The Staff Of St. Bede’s College.
Since I did that piece on Geoff Burke last week, I have not been able to get the school off my mind. My opinion is that at the end of the 1950s and the early 60s the school was still firmly stuck in the 1930s. The staff by this time about 50/50 laymen to priests had few young bloods. About half had worked there before the war, probably 30% had been students before and during the war and only 20% of them had received their 3rd level education after the conflict. The majority of them were well and truly anchored in the past and did not understand the different mind set of us Baby Boomers, we who born after the war, and brought up to the incessant cackle of politicians flexing their muscles with invasions and atomic bombs. We wanted to learn differently, we were not going to listen to jingoism and past glory. We wanted the truth and now. We were experiencing a kind of freedom and we wanted more. We had no time for the old hat we were being force fed by these old fogies. There was a new world out there with new writing and new ideas. The past was and should be dead. This was where Spike came in or Tony Martin as he chose to be called, spewing out good ideas, new literature and interest in our lives, giving the class a spark which so very few of the others managed. They, weighed down with the drabness of the previous thirty years and worn out with the deprivations of the war, were just going through the motions and not even, I doubt, considering any benefit we were trying to take from the lessons. Except for the fact that we were supposed to be the pick of the bunch, we would have all failed miserably.
Discipline was the only thing that nearly kept us in check and we soon found ways of beating the system. There was one character there amongst the staff, who took up this banner and devoted his whole life at Bede’s to this dogma. Father Hynes, and I use his title warily, a singularly sadistic misanthrope if ever there was one, he taught a form of science at the school and because of that I am glad to say, he never taught me, but in his extra-curricular capacity, we were always running into each other. This fellow got such a kick from punishment and discipline he actually volunteered for the job of assistant Prefect of Discipline, when old Tojo became too weak to lift up the strap. See my blog of 31 January 2010 called Decline And Fall to appreciate Tojo. Hynes was a tall, 15 stone (96 kilo) man who wore spectacles that looked like bottle bottoms and who had heavy jowelled, poorly shaven, features. We called him Swine Eyes. Where he came from and where he went to I do not know, but he disappeared off the radar very quickly after I left school. Perhaps God put him there with the sole purpose of chastising me. He just seems to have been put on this earth, fully formed, for five years and filled with all the distrust, deceit, foul temper and sadistic nature that was common in the upper echelons of the Nazi Party.
One of the rules of the school was that outside of the school gates, you had to wear the school cap and m0re hours were spent by this man enforcing this rule than he spent teaching science. This rule developed a style a style all its own; perching the cap that would be sizes too small on the back of the head. It more than resembled a skull cap. It was a triumph of engineering and ambulatory skills to endeavour to retain the cap in position when it was worn at about 15 degrees to the vertical. Most of the 6th form used to go out at lunchtime for chips or to smoke, which were both forbidden and once out of school, remove the cap and stuff it into the pocket. Swine Eyes, forsaking lunch and at his own bidding, used to patrol the streets in his little Heinkel bubble car (appropriately enough) looking for “”anyone bringing the name of the school into disrepute”. We had to be as aware as an Indian scout; smoking, eating chips and listening out for the phut,phut,phut noise of his little bubble car. The genocide in Ruanda comes as no surprise when you see people like him in action. Given the freedom he would literally have killed or tortured us.
Most of the other staff were just grey nonentities waiting for retirement. Some were just no good. One such was Tony Lawton, a priest and new Prefect of Discipline when Jack Rigby gave up after a number of years, sick and mortified with the blood and guts that had daily to be swept from the floor of his office. Tony Lawton was put in charge of the 1st XI cricket team, a man who had no idea about cricket and therefore eminently qualified to take charge of such a post. I was bowling my offbreaks at him in the nets and a lovely ball pitched a foot outside off-stump and turned quickly knocking his middle and off stump back. “Bowl properly Malpas, or do not bowl at all” Lawton roared. Spike was standing at the back of the nets and I saw him shaking his head. “Never mind him” he said afterwards when he saw me close to tears. I had to mind, I was on the school 1st XI, a year before my time. I had to mind and I never played for the college team again, joining Swinton Criket Club where my coach Gerry Blyth was the professional.
It was the begining of the end for me, My mate Sheehan had already been thrown out that Easter on the recommendation of Terry Dodgeon, a priest and Classics master who followed the same sadistic path as Geoff Burke, becoming headmaster and then Rector of the school. He was still there the last time I visited the place, befuddled with drink and still only knowing the Greek and Latin that his Oxford education gave him in the 1940s.
