Ian Macpherson died in August 2020. Ian’s son John has sent the following reminiscences written by his late father of his years at school. ‘Memories of St Bees (1942-47)’.
Because of wartime bombing in 1942, instead of St Paul’s School in London, my parents were recommended to send me to St Bees School by friends who lived on the High Walton Road overlooking the school. I had to live with them for the first year, because the school was full. I really believed they did not know my proper name, because they always called me ‘boy’. Early memories were of the food, and the runs: the grey sludge we had for porridge in the mornings, the roadkill stew, the frogspawn pudding, the lumpy pink blancmange (we called ‘Betty Grable’) that smelt like soap, and the spotted dick (or Dead Man’s Leg) that was both solid in texture, and unwise to eat before you were sent on your next run. The runs seemed endless, and were often used as punishment. Starting with sprinting towards the fag bell in our first year; then the usual morning run before breakfast. Punishment came if we had committed some misdemeanour when we had to repeat this run five times. It was worth taking up rugby, because you missed more running along the hilly country roads if you weren’t playing tennis, fives, squash or cricket. The Triangle Run was relatively easier at three-quarters of a mile, though a steady sprinting speed was required. We appreciated the Shore Run, slightly over a mile. The long drag up to High Walton and The Three Sisters Runs both started up the dreaded hill behind the Abbey farm. But the two we all hated the most were the Sandwith Run, past the Three Sisters for three miles, and back; and along to the Coast Guards hut on St Bees Head. Once a year we practised for the junior and senior steeplechases (6 miles), which were timed for points for your house; and we were expected to gain extra points for our house by completing the other runs in a standard time. After a few weeks at St Bees I resolved to escape. I managed to get down to the station, and waited for a train. The kindly station master had seen it all before. ‘Hello, lad. There’s no train till the morning. You want to go home? Come on then, we’ll have a cup of tea and a bit of toast.’ Always hungry, this sounded grand. ‘Well, lad,’ he said, handing me a steaming mug, ‘if I remember right, you won’t be missed if we get you back before the bell. I won’t say anything, if you don’t.’ And he drove me back to Foundation, and nobody noticed. An early great kindness. People I recall: John Boulter (Headmaster 1st term), Mr Reikie (Headmaster thereafter), Tabby Brown (Housemaster of Foundation), ‘Snippets’ (Tabby Brown’s wife), Nardel Thompson, ‘Monkey’ Mathews (taught Latin – Barony House), ‘The Dac’ (Dr Learoyd, who taught geography), Harry Judge MC (Housemaster of Grindal House), Mr Erenberg (Ben Elton’s father), Mrs Hales (Tuck Shop, who also charged our crystal set batteries), School San (on High Walton road), Col George Dixon (great musical teas, and he taught me the organ in the Priory). 1st XV rugby, squash, fives and cricket were my games. At cricket my attempts at scoring runs were described as ‘farmyard style’, often hitting high into the air, and getting caught. In athletics I threw the shot and discus for St Bees, and later for the army. I played No.8 at rugby, and this started a lifelong interest in the game for me. Our 1946/7 team remained unbeaten. We were the first team to beat Sedbergh on their own ground for eleven years. This game was remembered because we were down to fourteen players following an injury to our hooker, Croasdale. Our captain, Oglethorpe, took his place, leaving the seven of us to take the weight of the eight Sedbergh forwards. We held out. Another memorable match each year was against Cumberland miners, all muscled, strapping men. I went on to play for London Scottish. I also boxed at St Bees, and later for the army. One school photograph shows me with a black eye, and my opponent, a chap called ‘Black’ Smith had another. More memories include: Shovelling snow to clear the Whitehaven Road in our shorts (worn all year round). Riding bikes on a Sunday to Mrs Batey’s farmhouse on the way to Wastwater. We collected a ‘blue ticket’ three times a term, when we were allowed to cycle all the way to Buttermere, Scaw Fell etc - some 50 miles up and down the Cumbrian hills, and back in time for chapel at 6pm. We were tough! ‘Weedy Eadie’ helped in the dining hall. She was walking with a friend across the bridge one day when I was riding my bike by. Being polite, I dismounted to hear a question she asked me. However a master drove up, bundled me into his car, and reported me for goodness knows what. Fiercely punished for unknown wrongs, I was somewhat cautious with girls for years; well, that’s my story. I had to retrieve my bike later.
Ian MacPherson's 90th Birthday (August 2019) with wife Sally and all their grand children

 

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St Bees School,    St Bees,    Cumbria,    CA27 0DS.

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