[00:28] Family’s relationship to Westminster school. Five members at Westminster, starting in 1870s. Rev. Edwin Curtis Bedford. Francis Donkin Bedford. David Edwin Wyatt Bedford. Felix Hugh Wyatt Bedford – father; very involved with the school, member of Masonic Lodge, at school with Kim Philby. 1950s. [03:15] Attend Ashburnham himself. Large number of new boys. Fagging. [04:28] Monitors. Substance and shadow. [04:50] Had to pass test after two weeks – names of houses, house ties, slang, etc. [05:35] Not much to do with monitors. Hierarchy, work way up. Progressed through school years. [06:24] Fagging. Practical tasks, but some to demonstrate authority. Changed over time. [07:18] Ashburnham moving from Little Dean’s Yard next to Busby’s to Dean’s Yard. Not disruptive for pupils. [08:20] Isolating being away from heart of the school. Always something going on in Little Dean’s Yard. Didn’t spend a lot of time in the house. [10:02] Denison Brock housemaster. Approachable. Ran a good house. See once a month to go through marks. [11:20] Post war construction. O Level exams at army drill hall because of damage to School and work being done to the shell. [13:02] Queen’s visit 1960. CCF inspection by the Duke of Gloucester. Ron French in charge of CFF; extensive preparations for inspection in Vincent Square. Marching on grass. [14:18] CCF or Scouts compulsory. First year go on trips when Corps took place (Tate, British Museum, etc,). [15:14] Saturday Mornings go to Robert Mayer concerts at the Royal Festival Hall. [16:22] South Bank. New. Made an impression. Good introduction to music. [17:00] Not a musician, not involved in music within the school. Hilary John Davan Wetton at Ashburnham, became conductor. John Phillip Arnold playing cello. Arnold Foster in charge of music. [18:15] Art. Leslie Spaull, art master. Great enthusiast. One lesson a week. [19:00] Art department in Ashburnham house. [20:14] Form Master Andrew John Moyes. Young teacher. [20:50] Memories of Mr Moylan, Latin teacher. Strict. Charge for lateness or disobedience. Good teacher of Latin. Weekly test – moved table based on marks. Alan Charles Nelson Borg in top three. [23:58] Edward Craven, sixth form Latin teacher. Could be distracted to talk about convoy work in the war. Post-war teachers out of the army. Mr Rogers and Mr Woodhouse, young masters, went on to be Head Masters. [26:15] Most people didn’t talk about their army service. Knew nothing of Denny Brock’s service. Outward bound trips. Corps camp – tent commander Corin Redgrave. [28:06] Mr Moylan as careers master. Weak career advice, no sense of what post-school life was like. Hard to go from school to bank. Unprepared. [29:20] Why choose to work in bank. Wanted to be in city. Uncle working at the bank – enthusiastic. Didn’t go to university. Most from Westminster sixth form didn’t go. Seventh form usually went. [30:48] Scientist at Westminster. Decided late on to go to bank. Structure of school useful. [32:28] Women working in the bank, not used to. [33:38] Science teaching good. Mr Crumpler, Mr Foxcroft, Mr Stokoe. Not so charismatic. [34:28] Science in Great College Street. New laboratories. Lecture theatre. [35:35] Hierarchy of scientists and classicists changing. Would have preferred to be a historian. [37:08] Colin Bird, also in Ashburnham. Went into Bank of England on the same day. Still friends. Went into Modern Languages. [38:35] House events. Sport; did quite a lot. Not many social events. Eating lunch together in Ashburnham, others eating in College Hall. Seating by hierarchy. [41:30] Cricket. Had played at prep school. House cricket and colts team. David Roy, new boy, in first eleven by second year. Better at football. [44:21] Clever members of Ashburnham. Dan Peter McKenzie (AA). Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge. World expert on Earthquakes and volcanoes. Anthony Leslie Vogle, actor. Michael Brough, microsurgery. [45:45] Only played football until 16. Played at Grove Park. Squash played by those who couldn’t play anything else. Theo Zinn. [47:30] School good at fencing. Alan Borg. [48:16] Food. Roast beef and potatoes. Puddings. Better than at prep school. [49:30] Ashburnhamite family. House bond important. [50:00] Conscious of school before joining. Taken to matches. Entrance exam and interviewed by the Head Master. Walter Hamilton. [50:50] No contact with Walter Hamilton. Distant figure. John Carleton, taught English in classroom