One of the many dedicated and talented members of staff who work so hard behind the scenes at Radley, Sarah has been a stalwart of the Sewing Team since 2006. Sarah took some time away from labelling boys’ kit to tell us about how she arrived at Radley, first as a cleaner and later as a member of the Sewing Team.
I was working part-time in the evenings at Tesco after I had my second child. Sadly, I lost my Dad in quite traumatic circumstances and after some time off I was ready for a fresh start.
My friend Mandy worked at Radley as the Sewing Assistant in G Social. She had been here a while and suggested I apply. I started as a cover cleaner for a couple of months. At that point, all the Socials had their own Sewing Assistant, and at the end of each summer term the new Shells’ uniform would be sent in and they would all spend two days together in the Library labelling everything. I’ve always been keen with a needle and thread so I was asked if I would help. After the summer holidays I went into B Social for a year as a cleaner and after that I took over the role as Sewing Assistant in G Social.
Sewing Assistants were responsible for naming all the new uniform that was ordered from Shepherd & Woodward as well as items purchased over the course of the year from Shop, and we would name boys’ home clothes as they came in as well. The hours suited me really well as I worked part-time, term-time only so I could fit work around my son when he was at school.
What has changed in your time at the College?
I started off in B Social when Richard Greed was the Tutor and worked for four Tutors in G Social (Harry Hammond, Will Matthews, Tony Jackson and the current Tutor, Graham King) before the Sewing Team became centralised in 2021.
The biggest change for me has been going from working in a Social to being part of the centralised team. At the time I was fearful of what that change would bring. I loved being in G Social, especially the day-to-day interaction I had with the boys and getting to know them. Being part of the Social meant that boys would often come to the sewing room and talk about things they might not talk to others about. I’ve received lovely letters from boys when they left. It’s been wonderful to watch the success of someone like Tom George (Olympic Rower, 2008, G). He was always very determined, and it’s been amazing to support him over the years. I feel very proud to have known him when he first arrived at Radley as a 13-year-old.
How do you feel now about the current Sewing Team set-up?
Three years on and I love where the Sewing Team is now based, in the old Careers Library opposite the Library at the end of Covered Passage. We’re in a very central location so we see a wider variety of boys and I’ve got to know more members of staff as well. We regularly see the PHMs and other members of the Housekeeping Team who bring us the boys’ clothes to be named.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy?
I’ve always loved sewing, since I was a little girl, so I’m lucky to do something I really enjoy every day. My first job was working at the fabric shop Masons. It’s an Abingdon institution really, an old-fashioned, independent family-run haberdashery shop.
I enjoy the variety of work that we do and it’s more diverse since we became a centralised team. For example, we’ve made bunting and table runners in each Social’s colours as well as making curtains and repairing upholstery in the Socials. We’ve also repaired the curtains and the seating in the Theatre.
Although the sewing and labelling we do might seem trivial in a school like this, it’s one of the many important aspects that ensure the successful functioning of the College as a whole and it’s nice to be a part of that.
What might we find you doing away from work?
When I’m not sewing, you’ll probably find me watching football! My husband played football and my stepson and grandson both play. We’re all big Liverpool supporters. Although we don’t go to games that often we’ve loved taking the grandchildren up to do the stadium tour. I’m also an avid reader, I like detective books and whodunnits, James Patterson and Ian Rankin are two of my favourite authors. And jigsaws – I like to keep my brain active. Music is another passion of mine – I always have music on in the background when I’m sewing.
Can you tell us a sewing secret?
Not so much a secret but a piece of Radley history – when I arrived at the College, G Social’s colours were black and silver. They were changed by Tony Jackson to the red and blue that we have today. Boys are very protective over their Social’s colours, especially if they have family connections with the Social. One boy refused to give up the black and silver Social band on his gown, but I’ll keep his name a secret!