The Australians were touring England that summer of 1962 and one of the test matches was at Old Trafford, shortly after my spat with Lawton. Instead of doing games, one afternoon, I went off to watch the match (the only time I had ever missed games, it was too important to me). It rained at the school grounds but not at Old Trafford about three miles away. The boys were called back to school, a roll call was made and Malpas was missing. He had gone AWOL
On the next day, at the start of summer examinations, I was called out and told to report to Duggan. Tommy Duggan, was a Monsignor and Rector of the school. Again read all about him in Decline And Fall posted on 31 January 2010. I stood in the doorway of his study, not daring or willing to go any further. He sat at his desk. He said “where were you yesterday Malpas?” I said “watching the Aussies, Monsignor”. “You might as well leave” he said and something about about a camel’s back and that was it. I went home and bluffed it out for the few days remaining of the school term and started my holidays. No consultation with parents, no written notice of the school’s intent. I was not unhappy with my sudden freedom.
Tags: Baby Boomers, Fr. Hynes, Fr. Tony Lawton, Gerry Blythe, Monsignor Terence Dodgeon, Monsignor Thomas Duggan, St. Bede's College, St. Bede's College Abuse, Tony Spike Martin
March 19th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
I was, I think, the year above you at Bede’s and my contemporary of note, whose 65th birthday I attended recently was Mike Harding, others being Barry Sloyan ( recently deceased) Pete McGauley.
A friend of mine, Tom Donohue, was in your year.
I and my wife are in Northfield Minnesota visiting my son and his family, was googling randomly and wondered, in the light of the Pope’s upcoming pastoral letter to the Irish clergy whether there was any info on the internet about the notorious Tommy Duggan. That was how I stumbled upon your very interesting Blog. Brought back many memories!! Keep up the good work.
Kind Regards
Pete
March 20th, 2010 at 11:50 am
Peter,
What a pleasant surprise to get your email this morning. I remember you well and the rest of the mob you mentioned. I met Mike Harding at Knock Airport about a year ago and he said he still had the bruises from when my father kicked him downstairs after finding him in flagrente delicto with Pat at my 17th birthday party.
I am sorry to hear of Mr Sloyan’s demise he seemed a tough old boy at school.
Tommy Duggan has got his just deserts, nobody has written about him, only my disparaging notes. He seems to have been airbrushed from history. A terrible man.
Give my regards to Tom Donohue, I was smiling to myself this morning at some of the antics he used to get up to.
Keep reading and commenting on future blogs. It is these comments that make it all worth while and gives me the urge to write the next one. Enjoy the rest of your trip and a safe journey home.
Paul
March 22nd, 2010 at 10:28 pm
It was with a similar kind of curiosity that I googled Duggan to see what was lurking in the ether. You seem to have caught the essence of the man. Not that we were ever that close, you understand, but he had an approach to the young that was, how might one put it, somewhat unprofessional.
I must have been two or three years ahead of you, and also had an Irish existence, teaching at UCD. I’m now at Oxford, and amongst other things am Dean of Degrees of my college. I had to laugh at your remarks on degree ceremonies. It is far less mercenary here, for we actually give the graduands and their nearest and dearest an excellent lunch.
Keep up the good work
Michael
March 23rd, 2010 at 8:42 am
Are you the same Michael Vickers from St. John’s parish in Chorlton, if you are I remember you well. My aunt Kath Jordan from Claude Road used to try and inspire me to be as clever as you. I failed miserably in this attempt. But I suppose my daughters are still trying to catch you up. One did Modern Languages at Jesus, Oxford in the 90s and I have another just finishing her English degree at UCD.
I hope you enjoyed my pen pictures of some of the staff. I have got to say that I mellowed with age and I was to kind to Duggan and Burke.
Paul
April 4th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Yes, the same, but I wish I was as clever as you, for I do not retire for a few months yet. Yes, I did like your pen portraits, including the latest one. In the interests of accuracy, though, Fr Groarke (who was essentially a very decent man) was only called Tojo on account of a superficial resemblance to the Japanese admiral. He will have been much too young to have been a POW. Then, that awful individual was “Swine Hynes”. I happened to meet him socially after he had been laicized and it was put to me that his excesses were due to the fact that he loathed the system himself, and it was his way of drawing attention to its shortcomings. Selfish brute.
