Clearly a reference to Jarrow.
St Bede's, Lanchester endured seven years of me as a pupil and, beginning only four years later, eight years of me as a governor.
The woman who then ran the Durham PGCE course in RE was peremptorily removed in order to make way for me, a 22-year-old Durham graduate at the end of the previous term, when I had refused to take her course. (I was already a governor of a primary school from the age of 21; again, I served eight years.)
Alas, she just wasn't drinking mates with anyone important. By and large, women aren't, are they? Even less so, in those days. I'm just saying.
The same Head Teacher was still there from when I had not been made Head Boy. He called me "Mr Lindsay". "It's all right," I told him, "You can call me David if you like, George."
Soon afterwards, I chaired the committee that dismissed the appeal against dismissal of a teacher who had always hated me. She taught Girls' PE, but for some reason we had had to endure her from time to time.
The Boys' PE lot ought to have hated me, but relations could not have been further from that. She, on the other hand ... well, in the end, I pretty much got to say "You're fired" to her. It was a unanimous decision. But even so.
Eventually, I was removed as a governor by a politician whose own party subsequently banned him from seeking re-election. But that is another story.
The same Head Teacher was still there from when I had not been made Head Boy. He called me "Mr Lindsay". "It's all right," I told him, "You can call me David if you like, George."
Soon afterwards, I chaired the committee that dismissed the appeal against dismissal of a teacher who had always hated me. She taught Girls' PE, but for some reason we had had to endure her from time to time.
The Boys' PE lot ought to have hated me, but relations could not have been further from that. She, on the other hand ... well, in the end, I pretty much got to say "You're fired" to her. It was a unanimous decision. But even so.
Eventually, I was removed as a governor by a politician whose own party subsequently banned him from seeking re-election. But that is another story.
Anyway, I trust that that august seat of learning will be teaching its pupils tomorrow that it was none other than Bede who first gave the traditional names and colours to the Three Wise Men.
If not, why not? What will it be teaching instead, and why?
You didn't win a staff and student election for head boy, if it had been a school appointment like somewhere posher you would have been the only candidate considered.
ReplyDeleteYou probably got every staff vote but most of the staff didn't vote and most of the sixth form wouldn't vote for you. By the end of your time at school you could have been on the staff. Well before that, even. To this day you turn up to funerals and things.
Added to your political role in those days, as soon as you became a Catholic at uni it was in the bag you would be made a governor. If a distinguished serving governor with the misfortune of being a non-political Protestant female who did not grow up locally never mind go to the school had to be knifed, so be it.
Sounds like DL alright. Welcome to the clubby, beery, smug, snobbish, entitled, misogynistic, undemocratic world of David Lindsay.
DeleteYou were a good governor, you are missed. One who never turned up in those days still never turns up, we would be much better off with you, you always turned up to everything. Now that it is an academy it is more difficult to bring people in, unfortunately.
ReplyDelete