A: Ian - Christopher Robin; Michael Jackson; Richard Branson; and Sir Peregrine
Worsthorne, former editor of the Sunday Telegraph.
PICTURED:
Top: (L) Christopher Robin; (R) Michael Jackson
Bottom:
(L) Richard Branson; (R) Sir Peregrine
Worsthorne
I:
Yes, and former school friend of George Melly's. This is a school question.
G: The link between me, Peregrine Worsthorne and Stowe.
I: Michael Jackson has put his son down for Stowe, Worsthorne was at Stowe, and
so was Branson and I suppose Christopher Robin, who was real.
He was AA Milne's son. So
they all went there except Michael Jackson, who is sending his son there.
A: It's a perfect answer...
C: Well done.
I: Thank you.
A: ...but George's is rather more interesting.
So George...so what exactly happened?
G: Nothing!
A: Right. He claims, of course...
G: HE claims...
A: ...that you seduced him.
G: ...in the book on public schools in which he wrote a chapter in which he said
he had a perfectly miserable time at Stowe - I had rather a good time - he said
I seduced him expertly - expertly I like - on the art school couch.
Eventually a review came out, I think by Robert Morley, saying 'I shall
never speak to George Melly again - seducing poor little Peregrine'.
So I wrote, pointing out he was three years older than me.
Now this didn't rule me out seducing him, but I wouldn't have had the
nerve, really. Although I would
plead guilty to congress of many Stoics at the time, but Peregrine?
No!
A: Stoic - is that the word for someone who goes to Stowe?
G: Yes.
A: And what's the school motto?
G: 'Per Stowe et Pri Stowe'.
A: Which is?
P: 'Don't tie your shoelaces up in the playground'!
Back to Top / Back to Transcripts Intro Page / Back to Intro Page
