When the chips are down, teachers win

WHIle at boarding school in colwyn Bay in 1963, a very small group of us became unhappy with the quantity and quality of the grub.

It just never seemed to improve and, as hungry, growing boys of 14 to 15, we became very fed up. Three of us decided desperate measures were required. schools in those days had measures in place to subdue such anarchy, inasmuch as matrons, housemasters, prefects, sub-prefects and masters conspired to defeat any unpleasantness that might upset the status quo. We decided to instigate a food strike on a certain day. Not too much planning went into it, but over a few days the word got around that we were all to refuse to eat at lunchtime (we did have tuck boxes and access to the town to supplement our rations). like all ‘best-laid plans’, our proposed action must have been leaked and the ‘authorities’ got wind of it. absolutely nothing was said to us by these people, but they were not stupid and knew how to defeat us well and truly. all they did was to produce copious quantities of cHIPs! We were undone in a trice.

In due course, the three ringleaders were summoned to the headmaster’s study. This man was a traditionalist and very good with every aspect of school life, and appreciated the dilemma. We were all admonished and dismissed, but not until we all detected a grin of approval from him!

Not all was lost, as the food made a huge recovery and I think the catering manager was put in his place. What wonderful people we had in command!

Ian ‘Monty’ Green, Malvern, Worcs.