A long long time ago in the early 90s discipline was all the rage at boarding school. Rage being the operative word. Teachers were called Masters to help reinforce the fact that they were in no way a parent substitute and were addressed as Sir. Female teachers were called Mrs because the sexism within theContinue reading “Alius in Pariete Laterem”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Funny Old Game
A long long time ago in 1989 our school took sport extremely seriously. At least two hours a day was devoted to it four days a week and the whole of Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. Rugby was the most important of course. The first rugby team were automatically anointed as college prefects because as anyoneContinue reading “Funny Old Game”
Pharaoh nuf
A long long time ago in 1988 our school took its own moto too seriously (something in Latin about the importance of ambition) and decided to put on a west end musical. We were aged 7-13 and fully aware that musical theatre is usually left to adults who have some musical ability but our headContinue reading “Pharaoh nuf”
Medication Time….Medication Time
A long long time ago in the late 80s/early 90s many teachers at boarding school prided themselves on their eccentricity. The effects of being massively and voluntarily institutionalised were front and centre for all to see. The situation was exacerbated with a strange game of batshit one-upmanship between the male faculty. Whether it was theContinue reading “Medication Time….Medication Time”
God Bless The Child
A long long time ago in 1988 this country had a very different attitude to paedophilia. Michael Jackson took a 13 year old boy to the Grammys, Jimmy Saville and Gary Glitter were fixing it for kids and inviting kids into their gang respectively, Rolf Harris sang about two little boys and my boarding schoolContinue reading “God Bless The Child”
Show Me Your War Face
A long long time since forever, boys at boarding school were given a taste of army life with a compulsory (natch) stretch in the Combined Cadet Force. Nothing embodies the batshit insanity of boarding school life so perfectly as this experience. Don’t get me wrong, the military is great for adults who choose to doContinue reading “Show Me Your War Face”
That’s My Bird
A long long time ago in 1990 the living quarters in boarding school often mirrored that in prison. Long corridors of thirty plus rooms/cells on each side where we slept, worked and housed the possessions we were permitted (and the ones we weren’t). Schools were divided into “houses” for the purposes of arranging sports teamsContinue reading “That’s My Bird”
Apple Trees, Honey Bees & Snow-White Turtle Doves
A long long time ago in the early 90s at boarding school everything was either compulsory or forbidden. It was never: “If anyone fancies it we are offering cadets to any of you that don’t think it’s a massive waste of time and enjoys being shouted at”. Instead it was either: “Former pupil, Lord BumblecrunchContinue reading “Apple Trees, Honey Bees & Snow-White Turtle Doves”
A Little Learning
A long long time ago in the late 80s British private school education was the envy of the world. Smaller class sizes meant better student focus and a finely tuned streaming system meant that different levels could be tailored to differing abilities to ensure the weak could catch up and the elite could get evenContinue reading “A Little Learning”
Diaries of Boarding School 