up School. Markham room. [51:55] Promotion of Under Master. Talk higher up the school and other Masters. Would have been better to have someone in from outside with new ideas. [52:55] No real changes within the school with change of Head Master. [53:18] No real contact with Head Master in the sixth form. Never went into any of the other houses. Over other side of Dean’s Yard. Went into Wren’s classrooms. [54:55] School ties. Ashburnham ties were blue. Rigaud’s orange. Pinks. Didn’t wear a full pink tie, but ‘out of season’ pink ties. First eight wearing full pinks to Henley. Awarded house tie for contributing to house, mostly for sport. One house tie, no junior and senior. [58:42] Long distance race in athletics. Between Barnes and Putney. Bringsty Relay on Wimbledon Common. [51:47] Standards competition. Points for athletics performance, house totals added up. Junior and senior cup. Grant’s often winning. [01:00:43] Roger Givan. Rigaud’s runner. Under 16 champion. Denny Brock keen on house events. Singing competitions. [01:02:05] House singing. Sung as group. Mix of songs. Every house has a choir. Held up School. Individual instrument pieces. [01:03:20] No house concert. Music now on a higher profile. [01:04:00] Teaching done in Wren’s and beside Ashburnham house. [01:05:05] Gym. Now moved from cloisters. [01:10:43] First boy ever to go to Westminster from that Prep School.
Attended St. Paul’s Girls School, lived in different sailing barges on the River Thames in West London [1:20]. Brother went to Westminster, attended Grant’s. Was not happy at St. Paul’s as it was extremely high achieving and stressful. Father died so struggled financially. Was offered a trust to go to Westminster. Uniform, baggy bloomers, white girdle for gym, kilts, white shirts, long grey coats, bowler hats. Uniform very expensive so struggled financially [5:00]. At St. Paul’s, a lot of suicides, the pressure meant you had to be the best of the best, felt insignificant [6:00]. A lot of boys but not many girls. No idea what the reputation was. Had an interview with John Rae. Stepfather had sons who went to Westminster and was very close to them. Had no organised sports for girls other than Judo. Girls felt very safe and sisterly [16:00]. Extracurriculars; many decided to do dance but were naïve about impact that the girls had on the boys. Loved the freedom and confidence of the teachers on expeditions [19:54]. Felt as if the teachers knew you properly. Took English, History and Maths at A-level. Nobody seemed to care about exam grades. Teachers taught in their own styles, very interesting lessons, taught what was interesting to the teachers. Small classes [26:31]. Very liberal school and couldn’t tell if people were extravagant or taking drugs. Unique and eccentric people. Some bullies but when the girls came in sixth form, this was called out. Little prejudice in the classroom and there was a great sense of comfort [31:50]. Oxbridge term, no one really thought to go anywhere else. Missed the interviews for Oxford and it felt like St. Paul’s. Wished to go back to a girl’s college. Got a scholarship, had terrible teaching, not as good as Westminster and was a shock. Got very lazy at Westminster as grades did not really matter [38:10]. Traditions at Westminster, singing in the choir, in a pop group for a charity called “wet music”. Felt that even the “no hopers” were successful [42:29]. Could easily spot someone who attended Westminster. People dressed in a way that was not to be seen as necessarily attractive but unique. Quite fun and theatrical clothing. Uniform at Westminster, people wore what they wanted, but wanted to be seen as part of the school. Reluctant to wear boring clothes [45:33]. Everyone had different experiences of what they were comfortable with. Development of social media changed this perception. Communication in person when Stubbs attended, not a sense of being judged. Felt as if people were kinder. Never felt scared, some of the girls had a harder time, the girls who did sciences and arts were more separated as they did not cross paths [50:33]. Took part in lots of plays at Westminster. Part of a band called Local Heroes [57:42]. In a house of scholars, wished to be a boarder rather than in the house of scholars. Often the extremely bright boys lacked emotional development. Felt the need to mother them. Everyone very smart so under a lot of pressure [59:30]. Food was nice. Ate in College Hall. A