STAFF FOCUS: LESLEY ROSE

STAFF FOCUS

and holidays. The staff would be served tea, coffee and milk from silver pots served in a porcelain tea service.

After leaving school at the age of 16, Lesley joined WHS’s Housekeeping Department full time working from 7am to 7pm and earning 75 pence per hour. She has worked for four Heads – Speight, Griffith, Seymour and Goldsmith – and highlighted how staffing was very different in the early days, with at least 10 Matrons (who oversaw all laundry), a sewing lady, ironing lady and bath time assistants. The boys bathed twice weekly and Lesley’s mother, Doreen, worked two nights a week overseeing this in House.

In the Michaelmas term 2019, Lesley was serving match teas from the hatch in the Hippo to visiting parents and was instantly recognised by a Housian who had returned to watch his nephew play rugby. She was delighted to see him again, a good 30 years since she last saw him!

Lesley has very happy memories of working at School over the years and we can’t thank her enough for her continued service which always includes a huge smile and much laughter. H

Lesley Rose

HOUSEKEEPING 1976–PRESENT

The term ‘domestic goddess’ was really created for one person, and that’s our very own Lesley Rose!

Lesley joined Winchester House in 1976 at the age of 13 as a Domestic Assistant. She would walk to WHS from her home in Brackley to start tea duty at 5pm. This involved serving the 100 or so boys and staff who would be seated in the Dining Room, Oak Corridor and Drawing Room. She remembers the teas as being quite sparse, with each boy being given a piece of bread with butter, a sausage roll or Scotch pancake and a piece of homemade cake. The cake was provided by the boys’ mothers who would leave a huge selection of tinned cakes and biscuits in the ‘Cake Cupboard’ after exeats

Lesley (right) with Tracie Garrett (now Titchener) (centre) and Marie Haynes (now Wilson) (left) in 1979.