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One of the Archive group's remits is to preserve the oral history of Stillington and Marton through the medium of people's recollections. These provide a fantastic overview, containing many wonderful facts, insights and anecdotes that may well be unique, and would be lost without some effort to save them.
If you would like to provide us with a written record of your memories please contact us.
The first article is by Mike Webster, who was a pupil at Stillington Hall when it was a Junior Seminary run by the Verona Fathers. As we know very little about The Hall during this time Mike's reminiscences are very valuable and we would like to thank him for allowing us to publish them on our site.
The Verona Fathers originated as a brotherhood based in Italy who trained young men for missionary work in Africa. As much of that work was done in British controlled Africa they began setting up schools in Britain from about 1900 onwards to train and ordain English speaking priests who would be better able to undertake this work.
The Fathers set up the seminary at Stillington Hall in 1949. It was only meant to be a short, temporary stay while a school was purpose built, however it lasted until 1960 when the new Junior Seminary was opened at Mirfield.
Mike was at Stillington Hall from 1956-1960, and describes his stay there as 'the happiest time of my life'.
Stillington Hall : an insider’s memories
' I arrived at Stillington Hall in September 1956, at the tender age of 12 years, in a Standard Vanguard car, courtesy of our neighbour. I was also joined on that date by a young man called Maurice Cole who later changed his name to Kenny Everett.'
' When I arrived in September 1956 there were 58 students, 2 resident lay teachers, the Father Rector and 6 teachers who were Verona Fathers. In addition to the local Yorkshire accent there were strong accents from various parts of Scotland, Ireland as well as a couple of students from overseas.
The building that stood on the west side of main house was used as classrooms. The main dormitory was on the top floor and stretched along the whole front of the house with smaller rooms also used for sleeping. There was also an infirmary for those taken ill. On the ground floor the room to the left of the main hall was used by visitors whether they be family or on business. Ahead from the main hall was the refectory, as we called it, where everyone ate. The chapel was along a corridor, again off the inner hall.This also led to the showers, other toilets, and the accommodation for the lay teachers.
The inner hall and stairway was as magnificent as shown in your photographs. A friend of mine decided to slide down the banister from the top but unfortunately fell off not far from the top and hit the wooden floor below with a sickening thud. He was taken to hospital unconscious and was very fortunate to survive that fall.
The kitchen garden grew most of our produce which was prepared by the Nuns/Sisters who had their own part of the house based in the East wing. Many of us spent time at weekends in the kitchen garden helping the Brothers keep it weed-free & eating their vegetables whilst doing the “weeding”.
We would walk round the whole grounds when we were involved in “retreats” which was a time of quiet, contemplation, prayer and solitude for up to 3 days.
In one of your photographs you show the tennis court at the front left of the picture; that was still there in 1956. We used it for games, PE, & five-a-side rugby.
At weekends we would help the Brothers in the stable yard which was situated at the eastern end of the Hall and was able to be approached from South Back Lane. We would amble through the surrounding fields taking in the birdlife, following the River Foss in the river itself as well as along the banks. The choir sang for the local people who came to services and also a family who came in from Brandsby Hall to attend mass and hear us perform. Homework was completed in the classrooms on Saturday morning but everyone looked forward to an afternoon’s football,
which was played on a pitch to the left of the main gate and adjacent to the road leading down to the Water Mill, but also down on the field where the present sports pavilion now stands. On occasion we played against the village football team. I remember a young man with the surname Morse played against us and he was said to have had trials at a professional club.
We took walks all round the area to - Sutton-on-the-Forest, Huby, Sheriff Hutton, Bulmer, Easingwold, Crayke, Farlington, Stearsby, Brandsby, Helmsley, Rievaulx Abbey, Castle Howard, Jervaulx Abbey. Quite often we walked 20+ miles but did not think it was anything out of the ordinary. I am still a great walker thanks to the wonderful countryside around Stillington.
We also visited Flamingo Park Zoo, as it was known at the time, when it first opened as a zoo and we remember that everything was 'under construction'. We took trips to Ampleforth, Hovingham, York, and the North East.
I am sure that some of the older residents will remember that period, and when we took our shoes to the cobbler to be repaired, only because his daughter was worth the visit!
The four years I spent at the hall and in the village itself were the happiest times of my life and the experience will always have a special place in my heart. I am glad to see that, apart from extra housing, it is still as it was in 1956. '
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