THE SIGN - George Robson. “As one comes downhill on the Whitehaven road into the village the road sweeps right to skirt around the Foundation.   There is a roadside sign to warn motorists that around the corner there may be children and that drivers should be aware of this.   Back in my day the sign featured two children walking hand in hand - one a girl and one a boy.   In 1960 some wags thought that with pupils being exclusively boys, it would be a laugh if the girl on the sign was blanked out. With the aid of a ladder, blank paper and glue this was done during the hours of darkness.   A day or two later the Headmaster, James Wykes, having had a phone call from the police, referred to the prank in a Memorial Hall morning assembly. He admonished the culprits, whoever they were, but we noticed a twinkle in his eye and could see his ire was minimal.   Nowadays there are a number of designs used by the Highways Commission to warn motorists of children ahead, but in St Bees the sign of 1960 is still in place.   *In case the police still hold details of the incident, I refuse to say whether I was one of the wags!”

 

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The St Beghian Society    
St Bees School,    St Bees,    Cumbria,    CA27 0DS.

         Tel: (01946) 828093      Email: osb@stbeesschool.co.uk      Web: www.st-beghian-society.co.uk