All the best, Michael
April 5th, 2010 at 7:42 am
I am not clever, I landed myself in the biggest economic downturn in written history, but I do not regret. Point taken about Tojo, I suppose I let my schoolboy thoughts run away with me. So Swine Eyes was laicised. I would love to know why. He possibly overdid the thumbscrew on some poor unfortunate. His excuse to you does smack of a Nazi top dog at Nuremberg. You were very restrained. I could not use the word socially when discussing that man. You should have given him a “Kirkby Kiss” and that might have wiped the smile of selfrighteousness off his face.
Thanks for your memories and keep it up if you have more, it’s cathartic.
Paul
April 5th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Are there many of us left from the 1950′s? My tenure was 1952 to 1959 as a boarder. I have many unresolved questions about the College. Priests also were Frs Passagno, Tetlow,Mulholland, oh I have forgotten them! I too googled Tommy Duggan just out of interest and what a surprise I got! Pete Gittins you may have been there in my time. Anybody recollect Tom Rabbit Pete Corcorran Johnny Hurley Wilf Breen, Wiseman, Redhead, David Elfer, the Mckenna brothers, Robinson, Willie Watson, Cahill. I have lots of memories but as a boarder I had to live more closely to the centre than many day boys and I dont think the day lads really understood the essence of the place! It would be nice to hear from anyone who may remember me. David
July 27th, 2010 at 8:32 am
David…hello again.
By a sheer fluke I was in St.Bede’s last week and looked along the 1957 college ‘photo. There you were ,smiling into the camera,beside Joe McGarry,recently deceased, Chris Healy,now in NZ, Bernard Lennon,Anthony Elder (Parish Priest of Lymm in Cheshire)
Keep up that smile,
Wilf Breen.
March 2nd, 2011 at 11:13 pm
Great article on the staff at Bede’s. I confess I recall the instution with a little fondness although I am a little younger than are you (1961 – 1967). I remember all the staff you mention although Tojo was a walking bag of bones and sadly you have brought back to mind the horror that was Hynes! You are so right about Tommy Duggan! I came across your article as searched for information about the English teacher Fr Bill McGarry – he’ll be well into his 80′s by now but any info appreciated. Sadly my departure was abrupt as was yours but not for any misdemeanour but expressing a wish to study different courses at A level than was allowed. The education was wasted on me but fortunately my sons seem to have inherited some of their mother’s brains to make up for it. Keep up the good work
March 15th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Hi Paul,
Congratulations on your public exposure of Duggan – I’m surprised and delighted to read about his long overdue public recognition – and reading the above I’m sorry to read about Barry Sloyan of whom we have fond memories – of Moston, educationb etc etc.
Anything I can do to extract a fulsome, uinqualified apology from the Diocese regarding Duggan’s behaviour and the connivance of his wretched colleagues, please contact me.
Andy
March 15th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
Andrew,
Duggan’s satanic fingers even went to St Robert’s, two lads from the parish, Mike Sheehan and Tony Heap both had premature deaths after being abused by Duggan. I hope you manage to read all the postings on Bede’s and Duggan. If you like I will e-mail you a copy of my report which set the ball rolling and is fairly detailed.
Paul
March 16th, 2011 at 11:32 am
Not sure if you got the first missive. If not, can Paul Malpas please contact me again. In reply to Bernard Toner, Fr Bernard (Not Bill) McGarry was my English teacher 1964/5 and 1966/69, when I think he left Bedes. As recently as last year, he was Parish Priest at St Chad’s, Cheetham, Manchester. Remember the 100 lines:-
‘The cat would eat fish but would not wet her feet’
I do, because several times I was either caught talking or not paying attention. Still, a great English teacher. I’m still suffering from writer’s cramp 40 years plus later!
Anyone remember the school photo, taken around May 1966 (my 2nd year), which was put behind the glass display case in the Lady Corridor? That year someone got into the case and stuck a picture of Adolf Hitler over Tommy Duggan’s head. I remember half the school in the corridor laughing their heads off, till Tojo Groarke and Batman Taylor came and
removed it. Then Tojo went bright red, saying ‘If I find who’s responsible for this, I’ll have him flogged within an inch of his life’. Little did we know if the culprit had been found, Tommy might have had something worse in mind for the culprit. The best thing about it – no-one was caught! Give the man responsible a medal.
March 16th, 2011 at 12:03 pm
I was sorry to read about Tony Heap’s sad demise. I knew him well at St Robert’s before going to St Bede’s. When did he die and in what circumstances?
Although the name Mike Sheehan rings a bell I cannot place him. The lads I remember in my year at St Robert’ s who went on to St Bede’s were Tony Heap and Bernard Howarth. Tony had a younger brother called Chris who followed him to St Bede’s.