lot of tradition. Before eating they said grace with three boys singing in Latin. A lot of tourists. If the Queen was passing you would have to throw your hat in the air. The Greaze, controversy now about girls and the Greaze [01:05:21]. Social media does take over a lot of time, creates pressure around how to act. Being at Westminster and in a community feels more welcoming (because of co-ed or boarding). Was never fully living school life at Westminster. Educational style at Westminster was fresh and exciting. Being a kind person more important than grades. Some felt compelled to be fixated on one path, but this blocks opportunities and closes off possibility. Learnt at Westminster that exam grades do not matter as much as the experiences people make on the way – most significant take away. You do not have to end up as an academic from Westminster. She is not academic but performed well in exams. Would have liked to be a translator [01:19:53]. Had to address the title of what the essay was about multiple times in an essay to get a good grade. Would not be writing like others, desire to be unique in exams was significant. Would write essays in the style of who they were writing about [01:24:41]. Advice for girls at Westminster; important to turn up and care, especially after Covid, being resilient, very special time and special place being at Westminster. Worth cherishing the time you are at Westminster and keep in touch with friends. Important to expose your age group to all the different job opportunities that are available. Felt it was a gift being at a co-educational school [1:30:31]. Very encouraging of people to do what they want to do [01:33:35]. Important to be proactive about what we want to do or be [01:38:22]. Did not appreciate how good the teaching was, and the privilege of attending Westminster. Difficult world now for fear of being inappropriate or from creating their own ideas of teaching. The hardest thing about teaching now would be wanting to teach the full depth of the subject but having to consider that there will be examinations and a syllabus, so depth of teaching is limited. Expectation between private schools and state schools. An advantage to go to Westminster but not as much as it used to be [01:50:02].
How did you come to attend Westminster School (WS). Went to Francis Holland School (FHS) Sloane Square – an artsy school so not sufficient to study Physics and Chemistry A-Level. At Sixth Form girls often went to FHS Regents Park or St Paul’s Girls School. Relationship with WS for drama. Came on her own in 1967. [1,29] Brother was in Wrens 2 years below. Still studied maths at FHS. [1,44] First impressions. Much larger. Boys seemed very young, with 13 and 14 year olds in the class as they were scholarship. [3,00] Reaction of boys to have you in lessons. Good relationships with ones in class. College Hall - others who didn’t know her would show off, naïve. [3,46] separate table for Jewish boys. Sat with them to have intelligent conversation at lunch. [4,15] Treatment from masters. Good chemistry master. Some peculiar characters. [5,03] top set Physics, flamboyant teacher D. Hepburne-Scott. Keen on trains. Liked him at the time. [5,27] Old reports. Reveal he was quite damning of female capability, made disparaging misogynistic comments about her intellect and female domesticity. [6,56] Housemaster Mr Ross was embarrassed by this. [7,48] some positive comments, eventually acknowledged her potential, but still made allowances due to her sex. [8,58] academic standard. Teaching style was completely different. [9,46] whole a-level syllabus in 1 year. Exploring things that were interesting outside of the syllabus. Nuffield Chemistry. [10,43] teaching was eye opening. Responded to it well. [11,00] preparation of WS for university. Went into medicine. Accepted institutional sexism – 70 places for boys and 7 for girls. Gained confidence at WS, and got a scholarship at medical school. [12,13] joined the army after qualification. 