OB Focus

A look at the multi–tracked career of Seán Micheál Lea OB

I was at Birkfield from 1975 to 1980 as a Boarder. Before that I was at Oakhill. During vacations and at weekends I was involved as a volunteer at the North Norfolk Railway. (My family lived in Cromer until 1978 then we moved to London.)

I was given permission to set up the SJC Railway Society in my second year with the help of Mr Sparrow and was greatly encouraged by the new Headmaster, Brother Damian. He was more than happy for me to organise trips to the National Railway Museum York etc.

Whilst at St Joseph’s I was also the College Head Sacristan and Master of Ceremonies. Within that role I organised for the SJC to be formally admitted into The Arch Confraternity of St Stephen for Altar Servers. Because I organised weekly training for the school’s Altar Serving Team at the same time as the College Choir led by Brother Laurence Hughes was formed, SJC quickly gained a good reputation for the quality of its altar serving and music at Mass as per the Rubrics.

As a result, I contacted the Administrator at Westminster Cathedral and organised for the SJC Altar Servers to Serve Mass at one of the Cathedral’s Solemn High Masses presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Basil Hume. Brother Terence drove us to London in the minibus. Afterwards we had lunch and visited the Imperial War Museum then crossed over the road to St George’s Cathedral were we served as a SJC team at Benediction and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

In the Summer of 1980 Stephen Hook and I represented SJC on the Arch Confraternity’s 10–day pilgrimage to Rome and we stayed in the Vatican City. Both of us served Mass in all the major Roman basilicas and had front row seats during the Papal Weekly General Audience. Whilst in Rome we were invited by Brother Richard Allen, who happened to be in the city at the time, to visit the De La Salle Brothers Generalate.

Then in June 1982 I was selected to serve at the Papal Mass in Cardiff and also had the honour of a Private Audience with The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. Also in Cardiff that day was Guy Pitt who was a day boy at SJC in my year. He attended The Papal Youth Event and presented a picture to the Holy Father on behalf of the Diocese of East Anglia.

I left SJC at the end of the fifth form and went on to do A–levels at a local grammar school before going to Surrey University, where I gained a BSc degree in Business Management. After leaving university in 1985 I spent most of my career in the leisure and hotel management industry. I was general manager of numerous venues around the UK including Eastbourne Pier, The Blackpool Tower Complex and Hammersmith Apollo London.

I was also involved in the development of Cardinal Park in Ipswich and launched the various bars and nightclubs. I then spent several years in Scotland as General Manager of The Balmoral Hotel Edinburgh, owned by Rocco Forte.

Simultaneously with doing the above, during my free time I have always actively pursued my other passions in life, which are heritage steam railways and Arsenal FC. I am a volunteer passenger train inspector guard at the East Lancashire Railway and also the Fans Director of Arsenal Manchester Supporters Club. We have over 1,400 members living in Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Fortunately, I get to go to every Arsenal match – home, away and in Europe. Being an Arsenal fan living in Manchester is great at the moment whilst Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League! In February 2021 I was invited to become a Director of the East Lancashire Railway and I’m currently in role and loving every minute of it.

The East Lancashire Railway runs from Heywood in Greater Manchester via Bury for 12 miles up the beautiful Irwell Valley through to Rawtenstall in Lancashire. We operate a superb collection of restored steam and diesel hauled locomotives. Many of them arrived in appalling condition from Dai Woodham’s scrap yard in Barry, South Wales. It has been a labour of love over 20–plus years by our team of dedicated volunteers to restore these locos to their pristine glory.

The actual railway is the second busiest tourist attraction in Lancashire. It also operates the prestigious Dining with Distinction Pullman–style service. Visitors can enjoy fine lunches, luxury afternoon teas and splendid four–course dinners in the most elegant of settings. Events include family spectaculars, wine tasting nights, murder mystery parties and comedy nights. See the East Lancashire Railway website for details and tickets eastlancsrailway.co.uk

A few years ago, at our Baron Street Locomotive Depot in Bury, we fully restored and overhauled the Flying Scotsman. The world famous A3 Pacific locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and built in 1923 in Doncaster for the London North Eastern Railway celebrates her 100th birthday this year. She was in full steam at the East Lancashire Railway in March and is absolutely magnificent.

The railway is always on the lookout for eager volunteers and any fellow OBs who have settled in the Lancashire area are warmly invited to get in touch if they’re interested.