I well remember trying to avoid the sorties of the ‘Swinekel’ and remember Spike Martin being delivered right to the pitch to umpire a match. Such levity was certainly was not the norm and the vehicle was soon back to its more normal patrols and was later changed to a less visible early Mini. Swine Eyes was the only man at St Bede’s whom I was really afraid of
March 16th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Paul,
I understand you are trying to contact me, I have tried e-mailing you with little success. It keeps sending my message back saying there is no e-mail address of this nature. E-mail me on malpas46@eircom.net
Paul
March 16th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Terry,
Tony threw himself into the Irwell at Exchange Station 18 years ago. Mike Sheehan lived in Farrer Road and was at Bede’s 1957-1962. Do you not remember Kevin Clinton, a great friend of Tony’s, who was also in your year. Hynes was certainly a nasty piece of work. They worked quickly at laicising him. They are not as quick today.
Paul
March 16th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
cont….. and I believe he went to teach at Stand Grammar and the ‘Swine Eyes’ nickname did not follow him but he was knows as ‘Hairy Hynes’ there and seemed to be a reformed character.
Somewhere I have a photo of either you or Kevin, myself, Bernard Wood and Barry Porterfield Robert Fannon on a St Robert’s Whit procession procession. I think Kevin must have been in my year with you a year older.
March 16th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
Terry,
You are correct with my seniority. All the boys you mentioned were in your year, so I suppose it must be Kevin,
Paul
March 16th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
A great shame about Tony, he must have been about 45 years old then – no age as they say. He and I were great patrons of Levenshulme Library and he loved life and books. I remember Kevin Clinton well, particulary a fight he had with my mate Andy Cullen. I think both, certainly Andy, were in The Mikado with Peter Noone, who had the tears of all the mums including my own, as he his voice broke in the middle of the shows. Peter went on to better (or worse) things as Herman Hermit and his web site entries show him studying Voice and Drama at Bedes. Well……. Spike did encourage us to write imaginatively! I remember Spike differentiating the words ‘luxurious’ and ‘luxuriant’ by saying ‘Cathcart’s hair is luxuriant, certainly not luxurious’. That same hair was curled in the science lab by Swine Eyes, who wet it and twisted it with a pencil so it was uncombable. My mother was going to complain and I had to dissuade her. Many years later we heard a voice on local radio saying that the speaker lost his Catholic faith due to one man. The speaker was Mike Harding and the other man …..Swine Eyes of course.
March 17th, 2011 at 1:57 am
Paul, I caught a snippet about Tommy Duggan on the BBC the other night, Googled him and found your blog. I was at Bede’s 1955 – 1960 and have often thought what a bloody awful education it was. The staff, with a few exceptions, had no interest in the pupils unless they were heading for the priesthood or Oxbridge. Can you believe it; when it came to our O level exams, they wouldn’t let us take the art exam because they had no passes the year before. I remember Danny Gleason the art teacher left about that time and have since wondered if that was the reason. He was one of the good guys on the staff.
One thug not yet mentioned was Father Willy Coulthard. What an evil little sod he was.
I have three grandchildren at Bede’s now and, thank goodness, it isn’t the same organisation that we had to put up with.
Regards to anyone from my years who remembers me. Tony
March 17th, 2011 at 6:03 am
Tony,
Thanks for your contribution to our tale of woe. Everything you say has been echoed hundreds of times by lads still carrying a burden years, 50 years, after the event. Four of my kids went there and I can certainly vouch for its modern existence. You have captured the ethos of the then school by naming that evil bastard Coulthard, but he had one thing going for him, he hated Duggan as much as we did.
Paul
March 17th, 2011 at 11:40 am
Paul,
Can I share with you my one and only visit to Duggan’s lair and also my first experience of the Prefect of Discipline’s strap?
The eleven year old Tony arrived at school one morning with a very stiff and painful neck and was persuaded by his pals to go up to the matron’s room. I knocked on her door but sure enough, like a spider waiting to pounce, Duggan came out of his room and asked me what was the matter. I told him the problem and he took me into his room, made me take my shirt off, put on an electric fire and proceeded to massage my neck. I was crapping myself but thankfully nothing untoward happened. Thank God I didn’t have a groin strain!
I was sent to the prefect for the strap for talking when lined up to go into class within a few days of arriving at Bede’s. I remember that I wanted a pee, but thought I’d get the punishment over first. Fr Passagno was standing in for Jack Rigby. I put my hand out and he laid on hard with the strap causing a trickle of urine to run down my leg. What a way to treat an eleven year old kid!