350 medical officers, 9 women. Learnt to be gender-blind. [13,05] other characteristics gained from WS. Enjoying learning for the sake of education. Appreciated the leeway. [14,45] didn’t spend much time in school outside of lessons, as was only half at the school. Used 4 Barton Street sitting room and bathroom. Would spend half a day at each school. [15,35] time in St James’s Park in summer. Went home to Holland Park. Didn’t socialise much with the boys. [16,44] no facilities for girls. She was attached to Wren’s. Used staff toilet. School was experimenting with having female pupils, after she left, a couple of FHS girls arrived. Didn’t work financially to be under this setup. [18,00] fees at FHS were £90 per term. £150 per term at WS. Parents had to pay both schools. [18,53] would recommend it to girls at the time. Teaching is invaluable. Put into practice. Comfort being in an unusual situation, pushed the boundaries. [19,48] friendships with the boys. Didn’t last. Never invited to be an Old Westminster – institutional sexism. Didn’t feel fully part of the school. [21,01] met some who did medicine. Nearly all 3 years younger – started later as even though they’d got their qualifications they were too young. [22,38] difference between hers and her brother’s experience. Brother expelled for trying to set the school on fire and went to Marlborough. Similar friends. Didn’t compare experiences much. [23,41] no uniform at FHS Sixth Form, and none at WS. [24,26] WS customs. The Greaze. Unique slang to other schools. [25,19] difference to FHS atmospherically. Change in Sixth Form environment in itself at both schools. Only girl doing A-Level Maths at FHS. Good teaching, different as learning with people who were doing subjects they had chosen and had a passion for, as opposed to that they were forced to do. [26,42] assumption at WS that you were quick learners and would understand. Take things to a greater depth than required. Assuming interest. [27,46] Boys more politically engaged. Intellectual conversations at meals, but this was at FHS. [28,50] Didn’t show off their wealth, but also a lot of wealth at FHS. A level of class was assumed. Image proposed by the school changed in recent years. [30,49] pleased that WS accepted girls. Good for both sexes. For girls, especially in the 60s, beneficial to compete healthily in academics. [32,06] school reports. [33,36] impromptu trip in Physics to see the Flying Scotsman make its last ever scheduled run from King’s Cross. Went by tube, packed platform. More liberal teaching.
Westminster Under School restarted in 1943 in Grant’s, when the Great School was evacuated. Joined the Great School in 1945, when it was back in London. [1:10] A day boy. Lived above Baker Street station. School still finding its feet being back in London. There were barrage balloons and anti-aircraft guns in Vincent Square. Rationing of food and clothing. [2:52] He entered via the 4th form, which no longer exists. [3:43] Weekly form orders, when the pupils were ordered according to their marks the previous week. A very competitive atmosphere. Moved up two years due to his academic promise. [4:29] Took the School Certificate at 14. [5:00] Maundy money prizes and book tokens. [6:06] Physical training in Little Dean’s Yard in the morning. [7:10] The war was very traumatic for him, as a Jew. He was excused going to religious services, although some other Jewish boys did go. Was allowed to be away from school for the major Jewish religious holidays. He was an atheist. [8:42] The Under School evacuated for 4 weeks when the flying bombs came to London. [10:22] School numbers were very low when he arrived. No more than 220 boys. [11:05] Greaze took place in the roofless School. [12:52] Memorable Masters. W. F. Monk, an inspiring teacher. Dr Burch, who had no control over his class at all. [14:55] No bullying, and corporal punishment was very rare. [17:03] Enjoyed rowing. [18:05] His mother and siblings were sent to America in June 1940 by his father, because they were Jewish. His father probably thought he was never going to see them again. [18:50] Father came to England in 1911. Landed at Tower Pier, penniless and not speaking the language. First job was in Petticoat Lane, selling fabric off a barrel. Ended up with a textile business. [20:36] Knew he was going into business but didn’t tell anyone at school. [21:46] Brother went to Westminster when it was evacuated, and had a totally different impression of the school. Felt that the Housemaster was a bully and an anti-Semite. Jeffrey felt no anti-Semitism at all when he was there. [22:27] Saw the first meeting of the committee that set up the United Nations, which took place in Church House in 1944. Boys felt they were at the centre of the world. [23:47] Went into his father’s business after school. Sold the business and retired at 57. [24:29] Was in Ashburnham House, but there wasn't much house spirit. Felt more a member of the school than his house.
