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THE NOTES I WINTER 2020
NEWS DUNSTONIAN
WHAT ST DUNSTAN'S HAS MEANT AND GIVEN TO ME... Roy Payton (’53)
I
am very grateful for this opportunity to be able to explain the important role that my education at St Dunstan’s College has played in my life. I have enjoyed a fantastic life, full of colour, fun and challenge. The road has sometimes been bumpy and quite daunting, but very rewarding. Sir Winston Churchill once said that, “Success in life is experiencing a series of failures without losing enthusiasm.” This was very appropriate when our PE Master, Dicky Ellerby challenged us to walk round the gym on our hands. After many failures, I finally succeeded and Mr Ellerby presented me with a half crown, stressing that he never thought anybody would ever achieve it. I found my time at school inspiring, motivating and character-building and I learned that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. To be different. Being different separates the best from the rest – if you always act normally you never know how great you could have been.
my three sons as I grew older, I wished to achieve it with dignity and a feeling of being worthwhile. At the age of 68 I nervously attended a Waitrose interview...and got the job! I wanted to be the best checkout worker ever and in my opinion, I was! I achieved some top sales recognition, even though I was only a part-time partner, out of 91,000 - most very much younger than me. I thought that was pretty good! I won an award from the John Lewis Golden Jubilee Trust (right), to work with a charity of my choice – I chose Children with Cancer, as my daughter died from cancer at only 12 months old. I made successful presentations to Rotary – WI and other institutions and raised substantial funds for the charity - could I have done this without the confidence St Dunstan’s gave me - I think maybe not? After ten years at Waitrose I decided to retire, but I still at the age of 78 had a strong desire to feel useful and worthwhile, so with this in mind I took up roller skating! After many thrills and spills I finally mastered the art. I fell in love with every dustbin on the seafront as I hadn’t learned how to stop! People walking their dogs on long leads, became the bain of my life.
Life generally is rather like climbing a mountain, but never let the peaks get too high or the troughs too low.
I raised funds for childrens’ charities, with my late daughter in mind and proudly appeared on BBC News (see Youtube/ Google Roller Roy)
Having discharged my duties towards my family, as a husband and father to
I became known as Roller Roy and was described as “Possibly the oldest ukulele
playing roller skater in the world with a parrot on his shoulder” Eventually I injured myself and needed to move into assisted living accommodation - and then LOCKDOWN happened. I remembered what I had learned at St Dunstan’s - motivation, inspiration - when the going gets tough, the tough get going. I set myself various challenges at my new home, Bernhard Baron Cottage Homes and since lockdown I have walked more than 1.5 million paces - equal to 620 miles; read 12 books; written 5 poems and learned 10 new songs on my guitar. Plus I've lost almost a stone in weight! Finally as I reach the age of 84 on 21st October 2020 (Trafalgar Day), I keep with me the coffee table I made at school (pictured right) - under the beady eyes of Sam Maslen, some 70 years ago! I will finish by saying good luck to all students - future and present and to all Dunstonians everywhere and remember - nothing succeeds without enthusiasm always have a positive attitude - learn to be different - don’t wait for the storm to pass but learn to sing dance or even skate in the rain!
