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THE RADLEY COLLEGE CHRONICLE Vol. VI No. 1 5 February 2007 GORDON BROWN – PRIME MINISTER IN WAITING VI.2 LECTURE by MR TOM BOWER THURSDAY 18 JANUARY, THE THEATRE A couple of weeks ago the VI.2 and an assortment of for food and shelter, they were always helped. Thus other years (including a gaggle of over-awed Shells) we can see perhaps where Brown’s deeply ingrained were treated to a talk by Tom Bower on the subject of instinct for higher taxes and wealth distribution came the Chancellor of the Exchequer, ‘our next Prime from, as well as his focus on the social chapter. He Minister’, the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP. One don shone at school, being an exceptional scholar and was heard to say afterwards that if the UK population rugby player, going up to Edinburgh University at the was, in its entirety, subjected to Mr. Bower’s talk, then age of 16. He benefited from the (at that time) strong ‘No one would vote for him’. This gives you an idea traditional Scottish local school system, but ironically about the flavour of Bower’s revelations. Mr Tom he more than any other, has been responsible for the Bower, a Radley parent, is a political journalist and decline of his old school into a ‘bog-standard’ comp; successful author of biographies – Robert Maxwell, one that is not offering the leg-up for bright local Richard Branson and Mohammed Fayed are among children that he enjoyed. his recent subjects. Mr Bower is currently updating his We were spellbound and shocked to hear how, on (unauthorised) biography of Brown in preparation for learning that the evening news had got hold of the the handover of power predicted for this summer. As truth about the famous Granita restaurant deal – in the author of regular newspaper articles analysing 1994 Brown was not popular enough in the party to Brown’s behaviour, he seems to have had considerable win the leadership election so he withdrew and influence over the Chancellor, sending him scurrying supported Tony Blair – which gave the lie to the story off to China and India merely by criticizing the fact he fed his supporters about a deal to succeed Tony that he was making pronouncements on the developing Blair after two terms, he was so incensed, apparently, world without visiting it. that he stormed into his bedroom and broke all the We heard about the nature of the man more than his furniture in a colossal rage… politics. The underhand methods with which he has What about the 2009/2010 General Election, then? not only furthered his own political career, but Bower predicted that it looked as if Brown would hang sabotaged Tony Blair’s reform programme since 1997 on to power for as long as possible but then lose to the were quite staggering to learn. This seemed so much Conservatives. The electorate will want a change: a the case that even some Thatcher-mourning, fourth Labour term, with the increasing levels of conservative-to-the-core indirect taxation through stealth, Radleians were heard to say later ‘…he stormed into his mismanagement of public that they ‘felt rather sorry for bedroom and broke all the services, and a dour Scottish PM Tony’. In fact, Bower went as far at the helm looks unlikely. as to say that the majority of furniture in a colossal rage…’ The speaker’s passion and Blair’s mistakes and the clumsy interest in the subject were conveyed to the audience handling of certain hot reform potatoes can be in an articulate and concise manner. There were plenty attributed to Brown’s sabotage agenda. of good questions arising afterwards too – always a What intrigued me most, though, was the insight we good sign. We were fortunate to hear an authoritative were given into Brown’s upbringing. His father was a and unvarnished (the Theatre witnessed a couple of clergyman, a very good man with a strong moral code. rather unusual words near the end) exposé of our next When the poor or needy turned up at his door asking Prime Minister. – – — INSIDE — – – Overheard – page 5 • Diary of a Patient – page 6 • Your life on Facebook – page 7 • Declamations Diary – page 9 Unhappy Feet – page 10 • Correspondence – page 23 • Sport – page 24 and much more… 5 February 2007 THE RADLEY COLLEGE CHRONICLE WHERE DO RADLEIANS COME FROM? Following the number of theological articles in the school is not listed here, you are, apparently, the only previous issue, we facetiously decided to do the math person from that school, so well done for being on where we all came from. The data comes from the different. The formula used this time was eGreyBook again, but is actually from the last 10 int(16×log2(n+1))/2 pt, where n is the number of boys years, and excludes schools that only passed one pupil from the school in question. Cothill House has sent us onto Radley. Therefore, there