From the 1990 "Janus" edited by Roger friend - Johnstons 58 to 73: "Derek Thornbery attends a monthly soup lunch in Chelmondiston and recently met Rosa Weekes, who worked in Orwell House from 1962 to 1982. Rosa acted as counselor and confessor to the boys, always urging on them the importance of respect and good manners. Derek described her as a wonderful person to have in the house. Rosa recalls having to clean the housemaster’s flat and the thing that she always did wrong was to tidy Derek’s desk, as he told her that he could never find anything afterwards. Rosa still lives in Ipswich and is in touch with several OWs."

Philip Beck: "I was in Hansons '65 - '72 and I'm pretty sure Rosa worked in out dining room too (along with Frida). Rosa stunned us at one end of term Christmas party by picking up a guitar and singing 'Jesus opened up my heart, and he let a little sunshine in'".

Frank Stuckey - Orwell 74 to 81: "The best thing about meals - certainly in Orwell - was the two long-term dinner ladies, Yana and Rosa Weekes. Three meals a day they always seemed to be there, saving leftover bacon and sausage from breakfast and chips and such from lunch. They would keep this food in the hotplate and redistribute it to those who might have missed out.

With Rosa it went even further. She was the spiritual heart and soul of the house, especially when you were in the first to fourth form. She would always be found around the entrance lobby to the house and the dining-room. Everyone had to pass her watchful eye at least three times a day, and she would distribute words of wisdom to as many as she could.

She had the ability to make everyone feel special. I still remember the first time she spoke to me; she had me totally worked out and of course already knew my name. So began a love affair that lasted my whole time in Orwell. In my junior years not a day went by that I didn’t try to sneak past her and would hear that voice.”Stuckey! Heavens to Mergatroid!” I would stop and she would make me fully aware of my current shortcomings .

She would offer comfort and give advice with a twinkle in her eye, and I always walked away from her with a big smile.

What a great lady!"

David Jones - Orwell 72-80: Just a wonderful human being. She would chastise me and comfort me. Listen to me and lecture me. Advise me and admonish me. I still remember her with incredible fondness.

Frances Vincent: I always remember her telling me that before she arrived in England she thought the streets were paid with gold. Lovely lady.

Bill Kitchen: We in Hanson’s knew Rosa very well. Always kind and keen to share a laugh. She even invited me to attend her church in Ipswich when in discussion I’d mentioned how boring our school assemblies and Sunday services were.

Peter Alexander - Corners 64-71: How could I ever forget. She was full of kindness - and there was a lot of Rosa! She called me Carl, possibly because she didn’t to add the ‘ile’ to make the complete surname. Carl in that wonderful West Indian accent. How could I forget the worship: so uplifting and spiritual.

Kevin Cooper - Orwell 80-85:

  • I spent 5 glorious years knowing Rosa in Orwell House dining-room 80-85.
  • Her kindness, her love for all boys in Orwell or any other of the 4 dining-rooms.
  • The same for the others that worked alongside her.
  • The coffee, hot chocolate and toast at breaktime, always ensuring that even the latecomers got some.
  • Her secret evaporated milk in coffee which took me years to figure out on leaving.
  • Her compassion and her hugs when she saw you were homesick.
  • Her infectious laugh that would make you smile and forget your worries.
  • I was invited to her church on a Sunday. Church lasted 3-4 hrs, then dinner at Rosa’s flat, where I occasionally saw her son who lived with her.
  • Rosa would prepare West Indian style chicken with rice & black peas and a coleslaw salad. She would insist on me and Andrew Conway-Hyde having our chicken first, passing us a plate of the most divine smell and taste of perfect rice homemade all by herself ....
  • Juice and a dessert of normal tinned fruit or ice cream.
  • One Sunday we were sat at the table with the rice salad and not expecting chicken. We all started eating and all of a sudden she laughed: "Oh, the chicken is in the oven!"
  • She would send us on our way around 6pm.
  • Every Sunday she would do this!
  • Her friends John and Nigel across the road invited us and Rosa for dinner one Sunday.
  • We sat there 3 hrs waiting to eat - they'd forgotten to put the oven on (the light on the oven was on but the dial for the heat off!) so it was just vegetables ....
  • We got KFC on the way to catching the bus back to WHS!
Rosa also was talented in handcrafts: I still have the Maple Leaf artwork with a winter scene on pillow cases with stitching on and various little things. My parents met Rosa and instantly knew she was a woman who had seen so many of “her boys" survive. She was the kindest woman I met in my younger years, growing up someone I could look forward to seeing on a Sunday knowing I was going to get a good cooked dinner.

I saw Rosa multiple times after leaving Woolverstone. I used to arrive at Bethel church and say nothing to her about my arrival (often sitting behind her and then tapping her on the shoulder). When Pastor Simmonds (later Bishop Simmonds) spotted me he made me stand on the chair and everyone would clap and cheer and then I would be called up to the platform. After Bishop Simmonds passed away his son Nathan became the pastor there now, and I spoke to him just a few weeks ago. The church were always good to me and welcomed me. Several members of the church would invite me to dinner. And that’s what I call a church service! Back then the average service at Bethel was anywhere from 3-5hrs.

Sadly I never had the chance to say farewell to her but I am proud to say like many Old WHOBs that it was a privilege to know her and I know that one day I will meet her again in Heaven.

Thank God for Rosa




WHS - Rosa Weekes