" Deplorable writing " Yes, indeed, but whose fault was that, Mr Riddell?!

 

The " di V " here (Vicomte di Villa) was a rather mysterious figure, I thought, who arrived almost at the end of my sojourn at the school. Claimed to be a member of the Portugese aristocracy fallen on hard times, and used to regale us with strange tales of everyday life under the then Portugese dictator, Dr Salazar, almost unknown outside Portugal at that time. I think I learnt more about Portugal from him than any geography teacher I had, and when things got very interesting politically in Portugal in the seventies, I hit the ground running.

 

Well, I left Cardiff High School in July 1968, aged 16, with five G.C.E O' Levels, in Maths, Engineering Science (thanks Jack. I would never have passed these two without your efforts.), English Language (but not English Literature. Are you suprised?), History, and Music (actually, I sat that one a year earlier).

 

I have many precious memories of my friends and the great time I had with them at the school as well, to show for my time there.