may be schools listed the most boys, with 124, followed by the Dragon here that currently have no boys at Radley. If your School with 110. Abberley Hall Aldro Amesbury School Arnold House School Arnold Lodge School Ashdown House School Ashfold School Aysgarth School Beaudesert Park Beeston Hall Belhaven Hill Bilton Grange Brambletye Bramcote School Brockhurst Caldicott Cheam Cheltenham College Junior School Colet Court Cothill House Cottesmore School Cranleigh Preparatory School Cranmore School Croftinloan School Crosfields School Cumnor House School Dragon School Dulwich College Prep, London Eagle House School Eaton House the Manor Edge Grove Edgeborough Elstree Emscote Lawn Farleigh School Felsted Preparatory School Feltonfleet Hall Grove 2 THE RADLEY COLLEGE CHRONICLE 30 January 2007 Highfield School Hill House Hordle Walhampton Horris Hill KCS Wimbledon King’s Hall Lambrook Haileybury Lockers Park Ludgrove Maidwell Hall Malaysia Malsis School Milbourne Lodge Senior School Millbrook House Monkton Combe Junior School Moulsford School Mount House School Mowden School New College School Newland House School Norman Court School Northcote Lodge Old Buckenham Hall Oratory Preparatory School Orwell Park Packwood Haugh Papplewick Pilgrims’ School Pinewood Port Regis Rokeby School Sandroyd School Scaitcliffe Shrewsbury House St Aubyn’s School St Hugh’s School St John’s College School, Cambridge St Michael’s School, Jersey St Philip’s School St Ronan’s School Summer Fields Sunningdale School Sussex House The Beacon School The Elms The Hall The Mall School The Oratory Prep School Thomas’s, Battersea Tower House School Twyford School Vinehall Wellesley House West Hill Park Westbourne House Westminster Abbey Choir School Westminster Under School Winchester House Woodcote House School 3 5 February 2007 THE RADLEY COLLEGE CHRONICLE A POLL ON SPORTS KIT & COLOURS We asked five Radleians from each Social in the Sixth Form about colours, clothing and school ties. With the two new socials opening in five terms’ time 3. How many society or team ties (other than school attention must be turning to the nitty gritty details of and social ones) are you entitled to wear? boarding house life. The decision about which are to 4. What is your habitual college tie? be the new social colours is down to the new Tutors, MKTH and NM, and the Warden, but in advance of 5. Which of the ties that you have not been awarded such an important decision – one that, over the years, would you feel the proudest to wear? will affect what thousands of future Radleians wear The Radleians polled are entitled to wear on average and which smart city shirts their mothers pick out in four different ties, excluding social ties. The most the emporia of Jermyn Street – we thought we would commonly worn tie around college is the normal social ask the obvious question. tie and 65% of boys would be proudest to wear the Of course, one set of distinctive colours are off limits Full Colours tie. – avid readers of A Tutor’s Diary (to be continued later this term) will know that I Social’s colours are 6. Would you say you took a pride in your appearance Lime green and Mandarin; their social leagues teams at school? being nicknamed ‘The Tic-Tacs’. 7. Do you ever think about whether your tie clashes with your shirt? 1. Which social do you think has the best social colours? Surprisingly – and the Proctor may raise both eyebrows at this – three quarters of the sample claimed 55% of Radleians prefer the colours of another social to take pride in their appearance at school, and 45% to their own; the most popular social tie in the school said they think about whether their tie clashes with is the ‘D’ Social blue and white one, with 35% of their shirt. Radleians claiming it to be their favourite social tie. 8. How many articles of Radley or Radley-branded 2. What do you think the social colours for the new J sportswear do you own? and K Socials should be (vote for your favourite from the list or suggest another combination)? [Pink & 9. What do you think about the amount of Radley Blue, Yellow & Blue, Pink & Yellow, Lime green & sports kit in circulation? Mandarin, Purple & Green.] The average boy has 7 items of Radley-branded The most popular nominations were Pink & Blue sportswear and, when asked about the amount of followed by Yellow & Blue. school sports kit, 70% believe we have the right amount; 20% say we don’t have enough. and the remaining 10% believe we have too much. NEW DONS We welcome four new members of Common Room to Radley and introduce them with brief profiles… HGCC introduced to the delights of Common Room dining at Radley, he is rapidly putting on weight and may well Mr Henry Clarke joins us from Hampton School be heavy enough to become involved with Rugby once where he taught Physics and coached rowing.