In Memory of Mr. Patrick Sleight

There is always more than just a tinge of genuine sadness when it becomes necessary for me to report to the Members a death amongst us. Whilst searching through the OMA Web Site Guestbook I came across an entry I had not seen before from a person I did not recognised. On further examination I discovered that the entry had been made by Mary Wilde, sister to the late Patrick Sleight. With Mary's full permission it gives me enormous pleasure to publish the following, written by Mary in memory of her brother Patrick: 

“Pat went to St Michael's School between 1961 and 1967 (I think). He always struggled at school because he was dyslexic and Lancashire Education Committee, who were very progressive for the time, acknowledged there was a problem and paid his fees so that he could attend  St. Michael's School. The idea behind this was so that Pat could be taught in smaller classes.

From the stories he told me I think he was a character at school and used to bait the teachers rather than settle down and do any work - a typical response with his learning difficulties. He often talked about his time at St. Michael's School and he recalled many times the constant travelling between Hunstanton and Ingoldisthorpe on the school double decker bus, in fact he convinced the family that this was the same bus as used by Cliff Richard in the film 'Summer Holiday'. In my naivety I believed him!! Pat's great friend at school was Louise Feldman whose father ran a pub in Brancaster and I think it was called The White Horse. He spent many a happy weekend  visiting Louis' home and in particular I remember him telling me of the day they were so busy bird watching they  became cut off by the incoming tide and had to be rescued by a passing boat. 

After leaving school Pat initially joined a training scheme to become a Hotel Manager, then he worked as an Assistant Manager for Tesco before trying a   career as a Level Crossing Keeper and eventually became a Carer looking after mentally handicapped people. Unfortunately, he never reached his intellectual potential and only came into his own when he obtained a computer with a built-in spell check. Those of you who remember Pat might remember his appalling handwriting and his even worse spelling! 

Pat lived with his partner Averill for over 25 years and they were married in a very emotional bedside ceremony on 18 September 2005, just four weeks before he died. He had been diagnosed with prostrate cancer in October 2003 and passed away on 21 October 2005, two years to the day that he was given between 18 months and 24 months to live.” 

Mary Wilde (nee Sleight)