[2006] BIRKENHEAD SCHOOL

0097 Lower Sixth

After the fifth form I started on my first year of the A-level syllabus; in Physics, Maths and Chemistry.

I also took up Economics as an extra subject.  The background to this is that we had to take an option as well as our A-levels. Looking around, I saw Economics as an interesting subject. I took it at O-level, and indeed later in the year successfully completed the O-level exam – but, at the start, this was really only out of interest.  However, to my surprise,I fell in love with the subject though it still didn’t become the centre my life. With my attention still firmly focused on doing a degree in physics, I was still determined to be an astrophysicist. On the other hand, Economics became an extra interest; though I didn’t yet recognise how important it was to be to me. Of course it progressively took over my life over the next few years.

In the sixth form we no longer had classrooms, since we rotated between the various labs.  We met as a class in the physics lab, when that was necessary, which was not very often. We were supposed to have lockers to keep our books in. Unfortunately, these were useless -- not having any locks. So we had to carry everything around in bags. Our uniform in those days was a duffel coat with a haversack over our shoulder.  The latter was incredibly heavy and it was surprising that we didn't have back problems!

I suppose the sixth form was the best time, certainly my happiest time, at school.  I felt a great deal of freedom and played it to the full; which is probably why the headmaster never made me a prefect, but only a monitor!

It was the year in which I had a reasonable degree of success academically.  I came second in the Gordon Willmer General Knowledge competition, and would have come first had the headmaster -- who judged them -- realised that the arts student - who won - gave answers on science which were absolute rubbish!  I also made a spectacular entry into the Fitzgerald French English Essay prize. This time no one quite knew what to make of my entry. The headmaster again threw it out, this time rejecting my entry as rubbish!.  In fact I suspect it had some merit, since I thought that - for a change - I would write in sonata form. I later realised I had actually written in stream  of consciousness form - even though I had never heard Virginia Woolf!

It was also where the English master, continuing his support for me, pushed me into being one the editors of school magazine.  Needless to say I was appointed by the other editors to be the business manager -- which meant I had to obtain all the advertising revenue!  Once more I guess it was a mark of things come.  Having said that, it was quite enjoyable. In particular, I enjoyed trying to get advertising income from the New Shakespeare Theatre.  My enjoyment in this case was mainly because I used to go across and pester their administrators. They were a bunch of nubile young girls, located in the overheated basement of the theatre -- with scarcely any clothes on. I never got any advertising but I was able to spend an enjoyably long-time trying to persuade them!

It was here also where I started my interest in theatre, with the New Shakespeare Theatre Club.  This was a venture by Sam Wanamaker, who later built the Globe Theatre in London.  It was wonderful venture. I went to everything, seeing such things as "Cat on a Tin Roof", "Rose Tattoo" (Tennisse Williams was a very popular playright then) a "View from the Bridge" (Arthur Miller was also at the height of his success) and "Tea and Sympathy". Everything was - needless to say - very well produced, and attracted stars from Hollywood.  Playing Cat on a Tin Roof, for example, was Kim Stanley.  Sam came talk to us at school and I talked one to one with with him, he was very impressive. 

The New Shakespeare Theatre was a club which meant it could show banned plays at a time when the Lord Chamberlain rigorously enforced the outdated rules on sex in the theatre. Thus, at a very tender age I came to watch plays such as "A View from Bridge, where for the first time an actor kissed another on the lips, and "Tea and Sympathy" where the housemaster’s wife allowed the pupil to seduce her. As the curtain came down he started unbuttoning her blouse putting his hand inside it. This really was hot stuff in those days, and much enjoyed by me.

I was also was into jazz, modern jazz, and used to go, in particular, to the "Jazz at the Philharmonic" shows put on by Norman Granz. Sometimes it actually was at the Philharmonic in Liverpool, or sometimes at the Empire Theatre. I saw Ella Fitzgerald a number of times, though I only ever met her once, and then I was in an elevator at the IBM 100% club; where all we had to say to each other was "Hello", but that was enough! We also had people like Dizzy Gillespie as well as the wonderful Duke Ellington and his Orchestra.

It was a period which shaped the interests which have accompanied me through life. It was also when my future was, unexpectedly, thrust in a totally new direction

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