VI Schools 
Out of the 14 schools who are part of the King Edward VI Foundation in Birmingham, three had fives courts built. These were King Edward VI School for Boys, King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys and King Edward VI Five Ways School.  
 
Camp Hill Boys: 
King Edward Vi Camp Hill Boys school opened in 1883 around the time when Fives was becoming a popular game among school boys. Unofficial games were played but there was sadly no dedicated Fives court for the boys. In 1897 the Headmaster wrote of his long dissatisfaction with the very rough arrangement for Fives. In response to this, one of the Governors put forward the sum of £15 towards the building of not one, but two courts, and donations were called for to supplement the kind grant, the Headmaster assuring that daily use of the courts would  

“prove a stimulus to the spirit of blithe  vigour, which he is glad to think already distinguishes the pupils of the King Edward's School at Camp Hill.” 
School Chronicle January 1897 

With the completion of the courts, official fives tournaments began in 1911 with both Junior and Senior entries. The following year house tournaments also started although, as the courts were uncovered, all games were very much determined by the weather.  

War ceased play until 1923 when the game was taken up again by Camp Hill, building in popularity. The first match against King Edward VI Boys was played on the 9th February 1939 with Fives Ways School being defeated by the narrow margin of 129—107 points. 

With the move of the school to Kings Heath there was much discussion about what the provision for Fives would be. The plan as agreed by Governors and Headmaster alike is that 
“At the western end of the gymnasium will be three covered fives courts, a most valuable source of exercise when the weather is bad” School Chronicle October 1953.  
The biggest change on moving, however was that, for the first time, a Master was placed in charge of the sport. This was accepted “philosophically” by the pupils who were at first rather taken aback! New equipment was bought and the game, once again, found a small but dedicated following within the school. 

Regular games against other schools, along with old rivals King Edwards Boys continued. Camp Hill even won its first international game in 1983 against a Swiss team. Despite this however, interest in the sport had begun to decline and in 1994 the announcement was made that the courts would be demolished to make way for a new music block. The sport however, is fondly remembered by Old Edwardians.