[00:25] Move from Homeboarders to College. Two uncles went to Westminster: Philip Manley Bendall and Geoffrey Skeat Manley Bendall. Knew ‘D J Knight’ – teacher or housemaster? (Housemaster of Homeboarders 1929-1936) [01:35] Started in Homeboarders. Allowed to take Challenge a third time once in the school. [02:08] Didn’t believe self to be academically gifted, but was well-behaved and conscientious. Got bottom place in College. [02:42] Big change. Started to board. Had been commuting from Brighton. [03:20] Used to boarding – had boarded at Prep School. ‘Laid-back’ culture in late 1930s Westminster. [03:48] Dormitory one large room. 18th century building. High ceiling. Divided up with wooden panelling into 40 cubicles. [04:55] ‘Degree of promiscuity’, boys sneaking into each other’s cubicles. Too ‘law-abiding’ and frightened to get involved. [05:40] Don’t remember being cold. [06:03] Monitors try to maintain order. Didn’t always succeed. Did lots of reading with a torch at night. John Mason Whiskard in next cubicle. Richard Geoffrey Whiskard, older brother. Was a monitor, Corsellis was his fag. Involved almost nothing. Gave Corsellis inscribed copy of ‘Oxford Book of English Verse’ on leaving the school. Was a role model: ‘modest, decent, fair’. Father was a senior civil servant. [08:50] Tasks as a fag. Whiskard was part of the editorial team of the Elizabethan, Corsellis kept a record of their contemporaries. Doesn’t remember preparing food or drinks. [10:45] Latin Play, still in College Dormitory each year. Never even considered for a part. ‘Soft spot for Terence and Plautus’. Matter of considerable excitement. One year attended by the King and Queen. [13:20] Disruptive effect on normal school life, but ‘most enjoyably’. No one annoyed by it. Prologue and Epilogue great fun. [14:50] Felt involved even though didn’t appear. Roped in to help support. [17:05] School felt like a place full of radical ideas and debate. [17:45] Head Master Costley White, ended up Dean of Gloucester. Pompous. ‘Losing his grip’. Governors decided a strong hand was needed afterwards. John Traill Christie followed. Corsellis ‘hero-worshipped him’ as a boy. Exercised authority. [22:00] Doing gym instead of joining the OTC. Discovered fencing. So few fencers, it was easy to be a high achiever. [23:00] Stand out teachers: Peebles (maths). Hillary (history), good role model. Godfrey-Barber (Classics), organiser of the Scouts, Pacifist, eased out of the school. DC Simpson (Master of the King’s Scholars, Classics Master), approachable and kind. Claridge (Modern Languages, school librarian), ‘feud’ with John Bow. [17:45] Christie as a ‘striking preacher’, good projection. Would have been unfavourable for anyone anti-authoritarian. [28:45] Pacifist leanings even when joining the school. Encouraged by the virtues of Christianity in Christie’s preaching (non-intentional) – Christ seemed to be a pacifist. [29:48] Four pacifists in College. William Barnes, became head boy, ‘striking character’, joined Friends Ambulance Unit. Donald Swann. [31:15] Could argue Friends Ambulance Unit to be a ‘logical extension of Westminster’. Contemporary Norman John Peppin Brown, ended up Catholic philosopher in Canada. Corsellis recruited Swann, possibly Brown, for the FAU. [32:32] John Christie, first Lay head master since Camden, yet remembered for his preaching. Charismatic teacher. ‘Put the fear of God in one’. High standards, intolerant of poor performance. [35:12] Felt like Christie was trying to change Westminster – wanted to introduce more discipline. Some boys resented him for it. Culture of staff common room was already strong. [38:10] Could attend debates in the Houses of Parliaments. [38:48] Not the only good fencer- Pears Brothers (Michael Andrew Pears and David Francis Pears) were excellent fencers. [41:30] Kim Philby (Harold Adrian Russell Philby). Had been aware of his father, reviewed a book of his in the Elizabethan. [42:08] Also produced ‘pillars of the establishment’, like Sir William Deakin (Frederick Wilham Dampier Deakin). [42:24] Westminster in the 1930s was particularly outward-looking. Speakers came in to school. Not there when Gandhi came. Poets. Active literary society. Felt in the centre of things and not cut off. [44:40] Paul de Labilliere, Dean of Westminster. Lovely man. Corsellis went back to Little Dean’s Yard to visit someone