Farewell to popular Holbeach primary school caretaker George
A much loved school caretaker will be hanging up his tools when he retires from William Stukeley C of E Primary in Holbeach in the new year.
George Munn (68) has seen two cycles of children moving up through the school in his time there - from Reception class all the way up to Year Six.
And during his estimated 12 years as caretaker at the school he has formed a strong bond with both staff and pupils who will be sad to see him go.
Not only has George been responsible for general maintenance jobs around the school, he also helped to build a memorial garden there for children and staff to visit to remember a loved one.
He has joined pupils on school trips such as going to the panto and driven the minibus. And a lover of horses, he has even brought his horses and a carriage into the school for special occasions.
“I’m a jack of all trades,” he joked.
“I have just loved working here and being with the kids. We have a fantastic staff. Everyone is always very pleasant and thanks you when you do anything for them.”
“I will guess I’ve been here 12 years but I can’t say exactly. I had done lots of different jobs before the caretaker job came up.
“The reason I came to the school was I had had a car accident and I had not been able to work for many years.
“Then I heard about the job here.”
He has also worked as a landscape gardener - skills which have been put to good use in creating the memorial garden at the school.
Married to his wife Cynthia, he lives in Sutton St James and has two daughters Stephanie and Nicola and grandchildren Chloe, Kieran and Ebony, plus a great grandson Dylan.
It was through his granddaughter Ebony, who was a pupil at the school, that he heard about the job.
“I have just loved working here and being with the kids,” he said. “We have a fantastic staff. Everyone is always very pleasant and thanks you when you do anything for them.”
And he has also brought Father Christmas into school by car - or pony and carriage each year.
“They did a mock wedding at school so I brought in the horse and carriage and took them to the church for that. That was about four or five years ago.
“The memory garden is a place where the children can go to say a quiet prayer. It is for them if they have lost a relation or a pet.”
And although he has seen children entering the Early Years and Reception classes right up until when they leave in Year Six, former pupils still remember him and say hello.
“I get quite a buzz when I’m in the supermarket doing my shopping and I hear someone waving and saying ‘hello Mr Munn!’
George’s last day will be on February 15 next year.