I have just gotten an invite from the old Alma Mater to contribute to the Uni funds, which, for some odd reason caused me to remember an odd incident. The North London was not even a real university at the time. It was a polytechnic and the sort of place where other polys would say, well, we may only be polys, but at least we ain't the North London. I had a had a great time there, but I never assumed that it was any sort of intellectual or social powerhouse. Which made the following incident that much odder... I had gone up for the interview and the guy interviewing me suddenly asked what I was doing for a living (I was a mature applicant) and I said that I was a gardener, whereupon the chap's eyes opened as though he was trying to crap a hedgehog. "Not mowing lawns and such I hope? " he said. "Oh no, " I lied. Actually, I loved mowing lawns because it was easy work but I could see the way things were going." I have people to do that sort of thing. I am the main contractor." In fact I was the only contractor but I did not mention that. "Good." he said and that was me set up for three years of agreeable mediocrity In was about my only encounter with traditional snobbery. It was also dangerous because this was the early 80s when all the unis were busy polishing up their leftie credentials but the lecturer who interviewed me was a real throwback. Anybody else have other memories?
