What schools did you attend?
I attended St Patrick's Craigneuk from 1930-36 and Our Lady'sHigh School, Motherwell from 1936-1942. While at Our Lady's HighSchool we were promised a new school building, because thefacilities were pretty poor. Such was the speed of progress that Iwas present at the opening of the new building ... as Archbishop ofGlasgow!
Did you like school?
Yes and no. I liked the primary school. The teachers werefriendly and I got on well. A lot depends on how well you respond tolessons. I arrived at secondary school having just turned 11 and Ifound it a bit difficult to adjust to the different disciplines. Itwas a much more severe regime, with greater distance betweenteachers and pupils.
Did you get into trouble?
Not any more than anyone else. In those days you were punishedfor not bringing the proper books in, or for poor homework. You evengot the belt for bad performance in exams. The teachers seemed torevel in post mortems after exams, which I hated - that wasespecially true when the subject in question was maths.
What subjects were you good at?
I was good at English, Latin and history, and then the modernlanguages of French and German. PE was a bit of a doddle as well,though one of my big regrets in life is that I never got to the topof those ropes that seem to hang in every PE hall in every school inthe country. I never scaled those heights in all my years at school,much though I'd like to have tried. I suppose I liked most things,really, except for maths, which I detested. I remember that by theend of my schooldays I would go home and just hand my maths homeworkover to my father who would do it and hand it back. I think both heand the teachers recognised that I was never going to be a greatmathematician.
My worst nightmare is when I wake up thinking I'm in the middleof a maths exam - that anguish has never left me.
Who was your favourite teacher?
I remember we had one teacher who was known affectionately as"Wheezy Anna" - she taught me to write with small neat handwritingand I've been grateful for that training. She was popular becauseshe took us to the pantomime one Christmas - quite a treat for kidsfrom our part of the world to go into Glasgow to a real theatre. Iremember we were quite intrigued because she brought her boyfriendtoo. I suppose we never thought of teachers as human beings.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
From the age of 12 or 13 I knew I wanted to be a priest. I was abit shy about mentioning it though - I finally plucked up thecourage to tell my parish priest. He advised me to stay at homerather than travel to the minor seminary at Blairs. He had had a badexperience there (he hated the food!) and felt it was better forboys to stay at home with the family until it was time for seniorseminary. I've never regretted listening to his advice.
Did you go to university or to a specialist place of education?
Blairs got me in the end - I studied philosophy there for twoyears, then it was on to Glasgow for a year of theology, anotheryear of theology in London and finally to Rome after the war for myfinal three years of theology at the Gregorian University. Afterreturning as a priest to Scotland I was sent back to Rome for afurther three years to complete a doctorate in Canon Law. I alwaysconsider those years spent in Rome as a real grace that I received,it expanded my horizons and gave me a great love of the Church andher history, customs and institutions.
What is the most important lesson you learned outside of formaleducation?
Respect for the dignity of every human being, with a preferentialoption for the poor.
Is there anything you wish you had been taught in your formaleducation but were not taught?
I had no practical education so I'm not what you'd call "handy".I wouldn't know anything about car mechanics, for example, and I'mnot gifted with gadgetry. I'm catching up with the new technologyslowly but surely. I'm well able to find whatever channel isbroadcasting Celtic's home matches, for example, and next year Ihope to take up surfing the internet. I'd better get myself acomputer first. However, I'm determined not to become a computerbore.
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