St Joseph's Society
In early 1971 a very small eleven year old started at Upholland College. He was so small that he was immediately nicknamed ‘Titch’, and it was by this name that I was known throughout my time at Upholland, right through to Rhetoric in June 1978.
My height had a number of advantages, as well as a few disadvantages. No one was as small as me so everyone seemed to know who I was, and this helped me to develop an ability that I have utilised throughout my life, to easily relate to people and to be able to stand up for myself, no matter what the situation or the people I have met or dealt with. It also meant, of course, that at times it was hard to hide because everyone knew me, but on the other hand, it was easy to hide because there was not too much to hide!
On at least one occasion my lack of inches caused a slight problem. Being short meant that I was unable to put my feet on the floor from the built-in desk seat. As a consequence, my feet were often in perpetual motion or I would put my knees up and cause the desk lid to rise, One Prof, Fr Peter O’Neill, with whom I have related this story to since, used to get quite irritated with these distractions. His normal response was to make me kneel on the rostrum at the front of the class, which would cause more commotion, as I was constantly shifting back and forth to stop the aching in my legs from the brass strip. One day, probably with the help of my classmates, I asked if it would be possible to bring a pillow into class for the next lesson and that I would kneel on it when brought to the front. Fr. O’Neill agreed, but despite the fact that I came equipped with the said pillow for the next few lessons, he never asked me to do it again!
Due to family links, my uncle, Paul Thompson, was just finishing his final two years in the Senior House and we were given a special dispensation to have a little chat after supper each evening. This allowed me to get to know many of those in the Senior House who would see me waiting for Paul outside their Ref., ready for our walk up and down the Lower Line corridor. Paul and I would then stroll up and down for twenty minutes or so, putting the world to rights or discussing our future plans. However, I never did get around to converting the Soviet Union, but was very pleased when the Russian Orthodox were once again reinstated as the State religion, admittedly through none of my doing!
Strolling up and down the corridor, we would often look at the paintings and give them new names. One had a beam of light shining down on a saint in a room, and we would say ‘Oh look, there’s a hole in the roof!’ and with another of a ship in a storm, we would say ‘Come in Number Nine, your time is up!’ These conversations had a long term impact on my life, viz. to be ready to listen to others, and always to be able to see the lighter side of life.
The Catholic Church and Upholland College invested a great deal into me, but like ten others who were with me in Underlow in 1971, I never went on to become a priest. There was, however, one boy, Michael Cooke, who started with us after having spent a year in a Comprehensive School, which was not very highly thought of in the early 1970s. He did become a priest, when it was very quickly clear that he was a more than capable student who did not need to be kept with the younger boys in his class, and he went on to serve in the Salford Diocese.
Despite not becoming a priest myself, I like to think that all the investment in me has not been in any way wasted. I have worked in Catholic education for over 36 years, including 27 years as a Head Teacher. I like to think that the way we had to learn to engage with everyone, even those we might not like, has been very beneficial to me; as has the desire to want to be involved in everything that is going on! Does anyone remember the Russian Dancing Club, Karate Club, Scouts, all the four-aside competitions in the Gym and the circuit training, amongst so many other activities?
One very fond memory for me is being in the winning West Germany team in the first College World Cup during Black Week in the Summer of 1974. (**Black Week was after the exams in the Summer term and before we broke up for the holidays.**)
There were many great traditions within the College which I have tried to carry on to this day, for example,
These were just some of the lessons that I learnt in my formative years at Upholland.
Finally, there are so many people I would like to thank for all they did for me at Upholland, such as the first lads who started alongside me in September 1971, including Chris Carey, Paul Farrell, Chris Bradford, Macca and Cally and others who joined in later years from Ushaw and beyond, especially Roger Finn and Luke Anyaorah. Many of the staff, including Fr. ‘Chink’ Mercer, my best ever teacher and the man to whom I gave my Magic Dreamweaver award; Fr John Butchard, Fr Michael Hickey who chose me for the More House award and (Sir) John Jones – get him to tell you all about Magic Dreamweavers! Most especially, for his long term impact on my life, even though he died over 25 years ago, my uncle ‘Fr’ Paul Thompson. He married me to my lovely first wife and baptised each of our four wonderful children. I am sure he is still blessing me with my incredible fiancée and our two beautiful children.
Thank you to everyone else associated with Upholland who has helped to make me, me. God blessed me to be able to be influenced by each and every one of you. May God bless you all.