Alan Fahey 2The Beauvale football team dream defence line consisting of Paul Jolley at right back, John McCay at centre back and myself Alan Fahey at left back.
Art teacher Mrs Bartlett (Booby Bartlett) who always went braless and was in many of our thoughts! I think it was Des Hurrion who asked her if he could paint her in the nude. She replied "that’s OK with me but I’m afraid that at this time of year you may feel the cold!"
Being bussed to Bingham sports centre and building up a ravenous appetite and returning for a supper of spam and a tomato. I’m sure the nuns had a wicked streak in them!
Swimming in the pool fed by spring water was an experience to never be repeated. It was absolutely freezing. I only went in once and that was enough!
Enjoying cricket practice in the nets instead of revising for exams.
In the sixth form it was customary to attend a weekend retreat at Mount St Bernard’s Abbey. We were deposited there on a Friday afternoon. Everyone was very welcoming but we were told we would need to rise at
4am for prayers! This was not a good start!
All day Saturday we were under surveillance by a monk that we nicknamed Brother Mole. About 8 pm we had shook him off, presumably he’d gone to bed ready for morning prayers at 4am. This was our chance of escape. With knowledge we had acquired from the year above us we knew that there was a pub nearby. We had also identified a small toilet window we could escape through. A merry evening was had by one and all in the pub and amazingly we all managed to break back in without being missed!
On Sunday we were so bored that Roger Boot suggested that we rearrange the coloured carpet tiles in the visitors room. We made several crucifixes and a chess board. We were reported by Brother Mole and a couple of hours later Fr Cantwell arrived to read us the riot act and take us back to Tollerton. A lot of ink was used in letters of apology!
Actually now I think about it Roger Boot was also responsible for draining the lake. He took a spade and cut a channel across the pathway between the lake and the stream below. It started as a trickle but eventually the water eroded the path and a torrent of water escaped from the lake.