What did I gain from my five years at Bede’s? A love of English (Spike Martin), the confidence to write creatively (Danny Gleeson), a love of the blues via the music of Lonnie Donegan (introduced to this by Terry Carter my pal in the Upper Third) and bugger all else.
On the subject of sexual abuse; it wasn’t confined to Catholic boys’ school. At West End Secondary School in Glossop there was a maths teacher around this time who was notorious for groping the girls in his class. Knowing a girl who went there and was interviewed by the headmaster about it and another girl who is about seven years younger it is obvious that this went on for many years with the knowledge of the head. What evil bastards these people were.
Tony
March 21st, 2011 at 1:38 am
Just had to make a comment on Willie Coulthard, I was at Bede’s 1949-1953/4.
I know Wee Willie could be a hard case, but with my love of books and the fact he knew my family he would lend me all manner of books from his room.
Maybe the family connection saved my bacon from him but not from the cruel bastard Pessagno who delighted in strapping you until you fell on the floor. If you dropped your hand, he would place on a sideboard and then belt you even harder. He’s is hell I hope along with TD, the devil in carnate, and the others no doubt.
On a lighter note I wonder how many had visits from Willie, many a Sunday he would turn up just about dinner time at 1pm, always saying he was on his way back from saying a mass nearby,he would then stay for the rest of the day and of course had tea followed later by supper around 9pm. Sometimes my father would annouced HE was going to bed and expected the rest of us to follow as soon as we had said our good-byes to Willie. He even turned up on Christmas Day a couple of years running. My mother was a brilliant cook and he knew it.
Can someone comfirn that it was a Fr Reynolds or Rylands that was Prep Master in the old house across the road when I started in 1949?
Keep up the good work Paul you are doing the right thing by hundreds of ex-Bedians from 1950-1966.
March 21st, 2011 at 4:20 am
How the memory cells start clicking at the thought of ‘life’ at St Bede’s in the 1950′s.
I remember Bill Heaton’s first day and my god did he give us curry. He had us sized up from the moment he entered the classroom. It was Him or Us! Bill won!
Years later I met him at a wedding and we talked of that day. He said he was terrified his first day and knew he had to ‘attack’ right away and we pupils crumbled. From then on he was a wonderful teacher and did a lot of good.
I have asked about the Prep Master,either Rylands or Reynolds. Anyway my memory of him which came to me today, or was it another Bede’s nightmare last night?
He walked the class down to the Bath’s at Chorlton for our first swimming session, there was a mere 23 prep boys that year with no less than 9 Peter’s out of the 23.
He had us all stand at the edge of the deep end and asked which boy’s could NOT swim. About 6 of us put our hands up and were promptly pushed into the deep end being told “This is the way to learn!”.
After I sank like a stone as did others he had to jump in with other swimmers and rescue us. But he still thought a great joke. I soon learnt to trail behind the group going to the baths and duck into a handy garden and catch an early bus home. He had some other odd traits that came to the fore at the swimming baths I recall.
I suppose looking back that prepared me for what came later.
Des Pastor and Mr Handley, plus Ego Riley were some of the plus’s.
March 21st, 2011 at 4:54 am
Peter,
I have got to say memory can bring back some horrible moments and memories of people differ amongst individuals, but to give a balanced view, I remember Fr. Passagno, who was from the Italian ice cream family in Corpus Christi parish or thereabouts. I did not know him as Prefect of Discipline, that magnificent athlete and SAS trained gorilla, Jack Rigby, was there in my day and by god was he good with the leather. Passagno, by comparison, was a kitten. Not just in my view but also in the testimony of others and anyway my mother,who was from that parish, had a crush on him before his young eyes turned to God and she finished up with a Protestant farmer who turned out a better Catholic than most of the staff at Bede’s.
Memories of people certainly differ but the one common denominator in everybody’s minds is Duggan. Everyone is of the same hateful opinion of him, I have had hundreds of comments and e-mails and everyone agrees that he was the epitomy of spite and evil and any other short word you could throw at him. Was it because of his position of power or was he really the wicked man we all remember.
March 22nd, 2011 at 5:09 am
Yes Paul, Duggan was the epitome evil and wickeness. I am sure he sits at the top table with the Devil these past many years.
You have mentioned that many victims have passed on.
There are not many old boys of the early 50′s on the list on Freinds Reunited.
I am also disappointed in the lack of response from people from that period, or have most prefered to remain silent.
I want to see justice served on the Diocese at last after all these years of people prefering to sweep all under the carpet.
