The summer of ’66 was over and I had finished my work experience at the Rhyl and Prestatyn Gazette and was preparing to return to the world of education. The difference between my time at Rhyl Grammar School and the year I spent at Flintshire College of Technology was that at one I was treatedContinue reading “A final fling”
Category Archives: My life
A final summer
Studying at home and spending more time, whenever possible, at the newspaper office strengthened my interest in becoming a reporter day by day. More than anything I developed a love for the structure and development of language and the written word. I know my photographer colleagues believe their pictures are worth a thousand words butContinue reading “A final summer”
Playing our part
We all know Shakespeare described the world as a stage which makes us all actors whether or not we have learned the lines. How many of us see ourselves in that way and if we do are we a spear bearer, the star or Dandini to someone else’s Prince Charming? If we merely stick toContinue reading “Playing our part”
A voyage of discovery
As the old year ended and the New Year of 1966 began I made the most of the last week or so of my holidays before getting my head down for studies in my home classroom. Naturally I was enjoying the English studies, especially the literature. I have read, seen or appeared in a numberContinue reading “A voyage of discovery”
Making my name
Studying at home while getting work experience with a recently-launched local newspaper was working well in the run-up to Christmas 1965. Naturally I took a break from studying over what would have been a school holiday and spent a little bit longer at the Gazette offices while also having time to spend at the LittleContinue reading “Making my name”
Out in the world
If I had been born a few years later I would not have had the option to leave the regimented education system of the grammar school behind me. As it was in 1965 the age was still set at 15 even though attempts had begun a year earlier to raise it to 16. Luckily forContinue reading “Out in the world”
Back to school – staying home
Home schooling is not easy, as many parents are discovering during this crisis. That does not mean it can not be done and done well. In the 80s I spent two years working in Oman as night editor of the state-owned daily newspaper. After a few months my wife and children joined me but itContinue reading “Back to school – staying home”
Summertime and the lovin’ is …. not that easy
In 1965 in the UK Harold Wilson was Prime Minister; wartime PM Winston Churchill was given a state funeral; Liverpool won the FA Cup for the first time; Ian Smith was preparing to declare UDI in Rhodesia; the Beatles first film ‘Help” was released; capital punishment was ended; Kenneth Tynan was the first person toContinue reading “Summertime and the lovin’ is …. not that easy”
What a year
I have to admit 1965 turned out to be quite a year. Leaving grammar school at 15 was not a usual occurrence in the 60s. The point is I didn’t fit in. If a lesson interested me then I gave it my full attention. The problem was that other than English the major part ofContinue reading “What a year”
Headmaster O belligerent boy 1
All the way home after my “little chat” with the headmaster I was wondering what to say to my parents and how they would take it. I wasn’t worried. I wasn’t frightened. My father was a big man. He was also a gentle man. He never raised his hand in anger. Considering all he hadContinue reading “Headmaster O belligerent boy 1”
Robin's Nest 