S T Joseph's Salesian School Burwash

A Memory of Burwash.

I was a boarder at St joseph's from 1947 to 1951. We lived in Lincolnshire. My father was an OLD BOY of the Salesian School at Battersea and this was my start to follow him there. We traveled in special compartments from Charing Cross on the 4.20pm train to Stonegate. In '47 we all piled into a 3 toner for for the ride to the school, luggage following in a cart pulled by the School tractor. Eating was with tin plates and tin mugs. Sleeping was in dormitories of up to 20 boys. Teachers were priests, Fathers Wilson, Douglas, Douglas, Connolly, Doherty and Brothers John and James. Among the parishioners were the Earl of Longford and his family. Daily Mass was followed by porridge which sometimes produced bits of fish from the previous day's lunch. Bed was at 6pm. September term involved picking potatoes on the school farm with rides on the back of Judy, a giant carthorse mare. At the end of term I was escorted from Charing Cross to Kings Cross for my journey north and put in the charge of the Guard. I enjoyed my time at Burwash - some boys did not and tried to escape but they never got far. Friends I remember: the Chopin brothers, Paul Brown, Robert Green,? Hunt, ? Davito ( Father owned an ice-cream parlour) , Chris Bell, The Conlon brothers, Chris White and many more whose names escape me at the age of nearly 82!! School and Church now gone, what a great pity.

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