50 years ago today!

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There are not many times when I can remember exactly what I was doing 50 years ago, but today is one such occasion! On 20th May 1970 I took the first of my A-level exams - I don't recall whether it was in the morning or the afternoon, so it might have been exactly to the minute half a century ago that I was sitting in the exam hall (actually the gym) at Poole Grammar School in Dorset and scribbling away at the first paper. To be accurate, this first paper was not in fact an A-level but an "S-level". Most people sat three A-level subjects (mine were English, History and Geography) and you had the option of adding a "Special paper" in one of the subjects. Given that English was my best subject, and the one that I wished to study at University level, that was what I chose. The A-Level pass grades were A to E (no star grades in those days) and the S-level was graded as Distinction, Merit or Unclassified (i.e. Fail!). The idea was that a Distinction or Merit gave you an extra boost when in competition for a University place. I remember answering questions on Shakespeare and Chaucer in the S-level paper. The questions were reasonably broad, which allowed the candidates scope to expand on something that particularly interested them. I don't remember what the Shakespeare option was, but the Chaucer question allowed me to go to town on The Pardoner's Tale, which has always been my favourite Canterbury Tale. I achieved a Merit, which went nicely with the B grade I got at A-level (plus two C's in the other subjects). These were enough to get me to Bangor (University of Wales) where I did a joint honours degree in English and Philosophy. However, my friend Chris, who got an A in English, was unclassified on the Special paper and actually failed one of his other A-levels. That did not, however, stop him going to Oxford University where he did exceptionally well and ended up with a DPhil - the same as a PhD. He went on to be a University lecturer in English, the author of several books and eventually Professor and Head of Department at a University in Southern Africa! So maybe that S-level was not so important after all! However, guess what I shall be doing for much of today? Continuing to sort out my blog posts on - among things - Shakespeare and Chaucer!