This Right Soft Lot

Bought 17 May 2008, Sensible Bookshop, Hay-on-Wye

I'm counting this as a non-fiction as, although names are changed and characters are blended, it is in most senses a straightforward memoir of Blishen's time as a more experienced teacher in an inner city boys' secondary modern school. Teddy boys and peculiar hats, boys who are more men than boy, with a job lined up and an inability to understand why they need to be in school, but also school plays, fantastic wit, some achievements and a lot of love and care.

I do like a book about teachers and this is excellent - I will keep a look out for his first one, Roaring Boys, which deals with his first years as a teacher.

I loved the late Edward Blishen's books -- that gentle wry humour. Sadly, one never seems to see them in second-hand bookshops.....
He'd be sad that schools like Stonehill Street Secondary Modern haven't disappeared, but in fact have got much worse......