Letter from Sean Foley to David Elliott Sept. 99
Dear David,
Thank you very much for your letter which was a surprise and most welcome.
As I lay in bed the day of it's arrival Dartington was churning over in my
mind way past midnight.
Thank goodness we retain most of our long term memory so most of those very
happy years came back vividly, but there are some missing pieces.
We were blessed and I believe privileged to have spent our formative years
at Dartington. My father went through the British public school system and
hated it, which was why my brother Julian and I were put into Dartington.
Julian was born in 1936 and started in the Junior School, which I could not
find on my visit, and I was born in 1933. My calculations indicate that I am
two years older than you David, but we must have all been at the school
through the same period 1940 to 1947. Julian and I left in 1947 when our
parents moved from London to Surrey and went to a day high school at Epsom.
As you know David attending classes at school was optional so most of what I
remember at Foxhole was doing things away from the classroom, like building
tree houses in the forest at the back of the gym, working on the school
farm, visiting U.S. Army camps that were in the area, swimming nude in the
coed pool which seemed very natural. Also I was very active in sports
cricket and soccer. The playing field I noticed is still there down a little
walkway from the front enterance to the building.
Like an old home I could go back tomorrow and find my own way around. Do not
remember any student or teachers names, except Mr. Curry the headmaster, my
best friend Giles, and a Peter S who was a bit of a bully.
On my return visit I walked up the hill to Dartington Hall and walked around
the beautiful gardens, and had lunch at a tent set up next to the hall. just
as I remembered it 50 yrs back.
Will give you a summary on what I have done since leaving school. Yes I am
in good health and enjoying a pleasant life, thank you. Hope your quest to
find other Dartonians is successful.
Very Best wishes,
Sean Foley
Sean Maurice Foley
Sean Maurice Foley, Dartington Hall School , 1940 - 1947
The war years was a good time to be at Dartington, living in London I
remember traveling from Paddington to Totnes each term on the old GWR steam
trains. My father was the Foreign Editor on the Daily Express so we had to
live near Fleet Street. My brother Julian and I spent seven very happy years
at Dartington, and now would like to with David Elliotts help--communicate
with any Dartington alumni.
In 1947 I left Dartington at the age of 14 and attended Sherwood School in
Epsom, Surrey. Not knowing exactly what I wanted to do after graduating from
high school I next found myself called up to do my national service. The
next two years 1951-53 were spent in Germany in the Queens Royal West
Regiment.
Leaving the Army in 1953 I went to Wesminster Hotel School for two years to
get my City & Guilds diplomas in cooking and hotel management. By 1955 my
father had left Fleet Street and a good pension to start his own newspaper
in Cyprus, my mother, brother and sister went with him. I decided to go off
on another tack and travel around the world while I was young and single.
For
three years I worked on the P&O, Cunard, Union Castle, Royal Mail passenger
shipping lines as a chef.
In 1958 having decided to get my land legs back I had a summer job at a
hotel in Bournemouth and met my wife Marilyn. We married that year and our
daughter Penelope Anne was born in 1959.
Returning to London in 1960 I worked in the Savoy Group Hotels in various
capacities as an assistant manager. Very interesting catering to the rich
and famous.
I962 was the year I came to America to seek fame and fortune. Knowing New
York from the time I had worked on the Queen Mary it made a logical starting
point. Luck was on my side and I got hired at the prestigious Jacks 21 Club
as a sous chef; with the reputation that British cooking has I was surprised
to be chosen by a French chef. In fact we became great friends, in the year
that I was with him he became my mentor, and even got me an interview to
work in the White House Kitchen. I did go to Washinton for the interview and
also talked to Marriott Corp. who has their headquarters in D.C.
In 1963 Marriott was just starting to expand into the hotel business, they
only had six then. The future was there so I,joined them, and moved the
family to Maryland. After a six week training period, worked opening new
hotels all over the U.S.
From 1975-95 I worked for United Airlines in their Food Service Division as
a Catering Manager, and was based in Los Angeles.
Now that I am retired Marilyn & I travel a lot, and my hobby is painting
watercolours. Our son Kevin is an airline pilot who hopes one day to be
flying for United as a captain.