March 27th, 2011 at 12:16 am
Hello Paul,
May I add my congratulations to your exposé of Tommy Duggan. But in my experience, and despite Duggan’s undoubted weirdness, it was Coulthard who took the biscuit for abuse at Bede’s. It was physical not sexual violence in his case, although one senses that the two are linked in some way. He was a diminutive figure and no doubt suffered from the ‘small man’ complex, and his victims were usually small as well. A true bully and a cowardly bastard, he was actually proud of his reputation, such was the impunity with which he acted for years at the school.
That his violent behaviour was common knowledge is enough indictment of the system which kept him there. What is much worse however is that his memory has been immortalised in glowing terms by having a new building at Bede’s named after him! Since I learnt of this I have been meaning to write to the school asking for his named to be removed. Your exposé of Duggan has renewed my resolve to do this.
Regards,
Bernard Clements.
March 27th, 2011 at 5:33 am
Bernard,
Coulthard was hinted at in my original report to the Diocese and at the meeting in September last is name was mentioned but I did not point the finger directly at him because Duggan was my main target and I did not have too much on Coulthard. I said he was for future investigation.
It was news to me about them naming a new building after him, tell me more and I will add my voice to yours. Talk about a red rag, they have no regard at all for past pupils.
Come back to me soon and Thanks,
Paul
March 28th, 2011 at 6:52 pm
My dealings with Willie Coulthard leave me with ambivalent memories. He was an excellent athletics coach and gave me, a reasonable runner, some spot-on advice on a number of occasions – one piece of advice memorably, for me at least, resulting in my winning an under-17 Mcr Championships 400 yards track race.
But sadly my main memory is less pleasant. In my first week in the main school (I had spent two years in the Prep as priest material) WC picked on me. After a gym session during week one, the whole class was back in the changing room chattering excitedly in this new environment. WC appeared in the doorway and we all fell silent. I was the only boy there who was not brand new. “Dwyer” he bellowed. “Come here, you should know better.”
As I stood in front of him, he swung his left hand at my right ear. Instinctively, I ducked to my left as, pre-planned and no doubt practised, his right hand came through at a rate of knots to smash into my left ear.
A clever piece of street-fighting deception. A 40-odd year old man hitting an 11-year boy on the side of the head with full force. And probably just to feed his ‘small man complex’.
Having said that, by and large my years at St Bede’s were among the happiest of my life and I do not want to get involved in any anachronistic witch hunt against people who are no longer with us.
March 28th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
I should have added that my confrontation with WC was in 1955.
March 28th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Hi Paul,
I do understand the focus on Duggan. With Coulthard the pattern was so repetitious (like everyday) that it would not be appropriate to single out any particular incidence. I recall that when we were preparing for the choir recital at speech Day, he was brought in to put the fear of God into anyone thinking of disrupting the performance, saying to all that he would ensure that he fully lived up to his reputation if anything went wrong. This was the only time I saw the other two members of staff present, Fr. Hanlon and Gordon Frost, demean themselves by cooperating with this psychopath. Louis Hanlon and Frostie, despite the eccenticities of the latter, represented the very best in teaching at St. Bede’s.
As to the building, it might be more accurate to say that a new gymnasium was named after Coulthard. I have some recollection of its mention in an Alumni Associated newsletter about 10 years ago. (I think the Association no longer exists, if not I want my 40 quid lifetime membership fee refunded!)
All the best to you,
Bernard.
March 28th, 2011 at 11:28 pm
Paul,
My posting obviously crossed with John Dwyer’s. (Hello John, nice to hear from you. I rememember your running skills well, having tasted defeat at your hands, feet?, in the 440yd race one sportsday.)
I can understand not having the appetite for a witch-hunt at this stage, but I think a line has to be drawn at naming a large school facility after such a thug. By the way, I found Peter Cosco’s posting on the family-friendly aspect of his personality illuminating. Showing such extremes of charm and violence is one of the defining characteristics of psychopaths.
Regards,
Bernard.
PS My email is bernardclements@hotmail.com
March 30th, 2011 at 1:38 am
To Bernard Clements;
Bernard, I must have been a lucky one of a few in connection with Fr Coulthard? No doubt the family connection saved my bacon.
One thing that has come to mind, just this minute, Wee Willie told me at some stage that if I was ever sent up to the Rector(TD) for ‘punishment’ then I was to come to his study instead and hopefully see him instead. Didn’t work every time but must have saved me from the worse of TD on occassion. He coached me in the discus and javelin and got a older boy, Loveland I think,who went onto big things to give me help.
