THE GOLDONIAN

GOLDINGS PERSONALITIES

Mr. Edwin. A 'Joe' Patch.

I can't seem to find the copy of the Goldonian with a write-up about Joe Patch. I know from a few stories he used to walk about Goldings with a big stick and he had a pet dog called Wolf who used to like to watch boys holding onto the parallel bars in the gym. What we want is the real Joe Patch who by all accounts had a lot of time for the boys of Goldings.

The Rev Sharples who was at Goldings from 1941 to 1943 wrote of his friend Edwin Patch:

Mr. Macdonald, essentially a man of peace, had experienced difficulty in preventing the Executive Officer, Mr. Edwin Patch, from usurping authority and he told me he wanted a go-between, someone who would absorb some of the authority of the Governor himself. Specifically for this purpose I was assigned the position of looking after the discipline of the school; not executing punishment, but deciding it. Mr. Patch had been inclined to exceed his authority in this field, and the Governor was apparently afraid of the Government, who supervised the discipline recorded in books, coming down on him for brutality.

I was on excellent terms with Patch, and admired him, as indeed he was admired by the boys themselves and only on one occasion, when the governor was on holiday, had to speak to him about rough handling of a boy. Patch had been regimental sergeant major to the Queen's and was a strict though admirably fair, disciplinarian and whom I grew to admire the more I knew him. But I knew that Mr. Macdonald's fears were not unfounded; Patch could easily take a bit in his mouth and would land the school in trouble. My duties in this field worked out to assigning judgements on disciplinary measures recommended by the Executive Officer

Photo of Reg Purkis,  Walker Joe Patch and Wolf

Mr. Patch, who was affectionately known as 'Joe' by staff and boys, was our P.T. teacher for twenty-three years, from 1930 until his retirement in December 1953. I do not think I shall be contradicted if I say that Mr. Patch is legendary, and will remain so for many more years I am sure. Tales of yester-year invariably include some reference to one of 'Joe's' accomplishments, and I am sure there is no old boy of the 1930-53 era who does not have some memory of that 'great little man'.

It was reported Mr. Edwin 'Joe' Patch had past away. The funeral service was at Fareham, on Monday, 12th February, and the School was represented by Mr. Culver.