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George Robson (FN 57-64) has kindly contributed the following reminiscences:

TWO SKIVVIES
“Whether having been boarders or day pupils, I suspect we all remember the school’s indispensable domestic staff, some resident within school and some bussing from Whitehaven.

During my time at St Bees - the years either side of 1960 - the boys referred to them as the skivvies. This was not at all a derogatory term, as we might nowadays assume, but a term of endearment. Although almost always of senior years and at the very most plain-looking (for obvious reasons), the boys looked upon them with appreciation and even in some cases with affection.

There are two who worked on Foundation that have always lingered in my memory because of the separate ways they were to influence my future life.

Limpy
Miss May Dodds worked under the watchful eye of Foundation Matron Miss Sheila Appleyard (The Nag) from 1938 until retirement in 1979, an almost unbelievable forty-one years.

She rented a tiny cottage from Bill Fox at the top of Main Street, but more often than not resided in her room at the very top of Foundation - the third floor, above the boys’ dormitories.

She had been in charge of the house blackout during the war years and was thereafter proud that despite the numerous windows over the three floors of Foundation, not once did the St Bees’ ARP warden have cause to scold her for ‘showing a light’. During the Foundation fire in 1941 she assisted Bill Fox in evacuating everyone from the house when a major fire occurred, the cause of which was never discovered.

One thing in particular May loved was each evening listening to the lusty rendition of the evening hymn resonating up from the dining room below during house evening prayers.

May had suffered from polio as a child and therefore had a gammy leg and walked with a limp - hence the nickname Limpy. All staff - whether teaching, office or skivvy - enjoyed or suffered a nickname.

Her devotion to the boys and her reliability was recognised in two ways: Pupils of the house readily agreed to repaint all the rooms of her cottage at no cost to her during her retirement in 1988.

Miss May Dodds at Castle Mount Rest Home, Egremont in 1990

And then after her death in 1991 at Castle Mount Rest Home, Egremont, a plaque to her memory was erected in the Foundation dining room - it’s still there, adjacent to the wall-cupboards on the left side. She was buried in the Priory churchyard, only a short distance from the place she held in such affection.

I feel I was not alone in having learnt a lot about dedication, constancy and sense of duty from Limpy.

Plaque in Foundation

Clapperteeth
One day in 1961 a new skivvy appeared on Foundation. She was an odd-looking old woman whom we felt should not be working at her age. But what we noticed most about her was that her false teeth were far too large and rattled around inside her mouth. Not noted for their sensitivity, the boys quickly labelled her Clapperteeth.

But there was something else we noticed about her. As she travelled back and forth carrying plates to and from the tables, she was constantly smiling. Even when boys called her Clapperteeth to her face and ribbed her in other ways, she kept on smiling and did not seem in any way distressed. She even gave out vibes that she actually liked us. We found this curious.

Then after a few weeks Clapperteeth no longer appeared. I remember enquiring from Matron where she was and was informed she was dead. What had happened was that Clapperteeth had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and rather than sit around moping and fretting, she sought a job where she would be with people - and young people at that - who would cheer her up.

I passed this information on to the other boys and the response in every case was total silence.No-one mentioned Clapperteeth again. I reckon I was far from alone in being riddled with guilt and a deep sense of shame. We’d learnt a valuable lesson.

Foundation House is, I always think, an apt name because it is here within its walls, and possibly even more so than in the Chapel, that thousands of pupils over the years since its construction in 1587 have learnt the things that really matter in life. Not least treating everyone with respect and, when necessary, showing concern and kindness.

I wonder whether there are other Old St Beghians prepared to submit their memories of the skivvies?” *
*(Or any other memories – ED.)