after leaving and was invited in for tea at the Deanery. Gallery of Westminster Abbey. [46:15] Abbey a big part of school life. Taken for granted as the school chapel. [47:18] Sang in Bach chorale. Couldn’t sing in tune, but volume was too great for anyone to notice. ‘Marvellous feeling’ performing in the Abbey. [48:05] Was at school when coronation happened, but as Town Boy. Watched procession. Probably saw more of it than the boys in the Abbey, juniors were right at the back and didn’t see anything. [49:15] Ceremonies in the Abbey. Very much part of life. Privileged. School gym. [51:05] Meals in College Hall. Food wasn’t particularly good, even before the war started. [52:00] Women at the school. Matron, allowed the boys to listen to Bach symphonies on the radio in College. [53:10] Suffered from appendicitis. Taken to private hospital looking over Vincent Square. Head Master’s wife (Lucie Christie) came to visit, shared books - 17th century literature. [54:12] Being at school when the war broke out. Evacuated to Lancing just before Munich Agreement was signed. Happy memories of Lancing College, especially scenery. Bitterly cold and fairly spartan. [55:55] Allowed back to Westminster for a brief period. Evacuated to Exeter. Mother decided he would leave the school early, get more practical training experience. Not expected to succeed in competition for scholarships for Oxford or Cambridge and wouldn’t have been able to afford to go without one. Left school and articled to a lawyer at Oxford. [57:50] Shorthand typing course at age 18. Could touch-type and write shorthand. [58:30] Atmosphere among pupils being evacuated. Positive. Challenge. ‘Closed ranks and got on with it’. Learned basic first aid. Fire watching. Most of the boys contemplating post-school life – wanted to do a year at university before being called up. Closer to the teachers. Greater feeling of team spirit. Conscious that it was a big job for the teaching staff to cope. Would Westminster survive at all? [01:01:15] Survival of school in debt to JT Christie. [01:01:58] Partly integrated into Lancing college when evacuated – shared activities. Own identity still preserved. [01:29:56] Staff make conscious effort to preserve Westminster identity. [01:03:25] War felt inevitable, boys were aware. Boys with family members in Europe. [01:05:45] Doesn’t remember talking about the war on a personal level with others boy. Kept a low profile. Aware there were a number of pacifists. Unaware William Barnes was a pacifist at the time, but knew Donald Swann was. [01:07:40] Pick up from where left off with first interview. Orpington, working as a hospital orderly. Classical education in Latin and Greek and adequate knowledge of French and German proved useful. After Orpington, spent time as nurse in state hospital. Spoke German to patients, including a fanatical Nazi who was refusing blood transfusions out of worry his ‘Aryan blood would be sullied’. Little chance of surviving. [01:10:45] Sent to headquarters as personal assistant to Whitworth (Old Etonian), who was planning the to assist refugees that would be created as Allied armies made their way through Europe. Dealt with policy correspondence. [01:11:55] FAU ran a training centre in Hampstead in an old house. 12 week training courses. Corsellis didn’t attend, but dealt with teaching material so learnt from that. [01:12:35] Sent abroad. Two months in Egypt, one month in refugee camp for 25,000 Yugoslavian refugees from Dalmatian coast. Teams of 8-10 relief workers. One interpreter liaison officer. Needed to learn Serbo-Croat, found book for Italians wanting to learn Serbo-Croat. Latin and French education made Italian easy, so taught self Italian and simultaneously learned Serbo-Croat. Quickly acting as interpreter. [01:12:14] Went on to Italy, developed fluent Italian. Up to Austria. Camp for 20,000 Yugoslav refugees. Sent on own to translate. Neighbouring camp in next field, 12,000 Yugoslav refugees from Slovenia, part of anti-communist resistance movement, had been involved in Civil War. Political advisor to army decided they were a problem, told would be sent down to Italy. Intention was to send them back to Yugoslavia under agreement with Yugoslavian authorities. Brutally massacred by the communists. Sent back by deceit and threat of force. Wrote book about it, finally achieved a kind of apology from the British government. [01:23:58] Book published in Slovenia. Outselling Harry Potter. Inspired/encouraged a Slovenian writer to write fictionalised book on the subject, with Corsellis-based character as hero. [01:27:45] Other claim to fame – published poetry of his brother from Second World War. [01:30:40] After the war, worked for 13 (ran for 10) for Education Interchange Council, wanting to open up exchanges with ‘ex-enemy countries’ and then with Communist countries (biggest danger of being opponents in a third world war at the time). Told not to become a modern languages specialist at school, but had since learned many in line of work. Good classical education was good preparation.
