Yes, You Can Go Back! – Alumni Stories, Peter Monether

Sometime during my last year at Altrincham Grammar School for boys, I decided to apply to St. John’s College in York – then a teacher training college, and the place where my current P.E. teacher, basketball and rugby coach had graduated. It’s curious I chose to go to the same place, since I couldn’t stand the guy, and one of the highlights of my upper sixth was when he was decked in the teacher’s room by another teacher who thought he was about to tackle him to the floor! So it was that since Sheffield University didn’t want me to study Psychology there, I made my way to York in early September 1970, and there I stayed for four years.

St. John’s in those days was a small college of barely 1,000 students (about 6,000 today,) but the English Department was very strong, the basketball team was thin enough to need me in its first team, and the Education Department was enlightened enough to have an annual college exchange to Keene State College in New Hampshire, USA! Suffice to say that my four years at St. John’s were enjoyable, socially profitable, and an excellent preparation for a career in education. That it also provided connections to the place I would live for 38 years and to both my wives are very much to its credit.

Recently I came across an essay I wrote for one of my English courses entitled “Return to the Childhood Place – selected short stories of Graham Greene.” Essentially, the message was you can never go back – it will be a letdown – things will not be how you remember them. I’ve heard those sentiments a few times since, and frankly that has not been my experience, not least these days in an exciting venture back at the college that trained me.

Recently I started doing some volunteer work at St. John’s, now called York, St. John University since it now awards its own degrees as opposed to being a university college of Leeds University. I was immediately amazed by the changes to the quaint old college I used to know. Actually, the quaint old mock Tudor part of the college is still there looking every bit as dignified as it did 40 years ago. But the campus is so much more impressive with stunning new buildings, greatly improved facilities, and more varied degree programs.

When I arrived on my first day back, 40 years after leaving it, I was right away made to feel welcome and valued as a volunteer in the Alumni Development Office. Amy Lynch, my current boss, in addition to having the longest job title I’ve ever seen (Alumni Assistant, Directorate of Employability, Enterprise & Business Engagement) is smart, energetic and deeply committed to the college. If I needed any convincing I’d made a good move in volunteering, Amy was it.

To begin with, my work was ill-defined – deliberately so, as Amy gave me time to explore the Heritage Room and find what interested me. Early initiatives include learning the college heritage trail so I can give tours if needed, helping revise and produce guide materials for the trail, identifying and recognizing outstanding alumni, and trying to fill in some of the gaps in the Heritage Room records – notably the 1970’s, something of a void that is puzzling to me since I’m sure we did lots of amazing things. You’d think we just sat in our rooms and studied continuously – and I know that isn’t true! I guess we didn’t do a very good job of photographing and documenting what we did.

I’m following in the very considerable footsteps of a local legend – John Maw, CBE – who is a York native, was both a student and longstanding faculty member at the college before retiring, then taking the reigns of the Heritage Room and compiling an incredible collection of organised binders, displays and artifacts. I’ve met John on a few occasions and am very grateful to have him as a mentor and source of inspiration.

It’s great fun going in on Tuesdays and walking onto campus, feeling the buzz of student life and gradually getting to know who is who and what is where. It’s fun also seeing how buildings have been repurposed: the old library is now the student union, named after the first student – Cordukes – who was the only student to appear in 1841 when the college officially opened! Holgates which in the 1970’s housed the bursar’s & business offices, is now extended and modernised into a thriving student centre. The original college chapel that had already been superseded by a new chapel in the 1960’s is now the Centre for Creativity.

Hopefully you can sense my pride and amazement at rediscovering my old college, and at finding it much improved in so many ways from the modest college it was when I was there. I wasn’t sure I wanted to return to a place of learning so soon after retiring from a career in education, but I’m glad I did!

Peter Monether, Graduated 1974