Marty

If they did that, we might never see either of them again...

What's this shopping list thing?

So I was out with Trusty Nikon.... Happy Friday, all!

Hey, Albert

Well that photo doesn't look in the least bit dreary to me, Gary...

Enjoyable chapter, and a nice way to show some of the history of The Boot by using Beccy's flashback.

Just do whatever the doctor(s) tell you to do, buddy.

Well, that was brave of Simon! But I'm delighted that he's finally plucked up the courage to actually try to make friends at college. Hopefully things will go a bit easier for him now. I have to admit that I reckon he should have told Nicky and his mum about what happened with his dad. Although I'm not really surprised that he didn't. What does slightly surprise me is that his dad hasn't already texted his mum about it yet...

Beautiful image, Gary!

I'm always delighted to see belated comments, @Canuk! It shows me that this story is still attracting new readers!

Cheers for those kind last few words. And yes, speaking as an ex teacher myself, teaching staff often do have to toe the line. I found it extremely difficult at times.

I suppose I can forgive you for supporting Liverpool, Bard. After all, someone has to. *Marty dons fireproof clothing...*

Thanks for the insightful comment, @Mancunian. I'm sure the boys don't see their actions as insubordination (although I am totally impressed with your use of long words! ). Indeed, even I didn't see it as insubordination. More a case of them standing up to injustice. And I'm also of the opinion that the headmaster doesn't realise that his actions mean that he is guilty of an abuse of power (I wonder if there is there a long word I could have used there? )

Terrible, moi??? 😮 (You know me so well... ) Actually I think the only teasing I did was to split the day of the prize giving into four or five short chapters, instead of releasing it all as a single, much longer one. Just don't expect every chapter to go the way you'd like it to...

I think it may have depended on where the pub was, and probably on the landlord as well, but do remember that I have mentioned at least once that Peter looks far younger than his seventeen years. Personally I was still being asked how old I was in some pubs when I was 24. I remember almost being asked to leave in one pub when I answered "No" to the barman's "Are you eighteen?" question. When he told me he couldn't serve me the pint of beer I'd asked for, and I replied "Why not? You asked me if I'm eighteen, and I'm not. I'm twenty-four," he fortunately saw the funny side and pulled the pint for me. As for the Doctor with no name, I was more thinking of a young Oscar Wilde when Lowry's character came to my head (although in both cases they had dark hair, as opposed to Lowry's blond locks).

Thanks for the in-depth comment, @Bard Simpson As regards everyone growing a little, I have to agree with you. I suspect even Mr Griffiths may have learned something from it... Lowry may not have been the most popular kid in the story, but he certainly wasn't unpopular. He'd certainly come up in Danny's estimation lower down the school when he had loaned him his gym shoes the day after the roof painting affair. I think it was probably more that he simply concentrated on his art most of the time, and was more of an introvert rather than having the extroverted nature of Jock and Danny. My grandmother, who was born when Queen Victoria was still on the throne, was very fond of telling me that "Little boys should be seen but not heard" when I was a young child. She would usually follow that up with something along the lines of "If you've got something to say, stand quietly and wait until the adults have stopped talking, and then ask permission to speak." She was truly Victorian in her attitude, but for all that I still loved her dearly. The Dog and Partridge was (and probably still is) a very popular pub name in England at the time. Not too sure about Lowry having been L.S. Lowry's secret love child, but I did say this about him back in Chapter 7: There was also a framed watercolour that he had done at the tender age of twelve whilst in the second year, hanging in the school entrance hall. It was a representation of the gasworks towers in the centre of town, done something in the style of L. S. Lowry, even having matchstick type figures representing the people walking by.

I agree. But, if you want to know if the lads succeed, you'll just have to keep reading. (Sorry, I don't do spoilers) Thanks for commenting.

I think you're completely right. And kudos for knowing the big word! Danny only ever interacts with Derek when he's at the digs. I'm not sure whether he might have been physically violent were he to have had to interact with him on campus, but I somehow think he would have just walked away. In my head, Danny is simply not the fighting type.

They were. And some of them did. But they were still classed as minors by the universities, and so were subject to rules concerning where they could live. As I said in a previous comment, in the UK in those days anyone under the age of 21 was still classed as a minor. The "Age of Majority" in the UK was not reduced from 21 to 18 until 1970. Timeline of Young People's Rights in the United Kingdom

And, as I said in an earlier reply, England didn't so much as win that match. More a case that they stole it...

Cheers, @Mancunian!

Thanks, @Mancunian! I'm just glad that my readers think that the story sounds realistic.