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MyFirstJobWhileIwaswaitingtoenteruniversity,IsawinalocalnewspaperateachingpostadvertisedataschoolinasuburbofLondonabouttenmilesfromwhereIlived.Beingveryshortofmoneyandwantingtodosomethinguseful,Iapplied,fearingasIdidso,thatwithoutadegreeandwithnoexperienceofteachingmychancesoflandingthejobwereslim.However,threedayslateraletterarrived,summoningmetoCroydonforaninterview.Itprovedanawkwardjourney:atraintoCroydonstation;aten-minutebusrideandthenawalkofatleastaquarterofamile.AsaresultIarrivedonahotJunemorningtoodepressedtofeelnervous.Theschoolwasadreary,gabledVictorianhouseofredbrickandwithbigstaringsash-windows.Thefrontgardenwasagravelsquare;fourevergreenshrubsstoodateachcorner,wheretheystruggledtosurvivethedustandfumesfromabusymainroad.Itwasclearlytheheadmasterhimselfthatopenedthedoor.Hewasshortandrotund.Hehadasandy-coloredmoustache,afreckledforeheadandhardlyanyhair.Hewaswearingatweedsuit—onefeltsomehowhehadalwayswornit—andacrosshisamplestomachwasloopedasilverwatch-chain.Helookedatmewithanairofsurpriseddisapproval,asacolonelmightlookataprivatewhosebootlaceswereundone.Ahyes,hegrunted.You'dbettercomeinside.Thenarrow,sunlesshallsmelledunpleasantlyofstalecabbage;thecream-printedwallshadgoneadingymargarinecolor,exceptwheretheywerescarredwithinkmarks;itwasallsilent.Hisstudy,judgingbythecrumbsonthecarpet,wasalsohisdiningroom.Onthemantelpiecetherewasasaltcellarandpepper-pot.You'dbettersitdown,hesaid,andproceededtoaskmeanumberofquestions:whatsubjectshadItakeninmyGeneralSchoolCertificate;howoldwasI;whatgamesdidIplay;thenfixingmesuddenlywithhisbloodshoteyes,heaskedmewhetherIthoughtgameswereavitalpartofaboy'seducation.Imumbledsomethingaboutnotattachingtoomuchimportancetothem.Hegrunted.Ihadsaidthewrongthing.TheheadmasterandIobviouslyhadsingularlylittleincommon.Theschool,hesaid,consistedofoneclassoftwenty-fourboys,ranginginagefromseventothirteen.Ishouldhavetoteachallsubjectsexceptart,whichhetaughthimself.FootballandcricketwereplayedinthePark,amileawayonWednesdayandSaturdayafternoons.Theteachingset-upappalledme.Ishouldhavetosplittheclassupintothreegroupsandteachtheminturnatthreedifferentlevels;andIwasdismayedatthethoughtofteachingalgebraandgeometry—twosubjectsatwhichIhadbeencompletelyincompetentatschool.WorseperhapswastheideaofSaturdayafternooncricket.ItwasnotsomuchhavingtotrampamilealongthedustystreetsofCroydon,followedbyacrocodileofsmallboysthatIminded,butthefactthatmostofmyfriendswouldbeenjoyingleisureatthattime.Isaiddiffidently,Whatwouldmysalarybe?Twelvepoundsaweekpluslunch.BeforeIcouldprotesthegottohisfeel.Now,hesaid,you'dbettermeetmywife.She'stheonewhoreallyrunsthisschool.Thiswasthelaststraw.Iwasveryyoung:theprospectofworkingunderawomanconstitutedtheultimateindignity.TheInterviewThemanwholookedlikeaterriersaid:You'reBlakey,areyou?Takeaseat.Blakeytookaseat.Iseeyoutookyour'A'levelsinEnglish,FrenchandHistory,andcontinuedwiththeArtsatuniversity.TheterriermanlookedupfromBlakey'sapplicationform.What,heaskedmildly,haspromptedyoutowanttochangetomedicine?Well,Blakeysaid—feelinganythingbutwell—I'vealways,evenatschool,beeninterested,butitwasabigdecisiontotake,andIwasn'tsureatthetimeIhadtherighttemperament.Thepanelofthreemadenocomment,andtheirsilenceremindedhimhe'dnotyetansweredtheirquestion.Ireallywantedtowrite.Themannexttotheterrierclearedhisthroat.Sothefactisyou'dratherbeawriterthanadoctor?Notnecessarily,Blakeysaid.Itmighthavebeentrueonce,butforsometimenowmymind'sbeensetonbecomingadoctor.Butyouarecapableofachangeofheart.Therewasalongpause.I'msorry,Blakeysaid,startled,didyoumeanthatasaquestion?Well?themansaid,raisinganeyebrow.No,Idon'tthinkIamatall.AndyouleftUniversitywithouttakingadegree.Isthatright?Yes.Whywasthis?Lookingback,Blakeysaid,IreckonItookontoomuch,toomanyactivities.Couldyouexplaintouswhattheseactivitieswere?Iproducedseveralplaysforthecollegedramaticsociety,(whichwastrue)IspokeatUniondebates(alsotrue)anddidabitofsocialwork(whichwasn't).Thethirdmemberofthepanelfrowned.Socialwork?hesaid,asifitweresomeincurabledisease.Tellusaboutthat.Forathicksetheavy-jowledman,hisvoicewasoddlyquerulous.Yes,Blakeysaid,anddescribedtheonlytwostudentorganizationsofthesortheknewthenamesof,butwhichforonereasonoranotherhe'dnevergotroundtojoining.Andifyourapplicationweresuccessful,theterriermansaidonanoteofsomberimprobability,couldyousupportyourself?Blakeyhesitated.Hehadasuddenpremonitionthathisanswercouldbecrucial.Youhavenogrant?themanprompted.No.Haveyouanyprivatemeans?IthinkIcouldmanageallright.Forthefirsttimehisprincipaltormentorrevealedhisteethinatight,impatientsmile.Howcouldyoumanage?Blakeyshiftedinhischair.Hehadbeguntoresentthesecold,unforthcomingmenwhoinstilledinhimasenseofguilt.Itwasmoreacross-examinationthananinterview.Hisdesiretotakeupmedicineseemedalmostlikeacrime.Ihadapart-timejobduringvacations,whichenabledmetosave—Couldyoutellus,hispersecutorpersisted,theweeklyincome.Hetoldthem.Areyouthinkingofgettingmarriedinthenearfuture?No.Whatareyourinterests?Howdoyouspendyoursparetime?Whathadhesaidontheform?Whydidtheyaskhimwhenitwasallonthefor