How he put parents in their place

THE TERM ‘helicopter parents’ did not exist for much of Kidson’s career. He would have loathed the modern culture of parent involvement in the minutiae of exam grades and UCAS applications.

This began to change in the late Eighties, perhaps reflecting wider shifts as society became more plutocratic. But two mothers who wrote to coerce him into helping their sons to Oxbridge were left in no doubt about their son’s prospects: Dear Mrs *******

I personally can’t see the advantage of Johnny’s staying on for Oxbridge.

He isn’t, I fear, strong enough. Neither can I agree with you that there is virtue in courting failure: we have disappointments enough in life without compounding them gratuitously.’ Yours sincerely, Michael Kidson. Dear Mrs *******

I am always in favour of hitching wagons to stars; but tilting at windmills is another matter. It may sound brutal, but I don’t believe Damien is an Oxford runner by any stretch of the imagination.

Incidentally, Damien has shown scarcely any initiative. All I recall is a perfunctory reference some months ago. Lectures are given in April about university entrance. Serious candidates can hardly expect to be spoon-fed day in and day out. Yours sincerely, Michael Kidson.