came to him when, first, the important role of Master of Ceremonies came his way and then, in his final year, he was appointed Dean of Students. The latter job was especially demanding because the ordinands of 1956 were the victims of a new experiment: ordination on Ember Saturday in Lent, a week's holiday, then back to Oscott to complete the course. The legendary yet aging Rector, Mgr Emery, now had eighteen ordained students; there were inevitable tensions as we were not to forget that we were still students! John's cool and calm approach gave the assurances that were badly needed.

His first five years were spent at St Teresa's, Wolverhampton. I know at first-hand how well he did in his first appointment because I succeeded him and was provided with many opportunities to advance in the virtue of humility, being informed on innumerable occasions how much Father Callaghan would be missed. A spell at Tunstall with Bishop Bright followed and it seemed that would be his spring-board. I often thought that such a talented priest was underused by the diocese.

1967 saw his happy return to his native Birimingham. A few years at Selly Park preceded his first appointment as Parish Priest just up the road at St Paul's, King's Norton, the second parish priest of this young parish. His ministry there lasted fourteen years and the church he built reflected his character: neat, devotional and functional. His last eighteen months were the period of his illness. His courage evoked support from his family, parishioners and brother priests, which enabled him to stay on and so die in office.

A few days before he died he told Tony Brisland, Tony Taylor and me that he hoped to attend the Holy Week ceremonies in a wheel-chair. He died in the first hour of Holy Week. His suffering over, please God glory took its place, for such would be a fitting reward for this talented yet humble priest who served God and the Church to the best of his ability wherever Providence placed him.

W M Boyle

PAUL FREDERICK JOSEPH SANDY (1937-39)

As I knelt to anoint Paul a few minutes after he collapsed and died in his home here in Uttoxeter on February 8th, and to pray for the repose of his soul, I was overcome with a sense of unreality. We had known each other for almost forty-seven years, since he came to Cotton in 1937, and he was always so alive, so charged with nervous energy, that it was almost impossible to think of him lying dead before me.

The shock of his sudden death affected very many people, for Paul was widely known and universally held in high regard. He was born on 5th June, 1925, into a large and happy Catholic family, one of seven brothers and two sisters. The family firm, Louis Sandy Ltd., had a long and fruitful association with the Church throughout the Midlands and beyond, serving the colleges, convents and other religious institutions with a wide range of textile products.

Paul began his schooling at the Convent of the Cross Prep. School in Uttoxeter (sadly now no more), and then moved to the Congregation's school at Boscombe, Bournemouth. Arriving at Cotton, in St Thomas's, Paul joined his brothers, Cyril and Barney: "Uncle Fred" Sandy was Bursar.

The outbreak of war and a change in the family fortunes meant that the Sandys had to leave Cotton, and Paul completed his schooling at K E S, at Stafford.

Paul Sandy.

From school Paul went to the English Electric works at Stafford, then was directed on war work to the Alvis Company in the town. Later he worked with his sister Ena in the "Land Army". Because of his poor eyesight he had been graded as unfit for service in the armed forces.

After the war ended, Paul joined the family firm, starting in the warehouse, and then travelling extensively throughout the Midlands and beyond - hence his almost unrivalled knowledge of the inner workings of so many convents that would have done credit to a Vicar-General for Religious. On the death of his elder brother, John, and the retirement of his brother, Peter, Paul became Managing Director of the firm. I remember his telling me with great satisfaction and pride that after thirty-four years with the firm, at last he was in charge of it. But, sadly, as for so many old-established family firms, the writing was already on the wall: economic pressures and changes (literally) in habits were spelling the approaching end of an era. As more and more convents closed, and more and more of those remaining open "modernized" their traditional religious dress, the market for Louis Sandy Ltd, Gordon Mills, Stafford, shrank. The position was made worse by the closing of many convent boarding schools, inevitable in these circumstances. I remember his bewailing not just the loss of trade, but that many New-Style nuns were now buying their clothing, of inferior quality, from some of the multiple stores, instead of the almost indestructible serges, linens and other materials which they had formerly bought in bulk quantities from Louis Sandy Ltd. It was the abandonment of quality as much as the loss of trade that hurt him - and this was typical of Paul: he was an enthusiast and a perfectionist in all he did.

In 1967 Paul married Gillian Bamford of Uttoxeter, and so moved here to Uttoxeter, where he spent his remaining years. In Gill he found an ideal partner, whose strength and patient understanding were invaluable: to her and their daughter, Virginia, the shock of Paul's death was especially severe.

Rooted in a happy family life which he valued tremendously, outside his working hours Paul found many outlets for his restless energies.

Throughout the war years and for many years afterward, he did a vast amount of voluntary work in connection with the Stafford hospitals, and he was held in high regard by

all the staff at the old General Hospital in Stafford. Though unfit for armed service, he joined the Home Guard during the war, so anxious was he to do what he could.

Paul was keenly interested in hockey. Although his poor eyesight prevented him from rising to eminence as a player, for many years he was secretary of the Stafford Hockey Club, and his devoted and enthusiastic work for the club earned him a special award from them.

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