A campus visit to discover the past
Written by Louise Metcalfe
Our journey to York St John began in rather sad circumstances. I was going through my father, Barry Haggerston Metcalfe’s things after he passed away aged 90 last year, and found what looked like a college scarf. After a quick look on the internet and a call to the alumni department at YSJ, yes, this green and gold stripped scarf was most likely to have kept Dad warm on cold nights in York.
I was now in touch with Amy McCarthy, Alumni Relations Coordinator at York St John, and she offered to give my son Sam (18) and I a tour of the campus and archives on a sunny August day.
Dad’s own journey in the early 1950’s to St John’s College, York (as it was then) hadn’t been as straightforward. He had won a city scholarship to Dame Allans school in Newcastle and was the first person in his family to go to further education. National Service wasn’t to end until 1960, so Dad decided to get this out of the way before starting college, joining up in September 1951.
Unfortunately, National Service had been extended to two years in 1950 and Dad found himself on a troop ship on the way to Korea, as part of the UK’s deployment of almost 60,000 troops in the UN’s response to North Korea’s invasion of South Korea. Dad marked 6th September 1952 as ONE YEAR TO GO and similarly the same date in 1953 as DEMOB DAY in his tiny pocket diaries.
College life
Getting the train to York and arriving on campus was surely a doddle after being swept up in a faraway conflict. The cosy single bedroom, with ivy around the tiny windows, overlooking York’s City Walls must have felt so different from sleeping under canvas in the harsh Korean winter. Now staff offices, it was lovely to peep into the rooms and imagine Dad there – he had shared a bedroom all his life in cramped Tyneside flats, so it much have felt so comfortable to him.
We looked in the archives, and staff had found items from Dad’s time at St John’s College. He looked very proud on the May 1955 college photo, possibly feeling a bit nervous too about his final exams the next month. We spotted him in various newsletters, and it was fascinating to read about all the social activities that went on during the year.
We could easily imagine Dad puffing on his pipe in the Common Room after a meal in the Refectory, perhaps listening to some classical music on the gramophone. As we walked around the campus, Amy pointed out so many interesting features from Dad’s time at college. First year students had to walk around the edges of the perfectly manicured quadrangle – only privileged second year students could use the path straight across. After his military service, I hoped Dad found life more fun in York. I know he really enjoyed playing chess and particularly looked forward to matches against the teams of Terry’s and Rowntrees’ as their hospitality, which hopefully included chocolate as many foods were still rationed, was apparently excellent.
A lifetime of teaching
Looking at the various displays around campus, it was very clear that students had enjoyed their time in York immensely, and were very proud of the education they had received, preparing them for rewarding careers across the world.
Dad returned to Newcastle in 1955 with a Certificate in Education, and was immediately offered an appointment as a Qualified Teacher with a commencing salary of £450 per annum. So began a forty-year career in primary schools in the West End of Newcastle, passing on his loves of maths, music, football and chess to hundreds of children. Dad’s education at St John’s College, York gave him not just a professional qualification and a career, but a far higher standard of living for his own family, far removed from his wartime childhood on Tyneside.
As we concluded our very emotional tour, Amy gave us some incredible news. In recognition of how hard it must have been to gain a Certificate in Education in just two years and be launched out into classrooms, York St John was awarding students like Dad a Bachelor of Education (honoris causa). He would have been so proud to receive this and we thought it was a wonderful post script to Dad’s time in York.
Our sincere thanks to Amy for her time and knowledge and to all the staff who provided information for our visit.
If you would like to visit campus for a historical campus tour, please email alumni@yorksj.ac.uk. For more information about our Honorary Bachelor of Education Degree scheme, please email alumni@yorksj.ac.uk.