[00:24] Background. Father was barrister, served in First World War and keen pilot; died flying in 1930. Two older sisters, went to Francis Holland. Brother to Winchester. Corsellis to Westminster. [04:14] Prep School at St. Clare’s, Walmar, Kent. About 40 boys. Taught Latin and Greek. Encouraged to try for Westminster. Timid and nervous. [05:48] Put in for the Challenge a year early and failed, tried again and failed and admitted as Town Boy as a Homeboarder. [07:01] Head boy of St. Clare’s. Reading lesson in Chapel – good training in public speaking. Disciplinary authorities and responsibilities. [08:13] Went from ‘big fish’ at Prep School to ‘lowest of the low’ at Public School. [08:24] Joined Westminster September 1936. [08:38] Two uncles had been to Westminster. In awe of the school. [09:35] Friendly school. Proud of Westminster School. [10:02] Started at Westminster living at the northern end of Baker Street. Walk to school in top hat and tail coat through the parks. Enjoyed the attention. [11:12] Family moved to Brighton. Commuted for a term on a daily basis. [11:44] Didn’t enjoy football or cricket matches at Prep School. Became a scorer – went with first XI to away matches, got to enjoy the food, ‘felt nice and important’. [12:38] Westminster offered fencing instead. ‘Tiny claim to fame at Westminster’ with fencing. Clerihew ‘Corsellis / rhymes with trellis / Hence / Fence’. [15:30] Fencing in Little Dean’s Yard when weather was nice. Fenced over the graves of the monks in the cloisters. Old Gym when the weather was bad. Armory garden, Ashburnham Garden? [17:14] Distinguished French fencing instructor. No electric scoring. Didn’t have to do football, cricket or water for fencing. [18:40] Left-handed. Was made to write right-handed. Disorientates right-handed fencers used to fighting right-fencers. Successful. Made school team. Public Schools Championship – first in foils, second in épée. [20:30] Beginning of first term, new intake congregate in Yard and addressed by master in charge of Corps. Gave patriotic speech. Alternatives – Scouts or gym. [22:15] Influence of brother. ‘Mildly disrespectful of authority’, advised not to do Corps. Opted for Gym. Learning to vault and parallel bars. [23:40] Conscious of war. Pacifist tendencies. Aunt ‘militant pacifist’, role model. [25:25] Westminster ‘evangelical, in the wider sense’. John Christie, Head Master, as ‘striking preacher’. Classics Master as pacifist, left school when the war started, ‘presence not very desirable’. Not characteristic of a normally tolerant Westminster. [27:45] Three contemporaries from College joined Friend’s Ambulance Unit (FAU). William Barnes; nickname ‘Bishop’, strong personality but liked and respected, became head boy. [29:57] Norman John Peppin Brown; became Professor of Philosophy in Canada; Catholic. [31:00] Donald Swann; musical, same election as Corsellis, went to Oxford. [31:38] Left Westminster, entered into articles with a lawyer in Oxford. Apprentice, didn’t need a degree. ‘Paid for the privilege of being a trainee in a lawyer’s firm’. One or two years of part time lectures at university. [33:24] Would meet up with Swann while both in Oxford, in British Restaurant for ‘awful meals, quite cheaply’, or two own sandwiches. Got to know Swann’s father, grew up in Russia until the revolution. [36:58] Advise Swann of FAU. Both ended in the same camp in the Cadbury Estate in Birmingham, six weeks of training. Converted stables for recruits, help to toughen up. [38:52] Both sent to ‘training hospital’ Guy’s Hospital in Orpington. Had been Canadian military hospital in First World War, ‘geriatrics hospital’ between wars. Converted to sector hospital to move patients out of London. Swann, Bill Mann (ended up music critic of the Times), Douglas Harvey. [41:08] Hospital porters, used as ward orderlies.