The Great Flood, part 26. We do not know what transpired between Michael Forsyth and the jannie at Croftfoot primary in Glasgow when the Scottish Secretary visited one of the most badly flooded schools in the country. But whatever praise he dished out to this heroine among unsung heroes was as nothing compared to the fulsome note one Edinburgh primary head sent parents.
“Poor Mr Lynch spent most of his New Year’s Day in the building trying to retrieve the situation himself as no emergency plumbers were available,” the letter began. “What a job he did! He went up to the loft, located a stopcock and turned off the water. He contacted our friends in the fire station in Ponton Street to help pump out the flood and pulled down the rest of the collapsing ceiling by himself.
“Bob even made time to barrow all of the debris out to the bins at the front of the building and hose down the affected area. This had to be done more than once because of all the dust. He then mopped the whole floorspace so that the room looks spick and span (providing you do not look up to see the open-plan roof!).
“Despite all precautions being implemented, the extreme temperatures still struck. But, thanks to a conscientious janitor, the damage was minimised. On behalf of us all, THANK YOU BOB.”
So, when next you hear criticisms of councils who failed to prevent pupils missing a few days’ schooling, think of Bob and his lost New Year’s Day.
