Overheard at the LFGSS golf club bar

Ah private school, I miss it

I haven’t been in school since 78, or was it 82? I dunno it was around then, I was too busy putting a coin, do you still have those? In the duke box, you definitely don’t have those! And having 2 pints at lunch time to remember

But anyway, I didn’t come from a rich family, my da, he came from nothing his da was a clerk but he never liked school all that much. He instead became a driver hauling asbestos and lead paint from one port to another, no time for education dropped out at 14 to pick up smoking. Now my mother yeah, she came a bit better off her mother was a single mum, taboo now but in those days? Puh, good luck. She was an office clerk, real bootstraps stuff you see, works hard valued her kids education and did everything they could to provide for it.

God knows, when mum met my da, nanny hated it, called him a delinquent, but anyhow that didn’t stop them gettin hitched and Avin me did it!

Fast forward a bit me mum has made a bit of money in the professional sector and me da? Well all that asbezzie and lead had caught up with him, he had a fat disability check coming in, we had it in those days, they’d already paid off the house, I was too young to really know how much they earned, but they didn’t live lavishly, holiday a year, nice car, good China, few things but nice you know? Things between you and the ground spend money on, that sort of deal. Don’t get that these days.

Anyway

My mum insisted I went to a private school, said I needed it, I was smart or something, my da as we’ve said didn’t care much for school but he cared for me mum and he agreed.

You don’t need to be rich to go to private school, I mean it helps, then my mum wouldn’t have had to work so hard but it’s important to value education, something I’ve taken from them, god bless em.

Anyway was horrible, I was clearly out of my league, they had the latest stick and hoops, the hottest muddy fox but me? Could barely get a gas pipe butchers bike. Changed now tho you bet.

New year new uniforms, not for me, wore the same one from grade 6 to grade 11, povva hazza they’d call me, every day, didn’t mind tho, as me mum would tell me keep my head down and get a good job and I’d be fine.

That I did mum, that I did

Would get bullied on the rugby pitch, dunked in the toilets, spat in my food for coming from a 3 bed detached in the suburb and not a 5 bed outta town. But at least I didn’t come from the estate, not that there is anything wrong with that, but I had potential, or at least my mum said I did. Had to keep out of trouble I was for better things.

Anyway end of it all I got into Oxford, Oxford brookes that is, me mum could not be happier , my dad had passed at this time, the cancer sticks had got him but I knew he’d be proud of me gettin into the mid table uni he dreamed of for me. All that sufferin, not having anything, it’s paid off now I’ll tell you

When I see Peter and tony over the road doing PPE in the other Oxford, I feel I really done one on them, yeah they might have had all the gear, they might have got to slack, yeah their dad knew the dean and got them in before they applied. But I was the real winner here, I showed them

Anyway, this has been a long ramble really, had one too many after the 18 holes, you know how it is, better get the clubs in the Beamer. I guess my point is education is important and this is just one anecdote, but I think it shows what your kid could achieve if you just put 50% of your income into those fees yeah?

Now where did I put those keys

Let me finish this scotch