Radley College - Public School Update BBC documentary (1987)

Comments · 69

• KE

  @kevinwhelan9607 · 10 months ago

  The Warden's little homily was terrific.

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• PA

  @paulhtong4846 · 9 months ago

  A good education is for life and priceless. I am for public school education

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• CH

  @chazbrockman · 1 year ago

  I went in 1979 to a school like this. They left out the cruelty, bullying, isolation, abandonment, and for the unlucky sexual abuse.The experience still affects me negatively now. My son goes to the local school.

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• BR

  @brendonmcmorrow3886 · 11 years ago

  Odd sort of catch up which only goes skin deep (in distinct contrast to the fascinating 2013 programme). However, you do get to see some of the characters (in 1987) ahead of their final appearance in 2013. They all sound very posh and remind me of the individuals I encountered in Cambridge in the late 80s.

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• RO

  @robhenley8408 · 10 months ago

  I spent 10 years in these purgatory acadamies , and left with 2 A levels and 8 O Levels , but very lacking in self confidence and self esteem . Survival does not guarantee the former qualities.<br>I was at these schools in the 50s and 60s , when the three Bs were prominent , and life was Victorian. &quot; Men don&apos;t cry , stiff upper lip , spare the rod spoil the child , and little boys should be seen and not heard &quot; &nbsp;Repression is a survival mechanism . Recently went back to view my preprepatory school and found that at age 76 , I had no memory of that experience.

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• MA

  @mattbod · 4 years ago

  Is it me or did Rupert seem three sheets to the wind when interviewed here...after a fine night at the mess perhaps?

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• CE

  @Centurianarv · 10 months ago (edited)

  I joined the army in 1977 and must say that even in basic training our accommodation and especially the ablutions were less Spartan than than many public schools. However, it explains why many men from wealthier families would go to Sandhurst rather than opt for a cushier life in &apos;insurance&apos; or &apos;the city&apos;. Service life would&apos;ve been a bit of a cakewalk. I can easily see why at the opposite end of the conveyer belt, a young 7/8 year old child sent to prep, would be so traumatised at being dumped off and told to toughen up and get used to it, (in essence).

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• CE

  @Centurianarv · 10 months ago

  Well the Radley boys did watch lots of reruns of Waterloo (1970) so I suppose that Rupert was very up for the RSDG&apos;s. The &apos;charge of the Scots Greys&apos;, &quot;Now, Maitland, now&apos;s your time!&quot; and the turning of the old guard would be somewhere deeply embedded in his psyche, I imagine

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• KO

  @koko20467 · 10 years ago

  Good to see Tom Johnson the music scholarship winner in this. He looked completely different from the younger him.

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• RO

  @robmcrob2091 · 9 months ago (edited)

  I went to public school in the 80s. If you were in with decent lads it was ok but if you had a couple of bullies in your house and you weren&apos;t prepared to stand up to them then you were in for an experience that would leave you scarred for life.<br><br>I saw it happen. For every 4 or 5 who got a network or got into Oxford or the City there&apos;d be 1 who went onto a life of total dysfunction.<br><br>There were other kids there who were materially hugely privileged but their parents just wanted them out the way so they could spend an inheritance on hedonism and self gratification.<br><br>I was affected in ways I barely perceived. For a long time after leaving I&apos;d laugh at people who were disabled or poor or I&apos;d make racist, classist, homophobic and sexist jokes and comments. It took me years to understand why that was unacceptable and even longer to actually feel it emotionally.<br><br>Emotions were weakness that would be exploited so you learned simply to never reveal them.<br><br>I still struggle today. My wife had often called me cold.<br><br>It was otherworldly. My kids go to the local school and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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• DA

  @daverobinson3251 · 7 years ago

  I read recently that Dennis Silk the headmaster sadly passed away in July, he was a great man RIP

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• RO

  @roberterskine8206 · 5 years ago

  What &nbsp;struck &nbsp;me about &nbsp;Dennis &nbsp;Silk is he could be &nbsp;ruthless &nbsp;he was in fact &nbsp;nice &nbsp;to everybody and I am sure that is &nbsp;why he stayed as warden &nbsp;at Radley for twenty three &nbsp;years

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