David Johnstone (G 47-51) has been looking for a photo of St Bees Head he could frame, and sent in the following reminiscence.

“I am particularly reminded of my time at St Bees by that most spectacular panoramic photograph of St Bees Village, the sea, the school, and St Bees Head which heads the OSB News.

If I may tell my reasons for wanting a larger photo, I particularly wanted to show as much of St Bees Head as possible for a painful personal memory.

As long ago as 1949, I and some other boys were walking along the top of the Head on a day's holiday granted to celebrate Prince Charles’ birth and some of us decided to get over the clifftop security fence to search for seabird nests and eggs. At that time (and probably also today I expect) this was a heinous crime for obvious safety reasons.

Somebody, a master or school prefect, saw us and this 'crime' was duly reported to our respective housemasters. The errant climbers were duly subjected to corporal punishment! I did not hear about this for some hours and thought I had got away scot-free. However, I was later summoned for questioning by our head of house, who also happened to be my fagmaster (if such people exist these days!). On being asked if I was on the cliff side, I said, truthfully, - no I was watching them from the safe side of the fence. I could sense that he was very reluctantly delivering judgement upon me (as we naturally had a close working (master and slave) relationship). He then said, normally I would just have given you an enormous verbal rocket, but all the boys on the other houses have been corporally punished and we are going to have to do the same with you. Tough justice in those days I can tell you!! After this ignominy took place, I vowed that if ever I were to meet Prince (now King) Charles, I would jolly well blame him and his birthday for putting me through all this trauma - at which no doubt he would laugh his head off - knowing the tough treatment he went through when at his school, Gordonstoun.

The irony of all this is that I now live only five miles away from his Cotswold home near Tetbury but alas, have never moved in his social circles!”

 

Home

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