Eddie (Edwin) Roberts
Who is this visitor to the blog you may ask?
I am now 66 years old and walked the corridors of Mirfield from 1963 to 1967 and then moved up to Allanton for a year from where I was dishonourably discharged as a result of an unhealthy (still a matter of opinion) encounter with beer and ladies.
I shared the classroom often with John Docherty, Leonard Rowland, and David Glenday in particular and had a close association with Fritz and Bickers among others.
The list of names would go on. My pride and joy as for others was pulling on the Inter Milan strip and roaming the right side of the field.
My laundry number was 94!
MC at Mirfield
I was elevated to the lofty position of MC which was the pinnacle of my then career, and though I thought it was because of my unquestioned saintliness, in truth it was because I was the worst singer since Moses tried to sing the Ten Commandments and I could swing a thurible like no other.
My class reports had a common theme of “too frivolous in class” and ” must take his duties more seriously ” !
Via a circuitous route through Israel, Saudi Arabia, Canada and Stockton-on-Tees, I arrived in Australia.
Eddie Roberts – a Verona Fathers Mirfield Boy
Mirfield Blog
I came upon this blog quite by accident . I was engaged in routine internet activity and like many others suddenly decided to go off task and do a bit of Google research.
Now for some as yet unconfirmed reason I entered Verona Fathers.
What I found was an emotional tremor to say the least! How was I unaware of what was going on then and now?
Names , my name! and events from an age gone by leapt out of the pages and excited as I was , my heart became heavy as I read on.
Corridors and Dormitories
I have reflected deeply since the discovery and with the benefit of that wonderful friend hindsight, yes the signs were there, the clues were in the corridors and dormitories.
Why not me? Who knows?
I thought till now a routine weigh by an avuncular medically trained Father was quite normal. It is hard to attach a 66 year old head to a 13 year old kid destined for the papacy.
A Time of Happiness and Fun
As my contact with some of you grows, I think of a time, for me, of happiness and fun, of challenge and camaraderie that forged my path for the future.
I must now dwell on other things, sad things, and my thoughts are with you.
I talked with Gerry recently for over an hour after a gap of around 49 years!
I don’t know the man, yet we talked of happy days, memories plucked from storage in the depths of some cerebral hemisphere.And we still have a bond, more in common than with some people I have known for decades.
From a land down under, I wish you well and speed the day I don that Inter strip and see you again.
Comboni Missionaries 
Goodness gracious Eddie! We were in the same football team and wearing the same strip – brought by Father Colombo from Milan itself!!! I was probably the Right Back – a position that I played since I was a six year old, essentially because I could boot a ball halfway to the other end of the pitch, but also due, most probably, to a lack of attacking flair.
Eddie Roberts…OMG. I don’t expect you to believe this but your face walked through my memory banks a few days ago. Honest! How telepathically weird is that! I was wondering what had happened to you. Gr8 to see you touch base with the old boys.
It appears that my mind has become a large receptacle of many odd memories of my days at Mirfield and Allanton. You are there among the collection. How about this one for starters: you were the one who stood up and asked the management at Roe Head if we could watch a new TV series which had gripped the nation, it was called…. ‘The Monkees’. They agreed, and Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz et al entered our world. Should I thank you for this…! Of course!
The ‘winonpens’ moniker references my beloved football team LIVERPOOL. I know you’re a Stockton lad and are probably a Magpie. You’ve a top manager this year. I know you Geordies will treat him well.
By the way I also lived in Australia and worked in Saudi too. Just got back from Canada.
Speak again soon.
Nos Cum Prole Pia
Martin (Muff) Murphy
Hi Eddie
Gerry sent me an email and told me about you. I am in Perth Western Australia. My phone number is 0430 084 932 and my email is berrell7@bigpond.com. Looking forward to chatting. All the best Ben
Eddie Roberts – I never knew you – I arrived in September 1969.
It is good to know that there are old boys from Mirfield, St. Peter Claver College, that are still “stumbling,” as you said, upon this veronafathersmirfield.com Blog.
Thanks Eddie
Mark Murray (1969 – 1974)
Great to read your post Eddie. So many fond memories of your good humour & friendship. You’re so right about the bonds, forged in childhood, enduring the passage of time. I think we have all found that to be such a pleasant bonus as we share our memories.
Brilliant also that the blog’s power to seek out our old boys is as strong as ever.
hi i was at the verona fathers in 1960 age 10 john roche do you remember the run we had to do every morning before breakfast we also went to see brigadoon the play the abuse i put down to the brothers being gay but not all i hated that to much touching