Artisan family's generation game at Malsis School (From Keighley News)
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Artisan family's generation game at Malsis School
12:00pm Friday 26th October 2012 in Keighley By Alistair Shand
Andrew Greenwood with one of the painted panels on the Malsis School ceiling, which were created by his father Cedric
A Sutton family is celebrating 160 years of service at the same iconic building.
Five generations of the Greenwoods have worked as skilled artisans at what was Malsis Hall, now Malsis School, in Cross Hills.
The first was Arthur and the latest is his great-great grandson, Andrew, 49, who began working at Malsis when he was just 16.
The school’s headmaster, Marcus Peel, said: “The Greenwoods have been an integral part of Malsis for so long and we are lucky to have Andrew as our estates manager.
“He is the heart and soul of Malsis and is intensely proud of the family tradition here. Nothing is too much trouble for him and he lives and breathes the place.”
Andrew said: “I feel we Greenwoods are guardians of this wonderful building and estate. I grew up watching my father Cedric working here, just as he grew up watching his father John working here too.
“Meanwhile, my great-great grandfather created the plasterwork for the entrance hall and the head teacher’s study.
“This family tradition gives me such pride and makes every working day a joy rather than a chore. It gives me the chance to preserve and enhance the work of my family and ensure that it will last for the generations to come.”
Stunning heraldic panels in the entrance hall of Malsis are a classic example of the Greenwoods’ work.
Andrew said: “Whenever I climb up to the ceiling to do some minor restoration of these panels, I feel my dad looking over me. They were painted by him more than 35 years ago. I’m very proud of what he has done and the quality of the work he has left.”
Cedric, whose legacy also includes painted panels in other rooms, is now 79. He suffered a serious fall when he was in his 60s and is no longer able to help.
But Andrew’s 16-year-old son, Jack, is training to be a joiner and already carries out odd jobs at the school, so the Greenwoods’ generations of service look set to stretch to a sixth.
