My blog must have caused some concern to DK because the latest news hitting the front line is that at a recent briefing at Staff HQ he was taking the accusations one by one and quickly rubbishing them. Apparently the assault by the Aussie in the Old Cock in Didsbury against an older member of staff reared its head and took up some space in the debate. It seemed to amuse the staff in the way DK dealt with it. Who can tell me who this cocky Aussie is, I cannot find out, people remain coy?
A whole raft of a report came out about DK’s two year sulk after he was turned down in his quest for headship when Barber was appointed in, I think, 2009. DK was rampaging through the school boasting how he would do nothing to support the new head and everybody in the staff room stopped listening to his rant. To me the information was old hat but it does show the particular nasty character traits in DK’s make-up.
It seems he has now learned off the Romans in that he has divided and conquered his opposition amongst the staff by promoting those not against him, these easily swayed but promoted non-entities are now showing fealty to their lord and master, the rest are not amused.
The real big news coming to the front line trenches is that Mr Byrne and Co, the five governors who have recently resigned actually signed their resignation papers on 24th March 2013 but these papers were only lodged at Companies House on 29th April. I am sorry for getting that slightly wrong in previous blog postings.
However to take up the slack of these five resignees, two new governors were appointed on 19th March 2013, their papers only being posted at Companies House on 6th May 2013, last Monday. And wait for it both are priests. Lay men have more to lose than apply.
So we have a right old ecclesiastic knees-up at governors meetings now. A lady secretary, an ancient lay man, a strutting accountant, a bishop, two monsignors and four priests. One of whom, although still entitled, will have been relieved of his duties until further investigation has taken place into the sexual abuse of a young girl. This gathering seems to confirm even more as to who owns and runs the school, none other than the Salford Diocese.
The two new priests are comparative young blood, undoubtedly old boys of the school but of that I am not altogether certain:-
1.) Fr Steve Parkinson. Aged 43 with his address given as the College. In fact according to the Directory of Priests for the Salford Diocese, Parkinson is none other than the Bishop’s Private Secretary, with his address as Wardley Hall, the Bishop’s mansion in Wardley, in Salford. Recruiting Officer Brain did not go far when filling the recent draft.
2.) Fr Paul Daly. Age 48 of St Joseph’s Church in Heywood and Chaplain at Fairfield Hospital. A busy man. There was a Paul Joseph Daly who started at Bede’s in 1976 which matches this man’s age.
To me now more than ever this news suggests to me that their was policy disagreement on the board and these new men were brought in to provide a priestly majority to pass Quinlan’s and Kearney’s machinations. I might be wrong and time will tell but don’t you think the parents have a right to help make decisions affecting the school, they after all are the pipers and possibly more importantly everything would be open and transparent. However no matter how much the Church boasts of its openness and transparency, they still like to hold on to dark secrets and the fact that they and only they want to stay in charge.
One last thing that has not yet been sorted is Mr Steve Driscoll’s answer to Mr Carr. Mr Driscoll was the vociferous former governor who was at the school in June 2011 when Mr Barber was booted. Mr Carr asked him, why in line with best educational practise was the headship and deputy headship not advertised when Mr Barber left. A simple question deserving a straight forward answer from a man who obviously likes his voice to be heard. We are waiting Mr Driscoll, perhaps somebody connected with the school my take his place and answer.