Willie wound up with a parish at Newton-le-Willows I think. Was he thrown out of Bede’s for anything untoward or was a semi-retirement thing?
I note there are not that many Bede’s boys from the 1950′s on Friends Reunited.
I actually start in Fr Rylands Prep School class which was located across the road from the main school. Just 23 boys in that first class of September 1949.
I see a couple of folk would like to leave sleeping dogs lie, but this is too big to sweep under the carpet. Its been under the carpet far too long already!
Many of the Bede’s staff must have known that sending a boy up to Duggan for punishment what was going to happen. That makes an awful lot of other staff nearly as guilty as Duggan by pandering to his crimes against boys.
I fully support Paul Malpas in his difficult task.
I ask anyone else that suffered under Tommy Duggan or any of the others in that period to contact Paul asap.
March 30th, 2011 at 7:13 pm
We all know that Duggan was weird – but did he actually abuse anyone sexually?
April 1st, 2011 at 6:58 am
Note to John Dwyer. Yes John he DID!
April 1st, 2011 at 12:00 pm
John,
Evidence I have collated suggests most definitely that he did sexually abuse a number of pupils.
Paul
April 8th, 2011 at 9:53 pm
I entered Bedes at the age of 10, in Sept 1955. I can recall many of the names on this noticeboard, and it has reminded me of many of the so called teachers that we had. I too suffered under Duggan, Swineyes (both bottom fondlers, Duggan only when you were bare backside), Coulthard, Tojo and Pag, all harsh leather strap men. The treatment we all suffered was appalling, by the standards of any era.
I have to thank Mike Harding for making me aware of Paul’s efforts, and to thank Paul directly for not allowing this to disappear.
I too feel some irony, in that Coulthard encouraged my athletics career, which lead to a track & cross country direction, then fell and mountain running, and subsequently skiing. I became a ski instructor, and even in my dotage, manage to ski for 6 weeks or so every year.
However, my lasting impression of Bedes is one that I found easy to put to the back of my mind. Reading the series of contributions from my fellow students has opened wounds.
Academically, I used to come in the top three in maths and science, but always managed to come in the last two or three in my class at the year end ~ leading inevitably to a session with Duggan, his strap and his wandering hands. I was kicked out at the age of 15, and my life opened up, engineering, mountaineering, folk-singing.
I am grieved to hear about Tony Heaps. He was a neighbour when I lived in Longsight. My eternal frined was Peter Johnston, in the year above me. He and I started Trans-Pennine Ski Club, until I turned pro and went to live in Austria. He sadly succumbed to an inherited condition.
There is so much more……
April 12th, 2011 at 8:10 am
Hello Paul
News of your work has reached me in Switzerland and as an Old Bedian (1952/1957) and former altar boy at St Robert’s, Longsight, I should like to add a few experiences from Bede’s which I don’t think I’ve read on your blog.
Duggan was a tyrant with absolute authority and I also recall his hugs, how he liked to brush his cheek against mine and put his arm round my waist. Nothing new here but you may wish to add to your evidence that he once patrolled the changing rooms after a gym session (instructing us not to take our towels into the showers with us), also, that he was present to observe our medical examination in one of our early years.
Whereas Duggan seemed to specialise in sexual abuse, his minion Coulthard specialised in physical abuse and was obviously a psychopath. I was terrified of this man and apart from his shouting at and hitting young boys he enjoyed making a class hang from a high wall bar without foot support for a few minutes. I’ll never forget the poor boy who was slapped on his bare back and when Coulthard saw the red mark left by the blow he administered additional slaps to his side and arms to see if they produced the same effect.
Paul, you are helping me bring closure to this unhappy period in my life and I am very grateful. If I can help by recording further experiences please let me know. In particular I should like to support any action to remove Coulthards name from the gymnasium at the “new” Bede’s and request Barry O’Sullivan to become realistic – he may wish to illustrate his Safeguarding Code of Conduct with examples of worst conduct at St Bede’s in the 1950′s.
April 27th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
Given the expressions of support for requesting the removal of Coulthard’s name from any facility at St.Bede’s, I would like those interested in signing a joint letter to the current Headmaster to contact me directly. My email is
bernardclements@hotmail.com
I suggest that a minimum of 4 or 5 signatures would give such a letter some weight. Otherwise letters from individuals might be a better way to do it.
Regards,
Bernard Clements.
May 5th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
My recollections of my life at St. Bede’s are, to say the least, somewhat mixed.I spent from 1951 to 1958 before moving on to study medicine in London.
