I used to love reading the Frank Richard ( real name Charles Hamilton, thanks Wikipedia!) stories about 'the Fat Owl of the Remove' Billy Bunter. His life was one of school boy adventures, but with a peculiar mixture of a never ending search for food and always promising that he was expecting a cheque to repay debts at any moment.
He was a pupil at Greyfriars, a boys boarding school, along with Harry Wharton, Coker and others. Being of a somewhat plump disposition, Billy was at a disadvantage at a school that rewarded sporting prowess!
Don't think these were male-only stories. Billy had a sister, Bessie:
'Bessie Bunter was essentially a female counterpart to her brother Billy, sharing many characteristics with her brother, including her large size and large appetite. She was as unappealing as her brother Billy, being conceited, untruthful, gluttonous and obese, but she was rather more domineering than he was and would usually impose her will by nagging, or, in the case of her brothers, by administering hefty slaps to the head'.
Mixed with the Billy Bunter books, the other schoolboy I used to love reading about was William Brown of 'Just William' fame. These were written by Richmal Crompton. Over to Wikipedia:
William Brown is an eleven-year-old boy, eternally scruffy and frowning. William and his friends, Ginger, Henry and Douglas, call themselves the Outlaws, and meet at the old barn in Farmer Jenks' field, with William being the leader of the gang. The Outlaws are sworn enemies of the Hubert Lane-ites, with whom they frequently clash. Ginger is William's faithful friend and almost as tousled, reckless and grimy as William himself. He has been known to take over in William's absence and is his best friend. Henry brings an air of wisdom to the otherwise non-academic Outlaws. Never liking to own up to being at a loss, he can always deliver the knowledge that the Outlaws need. In the first book, it is revealed that he is the oldest of the Outlaws. Douglas, perhaps the most pessimistic of the Outlaws (though it has never stopped him joining in with any lawless activity) is the best at of them at spelling. He spells knights "gnights" and knocks "gnocks". The Outlaws take pride in this because, unlike them, he knows the contrariness of the English language.'
Their adventures inspired some of my own at school (Weston-super-Mare Grammar School for Boys, turning into Broadoak Comprehensive School), with Masters such as Mr Trapp (History, '50 lines for not having a pen', 'Pinky' Wilson (Religious Education', 'Robbo' Robinson (Woodwork), 'Sidney' Seaton (Woodwork), 'Joe' Robinson (Biology), Mr 'Way down in ' Houston (Texas)(Maths), 'Ernie'Rue (French), Mr Oldroyd (Geography) and Mistresses such as the terrifying Miss Kerrisk (English I think).
 |
| Some teachers from the Comp, circa 1976 |
 |
| 1976 |
The only time I emulated Billy to the point of being caned was when the school was a comp; when I was in the Fourth Year, several of us decided it would be a great idea to skulk about under the school stage during a recording of 'Radio Top of the Form'. We crept into the hall during lunch, while all was quiet, went round to the back of the stage and went under it, via a hatch, making our way in amongst all the stored detritus of 40 years. Imagine our surpise to discover some equally adventurous Second Years , with the same plan. After a wait of an hour or so, the hall filled, the BBS recording started, we giggled, thinking we were very clever. One wag (Second Year, of course) elevated the excitement by blowing fag smoke up through a knot hole....
After the recording was completed ('They seem to have some noisy mice here!'), we waited until the hall was emptied and all was quiet. Creeping out the hatch at the back of the stage, we were knabbed, one by one, by the Head accompanied by the caretaker, taken up to his study and, one by one, given the cane, six on the backside.Happy days!
