Tower and Town, April 2021 (view the full edition)Arriving At The College in Lockdown 100 Years On From BetjemanOne of the College's most famous literary former pupils is the late Poet Laureate John Betjeman (B2 1920-25). Unlike the majority of Old Marlburians, Betjeman loathed his five years at school - "Thank God I'll never have to go through them again" he wrote in Chapter VII of his autobiographical works 'Summoned by Bells'. His wealth of evocative verse and prose refers to his miserable time that included "casual beatings", meals that featured cakes "harder than rocks" and tea "made from stewed up socks", and, perhaps most of all, the dread of games while "shivering in exiguous shorts". It wasn't all bad. He liked the town and felt an affinity with the surrounding countryside. He enjoyed cycling to Silbury Hill and "sepulchral Avebury", as well as recalling "the smell of trodden leaves beside the Kennet on Sunday walks". However, such was the trauma that when filming a documentary of his life in the 1960s, Betjeman took considerable persuading to even enter the school gates. It was his first return visit to Marlborough for over 40 years. Arriving at Marlborough exactly 100 years after Betjeman, the Shell intake of 2020 perhaps have more reason not to enjoy their inauspicious beginnings. Starting at boarding school in the midst of a global pandemic, their experience will have been very different to that of the ordinary Marlburian. Face masks, one-way systems, house & year group bubbles, regular Covid tests, eating in solitude, classrooms set up in soulless exam-style alignment of desks and Saturday nights socials a thing of the past, were just some of the features of 'Covid College'. During the year that marked the 75th anniversary of VE Day, the British people were experiencing the most comprehensive upheaval to normal everyday lives since the dark days of World War II. The residents of Marlborough, both College and Town, were no exception. In spite of these unique, unprecedented and extraordinary circumstances, the achievements of all who work at the College have been remarkable in providing an environment that is as safe, productive and enjoyable as possible. The intake of 2020 will never forget their first year at the College. Inspired by the former Poet Laureate, this group of Shell pupils, 100 years his junior, have written poems on 'Marlborough in Lockdown', reflecting their experiences of the Michaelmas and Lent terms in the style of John Betjeman's poetry. Mike Bush |