Only this week, on Googling the name of Gordon Frost, a man I admired, I discovered Paul Malpas’s blog. I was astonished to find that the exploits of the egregious Monsignor Thomas Duggan had been outed. I had not thought about this monster for decades, but I had just assumed that he had been buried and forgotten years ago.
Yes, I had my share of visits to Tommy Duggan’s room, had my arse strapped and been subjected to verbal abuse as he stared at me from under beetling eyebrows. I was not aware of sexual abuse, if holding me close around the waist was not sexual behaviour (at least it was nothing worse).
I was sent to his room once because my mother had bought some blue trousers cheaply, instead of the regulation grey ones, and had my arse tanned yet again for being a disgrace to the school.
At the age of 14 I became very keen on running and I became a favourite of Joe Coulthard. He treated me very well but I frequently witnessed brutal treatment of other lads at his hand. I certainly do not think a gymnasium should be named after him. Perhaps Joe Coulthard Memorial Thumbscrews would be more appropriate?
By and large my time at St. Bede’s was not bad. I was too busy for it to be otherwise. And I did appreciate some of the teachers: Bill Heaton, Father Fay, Father Louis Hanlon, Mr. Parkinson for maths. One curious incident concerning the latter. He taught a course in the History of Science, which I loved so much that I actually studied it hard. I did so well in the exam that he did not believe that I had not cheated. He locked me in a room and challenged me to reproduce the result. I did, but he never apologised.
I have in the decades that have passed since those days been disappointed by my inability to stay in touch with old mates from St. Bede’s. I have lived abroad for 40 years, but I did pay 100 pounds about 15 years ago to join the Old Bedians Society and have heard not a word since. I would love to hear and meet up with some of my old classmates: Peter Swarbrick, John Leach, Frank Fitzpatrick, Barry Carrol. Anthony Parker, John Leyden, John Brookes, Clive Woods, Chris Ryan, Chris Gallagher, Father David McGarry. Where is the diaspora?
One final word: what is the complaint about Geoffrey Burke—-Bishop Burke? He always was very decent to me and I found him gentle and kind.
As for the rest of the teaching staff at the school, they were probably no better or worse than at any other school in the land. We were at the tail end of the Tom Brown’s Schooldays era of boy’s education in Britain. They could never get away with it now.
Let us hope, too, that the Church has reformed itself in the way that the modern St. Bede’s appears to have done.
Well done, Paul Malpas for being the catalyst for all this.
Regards to all who may remember me.
Jack Wynters.
May 6th, 2011 at 9:39 am
Jack,
Thanks for your comment. We are continuing this campaign because the Bishop’s mealy-mouthed apology in March goes nowhere near making reparation to the many Old Bedians who have suffered lifelong torment from the actions of this man all those years ago. Some men are that effected they cannot sustain relationships, some have been on anti-depressant drugs all their adult lives, some cannot even tell their wives of their pain and suffering levied on them by this evil man even after 40 years of marriage. All have suffered mental damage and some physical damage brought on by this. There are a lot of examples of suicide, so many that it is forty times greater than the national statistics and therefore I would suggest that Duggan played a large part in their decision, as we know from contempories that they were abused by this man. Some attempted suicide, were dragged back from the brink and lived to tell the tale of their bleak moments.
We are gathering a data base of information on this subject, which we will be using at some future date. If you have anything of use to tell us besides your comment could you please e-mail Paul Malpas on malpas46@eircom.net. Everything you say will be in total confidence and anonymity reigns always.
Paul
May 8th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Paul
Once again, your hyperbole does your campaign no favours. Jack’s memories of his time at St Bede’s are largely positive. There is no mention of the sexual abuse that you continually claim.
Let’s not get carried away. St Bede’s in the 1950s and 1960s was nothing like the abusive regime conducted by the so-called Christian Brothers in Ireland.
Jack, have a look at Paul’s ‘Doing down Duggan’ for other observations on the school at that time – and the admittedly weird Duggan.
June 13th, 2011 at 8:38 am
Personal plea to Old Bedians of the 50’s and 60’s.
If any of you, like me, suffered sexual and/or physical abuse at the hands of Duggan and his cohorts, or know of any who did, please don’t hesitate to contact Paul Malpas in total confidentiality.
Paul’s campaign is not one of revenge against the abusers, nor is it aimed at hurting the Church.
On the contrary, its mission is to help prevent future cover-ups by the Hierarchy, cover-ups that have caused grievous damage all over the world and continue to do so. Along the way, some healing might be possible for many who have continued to suffer the consequences till this day.
Rick Merrin Bede’s ’55-62.